Urinary Tract Infection - Symptoms and Causes

A urinary tract infection is an infection in any part of the urinary tract. It can be barely noticeable or it can be deadly. Usually, urinary tract infections show up in the urethra and bladder. Urinary tract infections affect more women than men. Symptoms include a burning feeling when you urinate or blood in your urine, as well as frequent urination, odd smelling urine, or trouble urinating. However, these can also be symptoms of other medical conditions. The best way to diagnose a urinary tract infection is to determine if there is bacteria in the urine through medical testing.

Cystitis is a type of urinary tract infection that causes pain the lower abdomen and possibly a low fever. Urinating can be painful with this condition as well but is more associated with urethra infections. A kidney infection, on the other hand, is a serious condition that causes pain in the side and back, and a high fever, as well as chills, nausea, and vomiting. These are not symptoms that should be ignored.

Urinary tract infections are caused by bacteria that overwhelms our immune system. The bacteria can come from inside the body or from the environment. Once in the urethra, bacteria can multiply freely and cause infections to spread.

Cystitis comes from E. coli bacteria found naturally in our intestines. Women develop this condition more often because of how close their urethra is to the anus and how short the urethra is. Feces can spread to the urethra and infect the urethra if good hygiene habits are not followed. Many people do not know that urine is actually sterile and not a good environment for bacteria to grow. When urine is outside of the body, though, it mixes with air and can encourage bacteria growth.

Urinary tract infections can also be spread through intercourse especially to women. Any bacteria is going to be pushed near the urethra. Birth control methods may be responsible for urinary tract infections if not used properly. If you leave a diaphragm out and it is not clean, it may become unsterile. Feminine care products can also cause these infections by irritating the urethra. Certain medical conditions, as well as age, can affect your immune system and increase your chances of developing a urinary tract infection.

If you don't treat your cystitis, you can end up with Pyelonephritis (kidney infections) as the bacteria go further up the urinary tract. If you have any of these symptoms, you should get checked out by your doctor right away.