UTIs, or ‘Urinary Tract Infections’ is the umbrella term that includes bacterial or fungal infection of any part of the urinary system, like the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.
Symptoms:
– painful urination or burning sensation
– frequent urination or frequent urge sans urination, or small amounts of urine
– pain in the back or lower abdomen, especially during urination
– cloudy/ reddish/ brownish urine
– unusual/ strong odor of the urine
These are the common signs, but if the infection has spread to the upper regions of the urinary tract, then it can essentially seem like a fever/flu/other infections because of pain and tenderness in the upper back and sides, fever, chills, nausea, and vomiting.
In women, pelvic pain is very much possible, and can be mistaken for menstrual issues. Women may relate blood or discharge in urine to their fertility/menstrual cycles too.
Men may experience rectal pain due to their prostrate along with other symptoms.
Types of UTIs:
UTIs, based on the location where the infection occurs, have slight differences in symptoms and treatment. So, they are classified into different types:
(i) Infection of the urethra or Urethritis: The infectious microbes have reached your body and infected the outermost part of your urinary tract, the urethra. You may experience a burning sensation when urinating and may have slight, hard-to-notice discharge.
(ii) Infection in the urinary bladder or Cystitis: The microbes have managed to travel inside and may cause you pain in the lower abdomen. Frequent and painful urination may occur.
(iii) Infection of the prostrate or Prostatitis: This can happen only in males and may have symptoms similar to Cystitis
(iv) Infection in the kidneys or Pyelonephritis: A much more serious infection of the upper urinary tract. This causes severe pain of the upper back or side, difficult urination, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms.
(v) Infection on the outer regions of the Kidneys, termed ‘Perinephric and intrarenal abscesses’: With 20% -50% mortality rate, this is a condition that can infect the whole bloodstream.
Causes & Risk Factors:
The fundamental cause of all UTIs is the bacteria, fungi, or virus (in rare cases) that enter the urinary tract. The further up the microbes reach, the worse the infection.
1 in 2 women is said to develop a UTI at some point in life, while it is a ‘1 in 10’ thing for men. This is because microbes enter the body through the urethra, and women’s urethra is more vulnerable. The shorter distance from both the anus and the vagina along with sexual practices easily infects the urethra. The shorter length of the urinary tract, in turn, takes the infection into the inner organs easily. Even menopause and estrogen changes can cause UTIs.
– Blocked or unusually structured urinary tract could stagnate urine in several parts of the tract, causing infection.
– Kidney stones, as bad as they can be, can cause injuries and UTIs as well.
– Surgery and Catheter use: Surgical wounds in or around the urinary tract are at constant risk of infection. Catheters again, can flog the urethra and bladder to the microbes.
– A challenged immune system invites all kinds of infections to party, and UTIs are the sneakiest of gatecrashers.
Diagnosis:
Pelvic pain, frequent urge to urinates, and abnormal urine can be associated with many other diseases. That’s why you might need your doctor to find out the right root cause of your trouble.
Your doctor may ask for a urine sample. But make sure to ask your doctor/ lab technician/ nurse for instructions, especially if you are a woman, because your sample can easily be contaminated at the source by cuts, wounds, other infections, skin cells, vaginal discharge, etc.
Your doctor might also ask you to get a CT scan, MRI, or Cystoscopy to track the infection well,
You can also ask your doctor to suggest an ‘at-home urine test’, if you have UTIs often, and need to make sure if you need to go to the doctor again. They are mostly based on the pH of the urine. Urine is normally acidic (4.5 to 8.0 on the pH scale). But an infection can make it alkaline (meaning the pH is above 8.0). The alkaline pH can also indicate the presence of ‘struvite kidney stones’, also known as “infection stones.
Treatment:
Treatment of UTIs is limited but also covered by the use of Antibiotics. The doctor will need to know what type of microbes are disturbing you and how hard, and where the infection is (i.e., how deep the microbes are), to prescribe the right drug.
Other procedures are usually employed if and only if the case is severe or has affected the internal organs considerably.
The doctor may also prescribe analgesics (pain killers) or anti-inflammatories (drugs that reduce swelling), if required. For recurring conditions, the doctor might prefer non-antibiotic prophylaxis or preventive treatment as well.
Cranberry Juice for UTIs – Fad or Fact?
Cranberry juice, mixed with apple cider vinegar, baking soda, pomegranate juice, or other substances is recommended by many sources all over the web for the treatment of UTIs.
The ‘proanthocyanidins’ in Cranberry Juice are said to prevent candida from reaching the lining of the urinary tract.
But then, different studies showed different results at different times, so there is no telling for sure whether it is a fad or a sure shot panacea, at the time. Dr. Ann E Stapleton, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle conducted the same study in both 2012 and 2013 (this time with some peers) and found contrasting results.
Cranberry juice (especially the unsweetened ones) and the fruit by themselves, are excellent sources, of course, of Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C (a powerful antioxidant), Vitamin K, Folates, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, Copper, Tannins, and other antioxidant compounds, including Myricetin, Peonidin, Anthocyanins, Proanthocyanins, and Quercetin.
The foods can be healthy and may promote better immunity, but we cannot be sure already that Cranberry juice will fight UTIs.
Prevention of UTIs:
UTIs can range from mild to severe, and from the urethral opening to the kidneys. But they can be prevented from getting hold of your urinary tract in the first place.
(i) Hygiene:
Personal hygiene is central, crucial, and pivotal in preventing UTIs. There is nothing of more weight in UTIs. Take care of your genitals and urethra at all times. But also say no to scented douches, powders, and other bath products which may compromise the natural pH and in-built defensive barriers.
Make sure your genitals are clean both before and after sex. Urinate after sex to make sure there are no microbes or fluids left in your urinary tract.
Keep the groin always dry and free from sweat. Use clean, dry, cotton underwear, and change in at least 12 hours or as frequently as required.
Women should take care to wipe only from front to back, after both urination and defecation.
Some sources may also suggest opting out of baths for showers to make sure that microbes don’t enter your body. You may also keep off public pools.
(ii) Keeping hydrated and preventing dehydration:
Water not only helps with keeping the urinary tract healthy, but also flushes out infectious microbes. The urge to frequently urinate, associated with UTIs, may scare you away from your water bottle, but water is also the way out of UTIs.
(iii) Empty your bladder as often as needed:
Urinate when you need to and don’t feel embarrassed about it. Empty your bladder completely when you go. You may also seek therapy if needed.
(iv) Birth control options:
Diaphragms, spermicidal creams and gels, and unlubricated condoms are notorious for causing UTIs.
In short, UTIs are preventable, manageable, and curable. But you may need to take care of your hygiene and hydration to keep them at bay. Treating UTIs is also not that difficult, but prevention is easier.
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