By: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5600
Contact(s): Andrew Crocker, 806-677-5600, abcrocker@ag.tamu.edu
AMARILLO — While a urinary tract infection in the bladder can be painful and annoying, serious consequences can occur if it spreads to the kidneys, a Texas AgriLife Extension Service specialist said.
Older adults are among those at the greatest risk of kidney damage due to urinary tract infections because their symptoms are often overlooked or mistaken for other conditions, said Andrew Crocker, AgriLife Extension gerontology health specialist.
The infection typically occurs when bacteria enter the urinary tract through the urethra and begin to multiply in the bladder, Crocker explained. The most common of these occur in women and affect the bladder and urethra.
Half of all women will develop a urinary tract infection at some point during their lives, and many will experience more than one, he said.
While not all urinary tract infections exhibit the same symptoms, some of them include: a frequent urge to urinate and a painful, burning feeling in the area of the bladder or urethra during urination. “It is not unusual to feel bad all over and to feel pain even when not urinating,” Crocker said. “It is common for a person with a urinary tract infection to complain that, despite the urge to urinate, only a small amount of urine is passed. The urine itself may look milky or cloudy, even reddish if blood is present.”
Fever does not normally occur if the infection is in the bladder or urethra, he said. But a fever may mean that the infection has reached the kidneys. Other symptoms of a kidney infection include pain in the back or side below the ribs, nausea or vomiting.
Urinary tract infections are among the most common infections in patients with dementia, partially because of their reduced immune response, incontinence in women and urinary retention in men, Crocker said.
The patient’s dementia symptoms may be exacerbated by the infection, he said. The infection may itself cause problems with cognitive function, most commonly acute confusion. Treatment may often immediately remedy the situation.
Other risk factors for developing urinary tract infections may include, but are not limited to:
– Being female. Women have a shorter urethra, which cuts down on the distance bacteria must travel to reach the bladder.
– Being sexually active. Sexual intercourse can irritate the urethra, allowing germs to more easily travel through the urethra into the bladder.
– Aging. After menopause, the infections may become more common in women because tissues of the vagina, urethra and bladder become thinner and more fragile due to loss of estrogen. In men, an enlarged prostate may prevent the bladder from emptying completely upon urination and increase risk of infection.
– Kidney stones or any other urinary obstruction, including prolonged catheter placement.
– Diabetes and other chronic illnesses that may impair the immune system. The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse recommends these steps to reduce your risk of urinary tract infections:
– Drink lots of fluid to flush the bacteria from your system – water is best.
– Drink cranberry juice or take vitamin C. Both increase the acid in urine so bacteria cannot grow easily. Cranberry juice also makes the bladder wall slippery so bacteria cannot stick to it. However, persons on certain medications should avoid cranberry juice, so be sure to discuss this with a health-care provider.
– Urinate frequently and go when at the first urge. Bacteria can grow when urine stays in the bladder too long.
– Urinate shortly after sex. This can flush away bacteria that might have entered the urethra during sex.
– After using the toilet, always wipe from front to back, especially after a bowel movement.
– Wear cotton underwear and loose-fitting clothes so air can keep the area dry. Avoid tight-fitting jeans and nylon underwear which trap moisture and may help bacteria grow.
“If your health provider suspects you have a urinary tract infection, he or she may ask you for a urine sample to determine if pus, red blood cells or bacteria are present in your urine,” Crocker said. “Analysis of the urine, sometimes followed by a urine culture, may reveal whether you have an infection.”
Generally antibiotics are the first line of treatment, he said. Which drugs are prescribed and for how long depends on the patient’s condition and the type of bacteria found in the urine.
When treated promptly and properly, these infections rarely lead to complications, Crocker said. But left untreated, a urinary tract infection can become something more serious than merely a set of uncomfortable symptoms. Untreated urinary tract infections can lead to acute or chronic kidney infections, which could permanently damage your kidneys.
In addition to following the health provider’s instructions and completing the full course of antibiotics, these tips might provide some relief:
– Drink plenty of water to dilute the urine and help flush out bacteria.
– Avoid coffee, alcohol and caffeinated soft drinks. These may irritate the bladder and contribute to a frequent need to urinate.
– Use a heating pad on the abdomen to minimize discomfort. For more information, visit The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse, a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health: http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/uti_ez/ .
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