Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infection

The organs that are associated with the urinary tract are kidneys, ureters, urethra and bladder. Bacteria, fungi or parasites are some of the causes that will lead to urinary tract infections. Various terms are used to specify UTI (urinary tract infection) and to associate the infection with a specific structure. Urethral infection is called as urethritis. Bladder infection is called as cystitis. Kidney infection is called as pyelonephritis.

Symptoms

The person suffering from UTI will experience pain or burning sensation during urination. If the issue is serious it will lead the damage of the organ. The kidneys play an important role in cleaning the body. All the waste will be pumped out of the system. It will ensure that potassium, sodium and water levels are maintained so that removal of waste will happen without any interruption. It will also secrete important hormone so that red blood cells will form without any difficulty. If these functions are disturbed, great loss or damage will happen to the body.

The prominent symptoms of UTI in women include frequent urination (in small amounts), cloudy urine, bad smell of the urine, blood in the urine, pain in the pelvic region, back pain (due to kidney infection), fever and chills (associated with the kidneys), bloating and vaginal infections. A pregnant lady is more susceptible to urinary infections. Changes in hormonal production will contribute to this factor. As the acidity of urine will decrease during the pregnancy period, bacteria can cause infection quite easily.

The symptoms in men will be in a similar nature to that of women. There might be pain in abdominal and penile region. Penile discharge and testicular pain is a common symptom. In addition to urine related issues, children might resort to bed wetting if they suffer from UTI issues. Vomiting, diarrhea and jaundice is also witnessed in children.

Spread

UTI will not spread from one person to another person. However, if one of the partners is affected by urinary tract infection, it is advised to abstain from sex until the person gets relief from the infection. The infection can spread through sexual intercourse. The sexual will spread during the sexual intercourse.

An E. coli bacterium which is present in the colon is the main cause for the urinary tract infection. Other bacteria that can lead to infection include Staphylococcus, Serratia , Klebsiella, Enterobacter and Proteus. Fungi and parasites will also lead to infections in certain cases.

Diagnosis and treatment

When you visit the doctor, your health condition will be checked. The urine sample will be collected. The midstream sample of urine will give the accurate picture of the infection. Male patients retract the foreskin before giving the sample so that midstream sample can be collected. Depending on the severity, other tests will be conducted including CT scan and blood count.

Treatment will be initiated after ascertaining the pathogen which caused the disease. Treatment is customized as per the needs of the patient. If antibiotics are prescribed for the treatment, they should be taken without fail.