UTI is twice more common in women than in men. This is because females have a straight urethra, approximately 4 cm in length, while the male urethra is about 15 cm in length which is twisted around the prostate. This makes the spread of infections comparatively easier in females. Pregnancy and childbirth are noted to be the major causes of bladder infection in women.

Various factors can cause a UTI infection. Some of them are as follows:

• Blockage of the urethra due to kidney stones, enlarged prostate, or the use of catheters
• Urinary retention due to lack of mobility
• Menopause, causing a lack of estrogen
• Immunosuppression due to diseases like diabetes or cancer
• coli infection caused by contamination from the anus
• Spinal cord injury
• Multiple sclerosis
• Kidney stones
• Hormone changes
• ● Stroke

You might notice the following symptoms if you have UTI:

• A burning sensation when urinating
• An increase in the frequency or the urgency of urination. An urge to frequently urinate although the bladder is empty.
• You might notice that the colour of your urine has changed. It might have become cloudy and darker. Sometimes, you may also notice blood in the urine, accompanied by an unusual smell.
• You might notice that you are feeling tired quickly. You might even feel shaky.
• If the infection has spread to your kidneys, you might develop fever or chills.
• ● You may feel mild to moderate pain in your lower abdomen and sometimes in your back. You might not feel the pain per se, but you may feel just the pressure. Consult your doctor if you have recently developed any of these symptoms.

UTI is diagnosed only after the patient experiences some signs and symptoms and approaches the physician.

Your doctor will ask for your detailed medical history and some symptoms you’ve been experiencing. Following this, you might be recommended to take a urine examination to spot the causative organism. Your physician can also recommend other tests like CT scan, MRI, and ultrasound.

Your doctor might prescribe you certain antibiotics after the urinary examination. Depending on the type of bacterial infection and the duration, the combination of antibiotics changes.

Drinking a lot of water can help flush the bacteria out of your system. It is also helpful to use a hot water bottle or a heating pad.

Interestingly, cranberries have tannin that prevents the growth of E. coli bacteria. The research on cranberries and other prospective treatments to increase immunity, such as vaccines, are ongoing.

If the UTI has lasted for more than a month, or three months or more, it is a chronic infection. There is a chance that the previous treatments did not work, and the bacteria developed some resistance.

In such cases, strong antibiotics are used to treat the infection. Also, due to the long duration of UTI, the disease could spread to your kidneys. In such cases, the prognosis is a little dicey as there might be deterioration in the kidney functions.

However, the good news is that various antibiotics to kill bacteria complications have been developed in recent times.

In case you are pregnant, UTI can be a bit alarming and uncomfortable. In such a case, more care and hydration are required for the pregnant woman.

There is no surgery involved in the treatment plan of UTI.