Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

A Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is an infection in any part of your urinary system, which includes your kidneys, bladder, ureters, and urethra. Women are more prone to getting a UTI than men are because women have a shorter urethra. If you are a woman, your chances of getting one are as high as 1 in 2, with many women having repeat infections. About 1 out of 10 men will experience a UTI in their lifetime.

Symptoms Of A UTI

Symptoms can include:

Burning sensation when peeing

Frequent urge to pee, even if its a little bit

Cloudy, dark, bloody, or strange smelling pee

Tiredness

Fever or chills

Pain in back or lower abdomen

Types OF UTIs

Cystitis (Bladder): Feel the urge to pee a lot, even if it might hurt. Might have lower belly pain and cloudy or bloody urine.

Pyelonephritis: Causes fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, & pain in upper side or back.

Urethritis (Urethra): Can cause a discharge & burning when you pee.

What Causes a UTI?

The urethra is close to the anus which in turn exposes it to bacteria from the large intestine, such as E. coli. The bacteria can sometimes come out of the anus and go right into the urethra traveling into your bladder. If this infection isn’t treated, it can continue until it reaches your kidneys.

Some women get UTIs because of their genes. There a different types of urinary tracts of all shapes and sizes. Women that have diabetes are at a higher risk of obtaining a UTI due to their weaker immune systems. You are more likely to get a UTI if you have had one before, have diabetes, are obese, use spermicides, or have kidney stones.

Treating a UTI

The most common treatment for a UTI would be antibiotics. Make sure to take all prescribed medications and drink a lot of water to help rid your body of all the bacteria. Cranberry juice is an effective drink to help reduce UTIs as it contains a tannin that prevents E. Coli from sticking to the walls of your bladder, which in turn could cause an infection.