Urinary tract infection is something that almost one out every five women develops during her lifetime. Even though women usually have urinary tract infections due to their urinary tract being smaller in size or any other unknown reason, even men do develop urinary tract infections. However, it tends to get much serious if a man develops urinary tract infection but not to worry as even though urinary tract infections are painful and cause a lot of discomfort they are still curable and treatable.

First let’s talk about what a urinary tract infection really is and what are the symptoms so that you actually know what you are dealing with. The urinary tract of the human body comprises of thee main body parts which are the urethra, bladder and the kidneys. Whenever parasitic bacteria, fungi or any other micro organisms enters the urinary tract and starts to multiply you have developed what is known as the urinary tract infection. To become more specific, when your urethra is infected then it is said that you have urethritis, when you have a pathogenic infection of the bladder it is termed as cystitis and lastly infection of the kidneys is known as pyelonephritis.

Even though these seem to sound quite serious and all, you do not need to worry about getting a urinary tract infection or more commonly referred to as a UTI. Some of the most common symptoms or UTI are feeling the need to urinate again and again. It is quite common to urinate about 4 to 6 times daily for the average person and if you find yourself going to the bathroom more than 7 times a day then you might want to talk to your doctor about it. Moreover, if you feel the urge to urinate again and again and when you do go to the bathroom and urine does not pass freely then it is a sure sign that you probably do have a urinary tract infection.

A burning sensation usually accompanies while you are urinating and it is quite a discomforting feeling. Moreover, you may encounter blood coming along with your urine or your urine being cloudy which means that it has pus in it. Mostly, urine does not have any micro organisms or bacteria present in it nor does it have a high quantity of white or red blood cells. If your urine is cloudy or has a distinctive smell to it then it means that it has a higher than normal quantity of white blood cells. Lastly, lower back or abdominal pain can also be present due to having a urinary tract infection. Sometimes, you can g fever due to the degree of the infection and if this happens then you need to do to your local doctor as soon as possible as the symptoms of UTI can be frightening for someone who is experiencing it for the first time.

Basic Overview of Most Common UTI Causes

    Even though urinary tract infections are quite common and can be easily cured you still need to be wary of the reasons of why you might have developed the infection in the first place. The main parasite that actually causes a urinary tract infection is Escherichia coli (E Coli). Mostly different strains of these bacteria enter the urinary tract via the urethra and as a result cause the infection by multiplying there.

One major reason why these bacteria or other pathogenic micro organisms infect your urinary tract is that they are present in your stool and as a result of stool passing through your body they may at times stick to your urinary tract. Hence, it is always advised to wash your genital area quite thoroughly whenever you pass stool and that you always rub from front to back so that the probability of these bacteria entering your urethra decreases.

It is quite commonly asked why women are more prone to urinary tract infections than men and although the answer has not yet been found many doctors are of the opinion that this is mainly due to the fact that women have shorter urethras so it is easier for them to get infected. Another reasons why people may get urinary tract infection is while sexual activity. Even though UTI is not a contagious infection it is still advisable for partners to abstain from any activities until their infection has been totally cured.

On a last note we would like to say that even if you do have urinary tract infection and it is a recurrent one then you do not need to worry. All you have to do is go to your local physician and he would ask you to get a urinalysis done and then he would give you the proper medication for it. The dosage of the medication would depend on the bacteria count.