Urinary Tract Infection could be life threatening!

What is UTI?

The most common disease in individuals, Urinary Tract infections, could be hazardous to life if unattended. Firstly, let’s take a walk into what this is all about, symptoms and ways to prevent the infection at an earlier stage.

A person is affected with UTI when microbes or most commonly bacteria enter the urethra and your immune system is unable to fight it causing an infection. It could spread until treated and any place of the urinary tract is prone to the disease. There are basically two types of infection that may arise.

-Lower tract UTI (common and can be treated; involves urethra and bladder)

-Upper tract UTI (risky and needs intravenous antibiotics; occurs when kidneys are affected and the infection spreads into the blood)

Who is more prone to it?

Stats reveal that women are more vulnerable to UTIs compared to men. This is because germs get to travel faster from the skin to the urinary tract, which is less likely in men. Moreover, personal hygiene plays an important role when it comes to staying away from the disease.

-Make sure your panties are washed and properly maintained

-Use of good quality toilet papers

-Always wipe from front to back while drying your private parts

Symptoms

Women tend to suffer from pelvic pain and lower abdomen discomfort. A few sense burning sensation during urination and alongside this, any discoloration of urine are warning signs that you need to consult a doctor without delay. On the contrary, men tend to experience pain in the rectal region and require immediate medical attention too.

Diagnosis

In most of the cases, a urine test will reveal if an individual is affected by UTI or not. An ultrasound will help in the diagnosis if the infection has spread further, resulting in enlargement of kidneys. Especially, in elders above the age of 60, the infection could be more hazardous and life threatening as the immune system is less effective when it comes to fighting bacteria. This could be worse leading to urosepsis ( a condition where the infection could lead to organ failure and death). Sepsis is a case of medical emergency and requires proper treatment.

UTI Treatments and Aftercare

Oral antibiotics are found to be the best cure for patients affected with UTIs. Sometimes, antifungals and antivirals are suggested when the infection has occurred because of fungus or viruses. While this may be the case with lower tract UTIs, upper tract UTIs need intravenous antibiotics injected through veins for cure. As we all know that prevention is better than cure, drinking ample water and maintaining good personal hygiene will keep such infections at bay.