Nearly half of the female population suffers from urinary tract infections once in the lifetime. These infections usually occur when bacteria invade into the urinary system and infect the area of the body which are involved in excreting urine like bladder, kidneys, and tubes. UTI’s are serious and if not treated immediately can cause adverse effects over the body. So you must be wondering what the symptoms of UTI are. The common symptoms include increased urge to urinate, the foul or cloudy smell of urine, pain within the lower abdomen, burning sensation during urination or pain while passing urine. If UTIs are left untreated, they can spread to the kidneys leading to back pain, chills, fever, and nausea or vomiting. If you have signs of UTI infection, it is essential to consult your healthcare professional especially people who have diabetes, kidney disorders, weak immune systems, elderly and pregnant ladies. The main complication linked with UTI is that infection can spread to the kidneys. When these bacteria invade the kidneys it can lead to reduced kidney functioning with the chances of infection to spread in the bloodstream and other organs of the body.
UTI’s are usually diagnosed through a urine test which shows the bacterial count along with the abnormal white and red blood cells. Sometimes the doctors also advise lab culture of urine to make accurate diagnoses. Some of the UTIs are easy to cure and you only need prescription antibiotics to treat them. The doctor recommends you to drink plenty of fluids, try emptying the bladder and flush out the bacteria through these simple measures. However, if you are suffering from severe UTI infections that have involved the kidneys then you need hospital care along with IV antibiotics. Cranberry supplements are also effective for treating mild UTI’s.
Consider watching this video to know more about 5 ways to manage urinary tract infection…..
UTI’s are the second most leading infections which bring around 8-10 million people around the world to visit the doctors. Women are more likely to suffer from UTI as they have a shorter urethra when compared to men. Most of the UTI occurs due to E-coli which is a bacteria residing in the intestine where it is harmless but as soon it gets into the Urinary tract it leads to infections. The symptoms of UTI usually improve within 2-3 days as soon as you start taking antibiotics prescribed by the doctor. Some of the UTI’s do not treat with antibiotics where they keep on multiplying and invade other organs like kidneys in most of the cases. If UTI is left untreated for a week and it is causing severe pain along with blood in urine, back pain increased urge to urine then the person might suffer from urosepsis where the pus collects in the urinary system. For urosepsis, the person might need hospital care where he or she is prescribed with IV antibiotics and they are monitored for an antibiotic response. If the person is not responding to antibiotics then oxygen therapy is given to relieve the patient from shock state. Doctors also prescribe the patients with vasopressors which constricts the blood vessels so that the blood flows towards the essential organs preventing them from the shutdown. If urosepsis treatment is also delayed then the person might be hospitalized in ICU or intensive care unit as urosepsis can immediately turn into septic shock.
UTI’s can turn into potentially harmful complications, it is therefore essential to visit the healthcare professionals immediately and avoid waiting for a week as these complications can lead to serious health issues. Visit your healthcare professional immediately and get prompt treatment.
Until Next Time,
Team Doctor ASKY!