UTI or urinary tract infection is an infection that occurs mostly by bacterias that enter our
urinary system( which includes kidneys, ureters, bladder and the urethra). Ironically, though many people don?t have any general knowledge on this topic it is fairly common with more than
10 million cases every year in India itself. Gender wise it is much more common in females
and though not deadly it can be quite painful since it causes pelvic pain and burning sensation during urination. how its caused;
UTI is mostly caused by microbes( like E. coli) which gets transferred from our digestive system
into our urinary tract via the urethra; since women have a smaller urethra they are much more
prone to this infection. However, there are certain symptoms that one should note to know
whether they have a UTI or not:
- Increase urge to urinate more frequently.
- Bloody urine.
- Cloudy urine
- Urine with strong odour
- Pelvic pain in female
- Rectal pain in males.
- Burning sensation while urination.
Upper tract UTI occurs when the bacteria travel up the urinary system into our kidney which though very rare can prove to be fatal, certain severe symptoms of upper track UTI are:
fever, chills, vomiting and nausea. If anyone is suffering from the above symptoms he/she is advised to immediately get doctors guidance.
UTI on its own (with the exception of the upper track which is extremely rare)is not dangerous and can heal on its own by the body. However, there are certain steps that one should take to prevent UTI on the first place i.e
- Staying hydrated: drinking sufficient water causes us to flush out the bacteria before it can set in our urinary tract.
- Wash up before sex: it keeps the bacteria away.
- Keep private parts clean.
- Cotton undies: cotton keeps the genitals area dry and well ventilated.
- Urinate after intercourse.
- Avoid diaphragm or spermicides. These birth control measures should be avoided since they promote UTI.
- Fermented milk has proven to prevent the growth of bacteria in the urinary tract.
- One can even take matters into their own hands by using pee funnels like Sanfe which gives women the freedom to Stand &Pee and avoid contracting urinary tract infections.
UTI is not deadly and easily curable but it’s best to take certain prevention steps on the firsthand in order to prevent the painful sensation one experiences during a UTI because its always better
to be safe than sorry.