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What Every Woman Should Know about Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections or also often called UTIs are a more serious problem then most women might think. As a matter of fact, UTIs are a serious health problem and millions of people are affected each year. This infection is the second most common infection in the human body and women are in general more prone for UTIs than men. Twenty percent of women develop a UTI during their lifetime.

Within the urinary system, the kidneys and bladder are an important component in human health. The kidneys remove excess liquid and other wastes from the blood and transform it into Urine. This keeps a stable balance of salts and minerals in the blood. The kidneys also produce a hormone that is part of the formation of red blood cells. Channels between the kidney and the bladder as well as to the outside transport these waste products out of the human body.

In general, urine is sterile and causes no infections, but sometimes there are bacteria that get into the urinary tract system and there they can multiply rapidly. When bacteria multiply, an infection can occur. The infection can start in any of the different parts of the urinary system. An infection in the bladder is called bladder infection or cystitis.

In general, the urinary system is designed in such a way to fight or prevent the more severe infections. The ureter and bladder prevent urine from backing up into the kidneys and the urine flow from the bladder remove bacteria from the body. But despite the good design, infections can still occur.

Women should know that if they had three urinary tract infections, they are likely to have more and 90 percent of these three and more women get another one within 18 months. Should you have frequent urinary tract infections, you can ask your physician for low dosage antibiotics that can be taken up to half a year at a time. You can also take a single dose of antibiotic after intercourse or take a short amount of antibiotics when symptoms occur, but only after talking to your physician about it.

To prevent running to your physician’s office or just to have confirmation, there are dipstick available over the counter now. These dipsticks detect 90 percent of all urinary tract infections when used with the first urine sample after waking up. Steps to prevent further UTIs or to reduce the risk of having another one within a short amount of time are also useful for woman. Such steps include drinking big amount of water every day. Urinate whenever you have the urge, do not hold it in for long periods of time. Always wipe from front to back after using the toilet. This prevents bacteria form the anus area from entering the vaginal area and therefore the urinary tract system.

It is also recommended to shower instead of taking tub baths. Water in the tub stays to long around your urinary system and therefore can spread easily. Another very important step is to cleanse the genital area before you have intercourse. This reduces the amount of bacteria entering your system.

Soaps and douches as well as other feminine hygiene products can irritate the urethra area and should therefore also be avoided or reduced.

For women it is also important to know that UTIs in pregnant women need to be treated instantly. Urinary Tract infections in pregnant women can lead to premature delivery of the baby and also high blood pressure. Since not all antibiotics are safe to be used during pregnancy, the treatment is a little harder than for a regular UTI.