What You Need To Know About Urinary Tract Infection As A Woman And How To Prevent It

Urinary tract infections are a dangerous disease and you are more likely to get them if you are a woman. That is why it is very important to learn what exactly these infections are and how to prevent them. This article will show you everything you need to know.

What is a Urinary Tract Infection?

A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection of the urinary system. It can occur in any part and includes the ureters, bladder, urethra, and kidneys. The most common UTI happens in the bladder or urethra or commonly known as the lower urinary tract.

As a woman, there is a bigger risk for you to develop this sort of infection and it can be painful and annoying. That is why it is important for you to know what can cause, what are the risks, and how to prevent them. When it comes to prevention a Uqora review shows it is the best product for it, but there are other ways. You need to have in mind that you cannot let it spread to your kidneys because it can cause serious consequences.

What are the Symptoms of UTI?

As a woman, since there is a bigger possibility to get a urinary tract infection, you need to know the signs that indicate that something is wrong. Have in mind that it can be mistaken when it comes to older women. Common symptoms are the following:

• you have a constant need to urinate
• you feel a burning sensation while urinating
• your urine is cloudy
• if your urine is red, pink, or cola-colored it means there is blood present
• your urine smells
• you feel pelvic pain (mostly in the center of the pelvis)
• you frequently pass small amounts of urine

What Types of UTI are there?

There are multiple types of urinary tract infection and you need to know how to recognize them so that the treatment can start as soon as possible. Know that it can occur in different body parts and that the signs and symptoms may differ. UTI appears in:

1. kidneys
2. bladder
3. urethra

When it appears in the kidneys you might feel pain in your back and your flank. You could also experience high fever, shaking, and chills. Other symptoms include nausea and vomiting.

A UTI in your bladder is called cystitis and comes with the feeling of pressure in your pelvis. You might feel discomfort in your lower abdomen and the process of urination is very painful. You will also urinate more frequently and find blood in it.

Infections that occur in your urethra will make you feel burning while urinating. You will also sense discharge.

What can cause a UTI?

A common reason for a urinary tract infection is bacteria entering the urinary tract through your urethra. There it starts to multiply inside your bladder. Have in mind that the urinary system is designed so that it keeps invaders out, but it can also fail, and it can be really dangerous because then bacteria grow and start causing infections.

Infection in the bladder is caused by a bacteria called Escherichia coli that can most commonly be found inside your gastrointestinal tract, but it is not the only one. Because of their anatomy, every woman is in danger of contracting a UTI whether or not they are sexually active. This is caused because the urethra is close to your anus.

When the infection happens in the urethra it means that gastrointestinal bacteria managed to spread from the anus to the urethra. Once again, because of the way women are built, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can often lead to urethritis so watch out for herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and mycoplasma.

What are the risk Factors of Getting a UTI?

Since it is very common with women, they usually experience a UTI more than once during their lives. That is why you need to be extra careful if you are female since it can lead to serious consequences. The risk factors are the following:

As it was mentioned above, women have a shorter urethra which means the bacteria travel shorter distances and there is a bigger chance for infection. The female anatomy is simply built in a way that it is easier for them to catch this sort of disease.

Sex can lead to a UTI because if a woman catches an STD, there is a great risk of infecting the urethra. Unfortunately, it isn’t only possible in those scenarios to get infected but also just during sexual intercourse. In short, sexually active women have a greater risk of getting a UTI.

Some methods of birth control such as diaphragms can create a higher risk for a woman to receive a urinary tract infection so you should be careful with them. Another type that can be a potential risk is spermicidal agents.

During menopause, your estrogen does not circulate as much which makes your urinary tract more vulnerable. Be careful during this period.

When your immune system is suppressed due to health problems such as diabetes there is a bigger risk of getting a UTI. This happens because some diseases cause a weakened body defense system against germs and that increases the risk of infecting your urinary system.

What Complications can UTIs cause?

If they are discovered in time and treated properly and with care, there is a small chance for urinary tract infections to lead to complications. That is why you have to treat them as soon as possible because otherwise, you can have serious consequences such as:

• If a woman experiences a UTI more than four times in one year it can lead to further infections that become recurrent.
• UTIs can cause permanent kidney damage if they are not treated right.
• Women can give birth to low weighing or premature babies.
• These infections can sometimes cause sepsis which can bring your life in danger. This happens in scenarios when the infection spreads to the kidneys.

How do you Prevent UTIs?

Since now you know how dangerous urinary tract infections can be, especially if you are a woman, you should also learn the best ways to prevent from ever coming to this. Here are tips on how to reduce the risk of getting a UTI:

• Drink a lot of fluids because water helps when it comes to diluting urine and makes sure that you urinate more often. This means that bacteria are flushed out before they spread and grow. Cranberry juice may also help in prevention but have in mind that studies on this are not yet finished.
• Be careful during sexual intercourse. Since there is a higher risk for women who are sexually active to get infected, it is a smart move to flush out your system after you are finished. This way you will make sure that the potential risk of getting a UTI during intercourse is reduced.
• You should also make sure to use a healthier method of birth control because some of them (like diaphragms or spermicide-treated condoms) can cause the bacteria to grow. Pills are a safer choice.
• Make sure you wipe from front to back after bowel movements because that way you are preventing the bacteria from even getting close to your vagina and urethra.
• Choose feminine products wisely because some of them can present a potential danger to your urethra. Some irritating products include deodorant sprays, powders, and douches. Avoid using these near the genital area.

UTIs can be a tricky disease, but with this information and the suggestions listed in the article, you should have no problem preventing and treating them. Make sure you stay healthy.