What is the Urinary Tract Infection in Females?

A Urinary Tract Infection is a disease of the structures that produce urine and carry it out of the body. The structures include the kidneys, ureters (which are long, narrow tubes leading from the kidneys to the bladder), bladder and urethra. It is quite common for doctors to further divide urinary tract infections into two groups: lower tract infections and upper tract infections:

Lower tract infections — The general term for this type of infection is cystitis, or infection of the bladder. Bacteria commonly found in the intestine are the primary cause of lower urinary tract infections. These organisms arise from the anus and ascend up the urethra to the bladder, where they multiply, penetrate tissue, and lead to infection.
Upper tract infections — These include infections of the ureters and kidneys. Such infections are termed pyelonephritis or kidney infections. Most instances of upper urinary tract infections occur as a result of ascending bacteria up into the kidney from the bladder. Other cases occur when bacteria which have had an origin from some other site in the body enter the body through the bloodstream and lodge in the kidney.

Women are far more frequently affected than men, as women have shorter urethras and it is relatively easy for bacteria to pass into the bladder. Sexual intercourse may contribute to the spread of bacteria upward into the bladder. The use of contraceptive diaphragms and spermicides may also alter the normal bacterial environment surrounding the urethra and increase the likelihood of infection.

Physiological and anatomical changes that prevail during pregnancy within the urinary tract make pregnant females prime candidates for cystitis and pyelonephritis. Kidney and bladder infections have often posed serious risks to pregnant women and their unborn children by heightening the propensity for premature contractions or delivery and sometimes death of the fetus or newborn infant.

What are symptoms of urinary tract infection?

Lower and upper tract infections might cause one or more of the following:

Frequent urination
Urgent urination
Urethral pain, discomfort, or burning
Pain or pressure in the pelvis and/or the rectal and perineal area (the space between the vagina or scrotum and anus)
Abnormal appearance of urine (cloudy) or a foul or very strong odor
Chills and fever
Nausea and vomiting
Pain in the side or mid-to-upper back
Sleep pattern disruption to urinate
Bedwetting in an individual who has normally been sound at night

What is the diagnosis for Urinary Tract Infection?

Your doctor will ask you for your symptoms and if you have ever had a urinary tract infection before. He or she also will inquire about your sexual history, such as whether you or your partner has a history of sexually transmitted diseases, if you have used condoms, have had multiple partners, if you use diaphragm and/or spermicides, and if you are possibly pregnant. Your doctor also will ask if you have any other medical conditions, like diabetes, which could predispose you to getting infections.

You will be asked to give a urine specimen. This specimen shall be sent to the laboratory where it is tested to see if bacteria or other infection symptoms are present. Your urine specimen may also be forwarded to the laboratory for identification of the particular type of bacteria and the specific antibiotics that would help eradicate the bacteria. If you have fever or symptoms of an upper tract infection, your healthcare provider will ask your doctor to get blood work for you, and they will check your white blood cell count. An increased white cell count means that you have an infection. Your doctor can also check for bacterial growth by taking a sample of your blood. This is known as a blood culture.

Additional tests may include:

Computed tomography (CT) scan of your kidneys and urinary system
Ultrasound examination
Cystoscopy, a procedure where your doctor checks the inside of your bladder with a thin, hollow telescope-like instrument

What is the treatment for Urinary Tract Infection in Females?

Antibiotics are used for the treatment of lower and upper urinary tract infections by doctors. The specific treatment that should be used can be established in the laboratory. Most cases of uncomplicated lower tract infections are treated using a short three-day course of antibiotics, although the pregnant women, as well as women who harbor diseases that weaken the immune system, such as diabetes, usually have to take the antibiotics for more extended periods.

This is typically treated in the setting of an outpatient provider with a 7 to 14-day course of antibiotic therapy. More severe cases of upper tract infections may require in-patient therapy with intravenous antibiotics, especially with increased danger of dehydration due to nausea and vomiting and inability to take oral antibiotics because of fever.

Call your doctor if you have frequent urination, a strong feeling that you need to urinate, discomfort during urination or other symptoms of urinary tract infection. You also should see a doctor if you have any signs of kidney infection, fever, nausea, vomiting and also some pain in the side or back. Of course, any pregnant woman who has symptoms of an upper or lower urinary tract infection, must call her doctor right away.

What is the duration for Urinary Tract Infection in Females?

In general, uncomplicated urinary tract infections can be cured with appropriate treatment in two to three days. Symptoms of a kidney infection will take a few days to fully improve.

How to prevent from Urinary Tract Infection in Females?

In order to prevent urinary tract infections:

Drink plenty of glasses of water every day: Fluids inhibit bacterial proliferation by washing out your urinary tract. Drinking cranberry juice may inhibit bacterial proliferation by reducing the ability of the bacteria to attach to the urethra.
Wipe from front to back: Women need to always begin wiping their toilet tissue from the front and back after defecation so as to avoid spreading intestinal bacteria from the rectum into the urinary tract.
Reduce the transmission of bacteria during intercourse: Urinate postcoitus to flush bacteria from your urethra. If you continue to have infections, you should talk to your physician about taking antibiotics after intercourse in order to reduce the likelihood of getting urinary tract infections.

What is the Prognosis (Outlook) for Urinary Tract Infection?

The same woman may develop a second infection with a probability of 20% after she has been cured of cystitis. After the second infection is established, she then runs a 30% risk of having a third one. A woman may also be placed on a special antibiotic regimen by her doctor if she has three or more episodes of cystitis within one year and her urinary tract structure or anatomy is normal.

Why choose Tender Palm Super Speciality Hospital for Urinary Tract Infection in Females treatment in Lucknow, India?

Tender Palm Hospital has the most experienced team of Urologists and diagnostics with the latest and International standard infection control measures in Lucknow, India. The Urology team has decades of experience in successfully treating Female Urinary Tract Infection in Lucknow, India.