Did you know women and the elderly are at a much higher risk of getting urinary tract infections?
Keep reading to find out why…
CHRONIC UTI – ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
Your urinary tract is made up of your kidneys, ureters, bladder, and your urethra.
KIDNEYS – They filter your blood, and the result is the generation of bodily waste, urine.
URETERS – Ureters are two thin pipes that connect the kidneys to your bladder to help take the urine from one to another.
BLADDER – Your bladder is shaped like a pot to help store the urine till it is full and you have to pee.
URETHRA – The urethra is a pipe-like structure that is connected to the bladder and helps in taking the urine out of your body.
You can have infections in your urinary tract due to various reasons. Some infections might keep recurring even after proper treatment, or sometimes, the infection does not respond to medications. These infections are known as chronic urinary tract infections or chronic UTIs.
OLDER ADULTS AND URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS
The elderly are at a much higher risk of getting a UTI. This is because, with age, our muscles in the bladder and the pelvic floor become weak. This can lead to urine retention and bladder or bowel incontinence, meaning urine and feces leakage. The chances of you getting a UTI from retained urine or feces inside your system is always present.
Other reasons for the elderly being more prone to UTIs are diabetes and kidney problems, use of catheters to empty the bladder, or a weak immune system.
Older women are at an even higher risk of UTIs because of the female anatomy (the close distance between the urethra and the bladder) and lower levels of the reproductive hormone estrogen. Estrogen keeps your reproductive organs healthy. Decreased levels of estrogen in the vagina create an imbalance of good and bad bacteria, and that can lead to infections.
Older adults often suffer from incontinence, and to manage it better, they make use of adult diapers. To make sure you are not getting UTI from a diaper:
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Air out the diaper area from time to time
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Change diapers whenever they are soiled
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Even though the diapers can absorb several liters of liquid, don’t let your skin be in contact with a used diaper for longer than necessary; for this, make sure your diaper is super absorbent
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Make sure your diaper has an antibacterial layer to prevent any kind of infections
Friends Adult Diapers give you all of this and much more! All Friends diapers absorb liquid like a pro, because we are absorbency specialists. The top-layer is anti-bacterial because we understand bacteria can create a greater mess. They are also enriched with the goodness of Aloe Vera so that your skin can remain irritation and rash-free.
UTIs se Azadi Mubarak!
SYMPTOMS OF CHRONIC UTI
A urinary tract infection may not always be accompanied by a lot of signs and symptoms, but some general chronic UTI symptoms could look like this:
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A burning sensation when you pee
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A strong, ever-present urge to urinate
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Your urine smells really strong
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Blood in your urine, which makes it look pink or red
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Pain in the pelvic region or vaginal irritation (in women)
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Pain during sexual intercourse
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Feeling fatigued or feverish
There are different types of urinary tract infections depending on the organs of the urinary system that are infected. Each can cause very specific symptoms. Some of these are as follows:
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Acute Pyelonephritis or UTI in the kidneys can cause you to experience nausea, vomiting, fever, back pain, or pain in the sides
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Cystitis or UTI in the bladder can cause you to experience blood in your urine, pelvic pain, pain while urinating
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Urethritis or UTI in your urethra can cause a burning sensation while peeing, or leaking urine
CAUSES OF CHRONIC UTI
You might now be wondering, “what causes chronic UTI?”
UTIs are caused by bacteria that enter the urinary tract through the urethra. These bacteria begin to multiply after invading the urinary tract and cause infections. Usually, your system can take care of these little nuisances, but sometimes, the defense mechanism fails, leading to you having a UTI.
Men are not as likely to get UTIs mainly because of their anatomy, but you might get it if you have an uncircumcised penis or an enlarged prostate.
UTIs are more common in women and affect the bladder and the urethra. Why are they caused?
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Infection of the bladder or cystitis is caused by a bacteria called Escherichia coli or E. coli. All women are at some risk of getting infected by this bacterium owing to their anatomy; the anus is a really short distance from the urethra, and the urethra to the bladder.
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Urethritis or the infection of the urethra can occur due to the spread of bacteria from the anus to the urethra. The urethra in females is very close to the vagina. Sexually transmitted infections too can cause urethritis.
HOW TO PREVENT CHRONIC UTI
Chronic UTIs may cause a lot of pain and frustration to the patients, so it is best to try to avoid them as much as possible. A few simple, at-home things you can do to prevent UTIS are:
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You’re probably tired of hearing this by now but, DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. Water helps in diluting the urine; it also helps in flushing out toxins from your body. Drink water, especially during the treatment of your UTI, to help flush out the bacteria.
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Drinking beverages with caffeine in them can irritate the bladder. Stick to water and avoid tea, coffee, alcohol, soft drinks, or anything that has citrus juices in it.
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Although not scientifically proven, many people believe that cranberry juice has UTI fighting abilities.
HOW TO TREAT CHRONIC UTI
If a urinary tract infection is left untreated, it can cause serious complications. Chronic UTI treatment should only be sought from a medical professional. Usually, UTIs are treatable with simple antibiotics. The type of medications and the duration of their use depend on the seriousness of your case. Some drugs that are commonly recommended to treat UTIs are:
Fosfomycin
Cephalexin
Ceftriaxone
Sulfamethoxazole
UTI symptoms clear up in a few days as soon as you start treatment. Take the entire course of medications you are prescribed by your doctor to help prevent the UTI from occurring again.
Don’t wait for your infection to get worse; as soon as you sense something is wrong, visit a doctor who can guide you further through the treatment process.
