Urinary Tract Infection (uti)

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection from microbes. These are organisms that are too small to be seen without a microscope. Most UTIs are caused by bacteria, but some are caused by fungi and in rare cases by viruses. UTIs are among the most common infections in humans. A UTI can happen anywhere in the urinary tract. The urinary tract is made up of kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Most UTIs only involve the lower tract i.e., the urethra and bladder. However, UTIs can involve the ureters and kidneys i.e. the upper tract.

Women have a much greater tendency than men to get a UTI. In fact, Canadian women make about 500,000 visits to doctors per year due to UTIs according to The Kidney Foundation of Canada. According to Canadian Institute for Health Information 150000 Emergency Department visits and 20% of hospitalizations of older adults were due to UTI.

Some people get an infection because the normal flow of urine is blocked, or is backed up from the bladder into the kidneys. Urinary tract infections typically occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract through the urethra and begin to multiply in the bladder. The most common UTIs occur mainly in women and affect the bladder and urethra. Infection of the bladder (cystitis) is usually caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli), a type of bacteria commonly found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, sometimes other bacteria are responsible. Infection of the urethra (urethritis) can occur when GI bacteria spread from the anus to the urethra. All women are at risk of cystitis, urethritis and other types of UTIs because of their anatomy — specifically, the short distance from the urethra to the anus and the urethral opening to the bladder.

Treatment of UTIs depends on the cause. UTIs caused by bacteria are treated with antibiotics. In some cases, viruses or fungi are the causes. Viral UTIs are treated with medications called antiviral. Often, the antiviral cidofovir is the choice to treat viral UTIs. Fungal UTIs are treated with medications called antifungal. Analgesics also may prescribe as the UTIs cause pain while urinating. In case of frequent UTIs, there are certain treatment recommendations, such as Low-dose antibiotics, for 6 months, single dose of antibiotic after sexual intercourse if the infections are related to sexual activity and vaginal estrogen therapy for postmenopausal women.