Statistically, 50% to 60% of women will experience a urinary tract infection (UTI) during their lifetime. A clinic women's health care center in Indianapolis, IN can expect 1-in-4 infections among women to be a UTI.
What is a Urinary Tract Infection?
Bacteria in the urethra can lead to a urinary tract infection. Often, bacteria from the rectum or skin are the root cause of the infection. If an infection forms, it can lead to multiple areas of the urinary tract becoming infected, including:
Kidney infection
Bladder infection
A bladder infection is most common, and while rare, kidney infections are more severe.
What Causes a UTI?
Bacteria is the main cause of a UTI, but there are risk factors that can increase your risks of infection, too. A few of these risk factors include:
Sexual activity.
Menopause or the use of spermicides, which can lead to changes in your vaginal flora.
Urinary tract structural issues. For example, an enlarged prostate.
Poor hygiene practices.
Pregnancy.
If you've experienced a UTI in the past, your risk of a future infection increases. Older adults and younger children are the two age groups that most often suffer from this type of infection.
UTI Symptoms
If you experience any or a combination of the following symptoms, there's a chance that you're experiencing a UTI:
Frequent urination without an increase in liquids
Blood in your urine
Burning or pain when urinating
Urge to urinate even when your bladder is empty
Lower abdominal cramping
However, your symptoms may be more severe if you experience a kidney infection rather than a bladder infection. The most common signs and symptoms that your UTI has turned into a kidney infection are:
Nausea or vomiting
Chills or a fever
Pain in the lower back or side of the back
These advanced symptoms are also experienced alongside the symptoms listed previously. For adults that can articulate the symptoms that they're experiencing, it's easy to pinpoint a UTI. However, children may have a more difficult time explaining what they're experiencing.
Seeking medical attention will help you treat your UTI before the symptoms worsen.
Treating a Urinary Tract Infection
UTIs are bacterial infections, and antibiotics are the go-to course of treatment. A round of antibiotics is often enough to stop the infection, but you must continue taking them until the bottle is empty.
You may begin feeling better, but that doesn't mean that the infection isn't lingering.
If additional issues are causing your symptoms, such as a sexually transmitted disease, your healthcare professional will recommend the best treatment option to correct the root cause of your UTIs.
We offer fast, efficient, and effective urinary tract infection treatment in Indianapolis, IN. When it comes to treating your UTI, the faster you seek help, the better. A quick problem visit, which you can schedule here, is all you need to treat your UTI.
Before we provide UTI treatment in Indianapolis, IN, we'll ask a series of questions and review your symptoms to ensure that we're really dealing with a urinary tract infection and not something else.