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About Urinary Tract Infections

According to the trusted sources, 100,000 cases of Urinary Tract Infections are reported annually in the U.S. In USA, Urinary tract infections contribute to over 7 million doctors to visit every year. Direct or indirect cost for community-acquired Urinary Tract Infections is estimated as US$ 1.6 billion. According to the Women’s Health Department of the US government, more than half of the women in the US will have Urinary Tract Infections in their entire life.

When micro-organisms infect your urinary tract, you suffer from Urinary Tract Infections. These micro-organisms are too small and can be observed under the microscope. Most of the Urinary Tract Infections caused due to bacteria or sometimes fungi or viruses. In humans, Urinary Tract Infections are very common. Your urinary tract mainly made up of kidneys, uterus, bladder, and urethra. The infections can be caused anywhere in the tract, but commonly observed in the urethra and bladder that is in the lower tract. The upper tract infections i.e. uterus and kidneys are rare than lower tract infections. These are both mild to severe in nature.

Causes of Urinary Tract Infections

When you feel irritation or lowers your bladder emptying it leads to Urinary Tract Infections. There are so many factors that can cause these types of infections. The factors such as kidney stones, previous infections to the urinary tract, older age, urinary tract blockage or obstructions, uncontrolled diabetes, pregnancy, inborn problems in the urinary tract or structures, weakened immune system, prostate cancer, or reduced mobility after surgery.

The bacteria enter into the urinary tract through the urethra and starts multiplying in the bladder. The urinary system fails to resist these bacteria sometimes and the growth of the bacteria starts that result in infection in the urinary tract.

Cystitis i.e. Infection of the bladder is the most common Urinary Tract Infections found in women, which affects the bladder and urethra of the women. It is usually caused by Escherichia coli which are commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract. This type of infections can be caused due to sexual intercourse. Women are prone to Urinary tract infection due to their anatomy.

Urethritis i.e. infection of the urethra occurs when gastrointestinal bacteria spread to urethra from anus. In a female, the urethra is very close to vagina, so, sexually transmitted infections like herpes, gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and mycoplasma can cause infections to the urethra.

Diagnosis of Urinary Tract Infections

There are some tests you need to perform to diagnose Urinary Tract Infections:

  • Urine sample test: To check your white blood cells, red blood cells and bacteria
  • Urine culture: It is used to detect bacteria that caused the infection
  • Imaging: Images of your urinary tract can be taken through the tests like CT scan, MRI, and ultrasound to check the abnormalities found in the tract
  • Cystoscopy: When you experiencing Urinary Tract Infections frequently, your doctor may ask you to perform Cystoscopy to see inside your urethra and bladder

Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infections

Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infections depend on the infected area. If your lower tract is infected then following are some common symptoms you can experience:

Bloody urine, burning with urination, urine that has a strong odor, increased the frequency of urination without passing much urine, increased urgency of urination, cloudy urine, urine that looks like cola or tea, rectal pain in men, pressure, pelvic pain in women, and shock.

Upper tract infections show some common symptoms like nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, pain, and tenderness in the upper back and sides. This type of infections affects kidneys, which can be potentially severe and life-threatening when bacteria move into the blood from an infected kidney. This is called urosepsis.

Treatment for Urinary tract infections

Treatments for Urinary Tract Infections depend on the cause and site of the infection. When the infection is caused due to bacteria, your doctor prescribes you antibiotics that can stop or restrict the growth of the infectious bacteria. One of the best medicines to treat Urinary Tract Infections caused by bacteria is mentioned below:

Cefadroxil is a cephalosporin-type antibiotic that treats bacterial infections like strep throat, skin and urinary tract infections i.e. Pyelonephritis. It treats only bacterial infections and not viral infections like common cold or flu. It restricts the growth of bacteria in the body. A popular drug like Duricef uses Cefadroxil as an active ingredient in their products. The medicine is composed as white oval conventional tablet and packed as 10 pills per blister. It is available in the dosage of 500 mg. Effectiveness of Cefadroxil can be observed after 4 to 8 hours after a dose. Prolonged use of Cefadroxil can cause oral thrush or a new vaginal yeast infection. The trusted pharmaceutical company like Aristo Pharmaceutical Ltd. manufactures this medicine.