Urinary tract infection (ISK): symptoms, causes, to treatment

Definition

What are urinary tract infections?

Urinary tract infection or urinary tract infection (UTI) occurs when there are bacteria in the urinary tract organs. The bacteria that cause urinary tract infections can affect the kidneys, bladder, and the tubes connecting the two.

The urinary tract or urinary tract can be divided into two, namely the upper and lower urinary tract. The upper urinary tract consists of the kidneys and ureters (tubes from the kidneys to the bladder).

Meanwhile, the lower urinary tract consists of the bladder and urethra (the tube from the bladder to drain urine out of the body).

How common is this condition?

This urinary tract infection can occur in everyone regardless of age and gender. However, women get urinary tract infections more often than men, because women have a shorter urethra that makes women more susceptible to infection.

In Indonesia alone, according to data from the Ministry of Health in 2014, there were 90-100 urinary tract infection patients per 100,000 population each year.

Signs & symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of a urinary tract infection?

For this disease, in general, you will experience various symptoms such as:

The desire to urinate that continues to feel.
Pain or burning sensation when urinating.
Urine is cloudy and has a strong smell.
Urinating frequently.
Urine that is bleeding or festering.
In women, most patients will experience pelvic pain, especially in the center of the pelvis and the bone area around the genitals.

In addition, different symptoms can also be shown depending on which organ is infected. Reporting from the Mayo Clinic, the following are symptoms based on the affected organs.

If the infection is in the kidneys, the patient may experience fever, nausea and vomiting, chills, or back pain.
If the infection is in the bladder, the patient will feel pressure on the front pelvis (lower abdomen), frequent urination, and bloody urine.
If the infection is in the urethra, the patient will feel pain when urinating and discharge from the urethra.

There may be signs and symptoms not listed above. If you have concerns about a particular symptom, consult your doctor.

When should I see a doctor?

If you experience the above symptoms, especially when urinating, you should see a doctor. Call your doctor if you have a fever within 48 hours after taking antibiotics or if your symptoms return after taking the drug.

Even though you have the same disease, the symptoms that appear between you and other people can be different. That is why, consult your doctor to get a definite answer.

Cause

What causes urinary tract infections?

Often times, the cause of urinary tract infections is bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) found in the intestines. However, this disease can also be caused by other types of bacteria.

Moment E. coli Found on the skin or near the anus, these bacteria can enter the urethra and move to other places. In women, because the urethra and anus are located close together, the risk of infection is higher.

Bacteria are also able to enter the urethra through urinary catheters used in medical therapy. In addition, sexual intercourse can lead to urinary tract infections. However, that does not mean that you who are not sexually active cannot get this disease.

Urinary tract infections can also occur due to infection from other areas to the kidneys.

Urinary tract infections are not generally contagious, but having sex while you are infected can cause pain. For that, you must avoid it.

Risk factors

What increases my risk for this condition?

There are many risk factors for urinary tract infections, namely:

1. Gender

Women are more susceptible to this infection because the urethra is shorter than men. This means that the pathway for bacteria to the bladder is also shorter. This gender factor increases your risk of causing urinary tract infections.

2. Having unsafe sexual intercourse

Having sex without using a condom can cause women or even men to develop urinary tract infections. The reason is, the bacteria that cause UTIs can be on the skin of the genitals and spread or move during sexual intercourse.

3. Use of contraception

Women who use birth control, such as spermicide, are at a higher risk of developing this disease.

4. Menopause

After menopause, decreased levels of estrogen cause changes in the body's urination, making it more susceptible to infection.

5. Abnormal urinary tract

Babies born with malformations (abnormal growth of arteries and veins) of the urinary tract, generally cannot pass urine normally. In addition, urinary tract malformations can also cause a person to experience or retention of urine in the urethra.

6. Urinary tract obstruction

The presence of stones or an enlarged prostate in the urinary tract, can cause infection in the urinary tract.

7. Weak immune system

Diabetes and other conditions cause the immune system to become weak and increase the risk of urinary tract infections.

8. Use of catheters

This urinary tract infection often occurs in people who cannot urinate and must use a catheter to urinate. This can happen to patients in the hospital with such conditions neuropathy uncontrolled urinary function, and paralysis.

9. The direction of cleaning the urethra is wrong

If you clean your vagina by wiping your hand from the anus to the front, the bacteria in the anus can move to the urethra and cause infection. To avoid the risk of causing urinary tract infections, make sure you clean your vagina from front to back.

10. Have been infected before

If you have had this disease before, there is a chance that the infection could recur at a later date.

Complications

What are the complications that can occur due to urinary tract infections?

When these conditions are treated promptly and appropriately, lower urinary tract infections rarely cause complications. However, if left untreated, this condition can lead to serious complications.

Urinary tract infection complications can include:

Recurrent infections, especially in women who have two or more UTIs in a period of six months or four or more a year.
Permanent kidney damage from acute or chronic kidney infections (pyelonephritis) due to untreated urinary tract infections.
In pregnant women, there is an increased risk of having low birth weight or premature babies.
Narrowing of the urethra (stricture) in men due to recurrent urethritis.
Sepsis, a potentially life-threatening complication of infection, especially if the infection travels its way up your urinary tract to your kidneys.

Urinary tract infections also pose a risk to heart health

Several studies have shown that the body's inflammatory response to infection can trigger clot formation in the arteries, including infections in the urinary tract.

This can lead to blocking blood flow to the heart or brain. Therefore, it is important to treat urinary tract infections completely.

Diagnosis

What are the usual tests for this condition?

Initially, the doctor will perform a physical examination and ask about the various symptoms you have felt. After that, the doctor will perform various tests to diagnose an infection in your urinary tract.

The following are various tests that you may undergo.

1. Urinalysis

Urinalysis is a type of urine test that checks for the presence of red blood cells, white blood cells, and bacteria in a sample. The level of blood cells in the urine can indicate whether the urinary tract has been infected.

The sample must come purely from your urine, not mixed with other body fluids.

To obtain a urine sample, the patient must take a middle flow, that is, the flow in the middle of urinating, not at the beginning or at the end of the urination process.

2. Urine culture

This test is done to find out the type of bacteria that causes urinary tract infections which can later help the doctor determine the most effective drug.

If the doctor suspects that a urinary tract infection has caused another disease or when the infection does not go away despite treatment, you will be advised to undergo further tests. Here are a few of them.

3. Ultrasound (Ultrasound)

This examination uses sound wave technology which will show the parts of the organs in your body. In this disease, an ultrasound shows an overview of your urinary system to determine the problem.

This test is done by placing a tool on the skin, so you don't need to make special preparations before undergoing it.

4. Cystoscopy

In this procedure, the doctor will insert a long, thin tube called a cystoscope equipped with a lens to see the inside of the urethra and bladder. Later this tool will be inserted through the urethra and penetrated into the bladder.

5. CT Scan

A CT scan is a scan using X-rays and a computer to see what problems are occurring in your urinary system.

Usually you don't need special preparation for this examination, but there are some patients who should consult their doctor first before undergoing the examination.

Some of them are patients who are pregnant, have diabetes or heart disease, and are taking certain drugs.

Drugs & Medicines

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

What are my treatment options for urinary tract infections?

The patient will be prescribed antibiotics for 3 to 10 days to treat urinary tract infections. Don't forget to drink lots of water to help pass urine. It is advisable to consume fruit juices and vitamin C to increase the acidity of the urine which will help the healing process.

The doctor will also give you pain relievers when you experience pain when urinating, such as phenazopyridine. This medicine will change the color of your urine to a reddish orange. Painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen can also be used.

Patients can soak in warm water to reduce discomfort. Get enough rest until the fever and pain subside.

In some cases, a person may only need to take antibiotics for 3 days. However, usually people with a UTI still need to take medication for 7 to 14 days.

Make sure you take the antibiotics until they are all gone. Do not stop taking your medication sooner than your doctor recommends. Many people stop taking their medication when they start to feel better, but this can actually increase the risk of the infection coming back.

If you've been diagnosed with a UTI and symptoms continue after you've used all of your medications or if your symptoms aren't much better after 2-3 days of treatment, call your doctor.

Another way to treat a UTI

Apart from using drugs, there are the following natural urinary tract infection remedies that can also help speed up the healing process.

1. Train the bladder

Bladder training is a program to nourish the bladder. Here you will be trained to strengthen the bladder muscles, learn to drink a lot and urinate a lot, and eat foods that contain fiber.

For children, bladder retraining will take time, understanding and patience. It may take six months to a year to achieve the desired results.

2. It is important to drink lots of water during the day

It is important to consume lots of fluids during the day. Water can help flush the kidneys and bladder naturally. Drinking plenty of fluids in the morning helps ensure adequate urine volume in the bladder.

3. Make sure to eat fibrous foods

When experiencing a UTI, it is not uncommon for some people to also experience constipation. If you eat enough fiber, this can help you have regular bowel movements even if you have a UTI.

Examples of foods high in fiber are fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts. Drinking plenty of water when eating high-fiber foods is important because water will help push stool through the intestines.

Home remedies

What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies that can be done to treat urinary tract infections?

When you have a urinary tract infection, there are a number of things that can help you deal with the problem. Here's how to prevent urinary tract infections.

Drink 6-8 glasses of water per day. Filtered water and cranberry juice can help treat UTIs.
Don't forget to keep your genitals clean. After urinating, a woman should clean the genitals from front to back so that bacteria from the anus (back) are not carried into the urethra (front).
Avoid douching, namely cleaning the vagina by spraying water or other cleaning fluid into the vagina. Take a bath down below shower and reduce bathing by soaking.
Reduce risk. Women should urinate and wipe before and after sex during urinary tract infections. Avoid using a sperm diaphragm and spermicide.
Avoid dietary restrictions for people with urinary tract infections.
Do not hold back the urge to urinate, empty the bladder immediately.
Tell your doctor if you use oral contraceptives. Some antibiotics can interact with birth control pills.
Take antibiotics until complete recovery. Your doctor can give you antibiotics to prevent disease. Always take antibiotics even if you don't feel the symptoms to avoid antibiotic resistance which can make it difficult to treat future infections.
If your child likes to bubble baths or uses strong soaps, make sure that the area is completely clean and rinsed. The reason is, unclean genital areas often cause children to get UTIs. Once irritation has started, there will be pain when urinating, causing the child to hold the pee.
Keep your child's bottom clean and dry. Change diapers (for children) whenever wet or dirty.
Change your underwear every day and any wet or dirty underwear. Wear cotton underwear and avoid tights.
Clean the penis with water every day. If the penis is not circumcised, pull back the foreskin to remove any scale or bacteria. Cleaning the foreskin of the penis generally has to be cleaned once a day.