Chronic Urinary Tract Infections

Chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs) are infections of the urinary tract that either don’t respond to treatment or keep recurring. They may either continue to affect your urinary tract despite getting the right treatment, or they may recur after treatment.

Your urinary tract is the pathway that makes up your urinary system. It includes the following: Your kidneys filter your blood and generate body waste in the form of urine. Your ureters are tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Your bladder collects and stores urine. Your urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of your body.

A UTI can affect any part of your urinary system. When an infection only affects your bladder, it’s usually a minor illness that can be easily treated. However, if it spreads to your kidneys, you may suffer from serious health consequences, and may even need to be hospitalized.

Although UTIs can happen to anyone at any age, they’re more prevalent in women. In fact, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) estimate that 1 in 5 young adult women have recurring UTIs.

The symptoms of a chronic UTI affecting your bladder include: frequent urination, bloody or dark urine, a burning sensation while urinating, pain in your kidneys, which means in your lower back or below your ribs, pain in your bladder region.

A UTI is the result of a bacterial infection. In most cases, the bacteria enter the urinary system through the urethra, and then they multiply in the bladder. It’s helpful to break down UTIs into bladder and urethral infections to better understand how they develop.

Bladder infections:-

The bacteria E. coli is a common cause of infections of the bladder, or cystitis. E. coli normally live in the intestines of healthy people and animals. In its normal state, it doesn’t cause any problems. However, if it finds its way out of the intestines and into the urinary tract, it can lead to infection.

This usually happens when tiny or even microscopic bits of feces get into the urinary tract. This might happen during sex. For example, this can happen if you switch between anal and vaginal sex without cleaning in between. Anal sex increases your UTI risk significantly. Bladder infections can also develop from toilet water backsplash or by improper wiping. Foamy urine can also signal an issue.

Urethral infections:-

Also known as urethritis, infections of the urethra could be due to bacteria such as E. coli. Urethritis can also be the result of a sexually transmitted infection (STI), however, this is rare. STIs include: herpes, gonorrhoea,chlamydia.

Certain factors may increase the risk of UTIs in older people. Conditions common in older adults may lead to urinary retention or neurogenic bladder. This increases the risk of UTIs. These conditions include Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes. They often require people to wear incontinence briefs. If the briefs aren’t changed regularly, an infection may occur. Vague, uncommon symptoms such as confusion make UTIs challenging to diagnose in many older adults. Once your doctor suspects a UTI, it’s easily confirmed with a simple urinalysis.

There are home UTI tests that check urine for nitrates and leukocytes. Both are often present in UTIs. Because bacteria are often in the urine of older adults to some degree, these tests aren’t always accurate.

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With Regards,

David Paul

Editorial Assistant

Journal of Clinical Nephrology and Research