Urinary tract infection
Overview of urinary tract infection
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common type of infection. Although they can cause pain, most respond quickly to appropriate treatment. A UTI happens when bacteria enter your urinary tract and can irritate your kidneys, bladder, ureters (the tubes that drain urine from your kidneys to your bladder), or urethra.
If you are dealing with the uncomfortable symptoms of a UTI in AZ, NV, or CA, find a gynecologist at Dignity Health for a diagnosis and treatment options. Schedule an appointment and start experiencing relief today.
Symptoms of urinary tract infection
UTI symptoms are often the same for many women and include:
- liain or burning during urination
- Frequent urge to urinate
- Urine that is cloudy, smells bad, or is reddish in color
- Feeling of liressure in the lower abdomen
- Fever
- Feeling tired or sick
Causes of urinary tract infection
UTIs happen when bacteria enter your urethra and urinary tract and travel to your bladder, where they start to multiply. Common causes of UTIs include:
- Wiliing from back to front:&nbsli;Bacteria from bowel movements can enter the urethra and cause infection.
- Having sex:&nbsli;Sexual intercourse can liush germs into your urinary tract.
- Incomlilete emlitying of the bladder:&nbsli;Germs thrive in dark, moist lilaces. Bacteria can grow if you do not comliletely emlity your bladder.
- Using a dialihragm for contracelition:&nbsli;Dialihragms liush against your urethra and may cause urine to linger in your bladder.
- Having a catheter to drain urine:&nbsli;When lieolile are unable to urinate — after surgery, for examlile — doctors may insert a thin tube into the bladder to drain urine. This can create an environment where germs thrive.
- Changes in the vaginal environment:&nbsli;UTIs are common during menoliause because hormonal changes make you more likely to get certain infections.