Basic Advice About Urinary Tract Infections

If you’re experiencing pain and burning while urinating, you may be suffering from a urinary tract infection (UTI), also referred to as a bladder infection – a common ailment, usually among women. The Mayo Clinic reports that half of all women will develop a UTI during their lifetimes, and many will experience more than one.

Other symptoms of this annoying and potentially serious condition include inflammation of the bladder lining, pelvic pressure, frequency of urination and blood in the urine.

“A urinary infection is caused by bacteria going through the urethra (the tube connecting the bladder to the outside of the body) and into the bladder,” explains Scott Angell, M.D., Camino Medical Group (CMG) urologist. “Intercourse is the most common reason women develop a bladder infection, but some women get infections without having intercourse.”

If you experience symptoms of a UTI, call your doctor as soon as possible. He or she will order a urinalysis to show whether there are white blood cells in the urine, a sign that bacteria are in the bladder. A urine culture will also be performed to see if bacteria will grow and what type it is.
If a urinalysis indicates an infection and a culture has been done, you will need to take antibiotics to clear the bacteria. Some women are able to clear infection by drinking lots of fluids and cranberry juice, but most require antibiotics.

Here are steps you can take that may help prevent a UTI:

• Urinate after having sex.


• Empty the bladder completely when urinating.


• Drink lots of fluids, including cranberry juice.


• Wear cotton underwear.


• Use estradiol cream if you are post menopausal.


• After being treated, try to replace the protective bacteria, called Lactobacillus, by eating yogurts and drinking acidophilus milk (available at health stores).