Find out why this happens and how recurrent infections are treated. A urinary tract infection, or UTI, occurs when harmful bacteria enter the urinary tract and cause inflammation. The urinary tract consists of your kidneys, the tubes that go from the kidneys to your bladder, and the tube that carries urine to the outside when you urinate, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC. Urinary tract infections are the second most common type of infection that people get, notes the National Library of Medicine.
In many cases men with recurrent UTIs have some type of urinary obstruction. Bacteria can enter the urinary tract from the outside to cause a UTI to come back, or a recurrent infection can be caused by bacteria that remain in the urinary tract after a previous infection. Symptoms of recurrent UTI in men and women include the frequent urge to urinate, burning pain or pressure, cloudy or discolored urine , bloody urine, and chills and fever.
Chronic or recurring UTIs may keep coming back due to one of the risk factors listed above. Use of spermicides for birth control, for instance, may kill off beneficial bacteria in and around the vagina , making it easier for harmful bacteria to enter the urinary tract.
In some cases, what seem like recurrent UTIs may actually be another condition, such as kidney stones or interstitial cystitis , a painful bladder condition with no infection. Recurrent urinary tract infections are treated with antibiotics. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. See more conditions.
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Please try again. Post-menopausal women are also at higher risk because pH changes in the vagina make it more susceptible to infection. Both men and women are more likely to get UTIs as they age. Certain medical conditions, such as bladder prolapse in women and enlarged prostate in men, cause incomplete bladder emptying in older adults.
Urine that stays in your bladder too long can encourage bacteria to grow. Vasavada adds. There are about a half-dozen oral antibiotics that treat UTIs. Sometimes a doctor will prescribe one drug, then switch to another after a urine culture identifies which bacteria is at work. Adjusting the medication can take time, and recurrent infections may occur in the meantime.
For post-menopausal women, a vaginal estrogen cream may help reduce infections. If infections persist, your doctor may test for other health problems in the kidney, bladder or other parts of the urinary system. However, talk to your doctor about solutions. You may be able to go on a low-dose of antibiotics as a preventive measure for six months at a time or after having sex. Having a suppressed immune system or chronic health condition can make you more prone to recurring infections, including UTIs.
Diabetes increases your risk for a UTI, as does having certain autoimmune diseases, neurological diseases and kidney or bladder stones. If you keep getting UTIs, you must talk to your doctor. After talking with you, your doctor will either recommend treatments for recurring urinary infections or send you to a special doctor called a urologist. A urologist focuses on diseases and problems of the entire urinary system, so he may be able to better pinpoint what is causing your infections and how to treat and prevent them.
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