Can I Become Immune To The Antibiotics Used To Treat A Uti
Your body can actually get used to the antibiotics typically used to treat a urinary tract infection . This happens in people who have very frequent infections. With each UTI and use of antibiotics to treat it, the infection adapts and becomes harder to fight. This is called an antibiotic-resistant infection. Because of this, your healthcare provider may suggest alternative treatments if you have frequent UTIs. These could include:
- Waiting: Your provider may suggest that you watch your symptoms and wait. During this time, you may be encouraged to drink plenty of fluids in an effort to flush out your system.
- Intravenous treatment: In some very complicated cases, where the UTI is resistant to antibiotics or the infection has moved to your kidneys, you may need to be treated in the hospital. The medicine will be given to you directly in your vein . Once youre home, you will be prescribed antibiotics for a period of time to fully get rid of the infection.
How Long Does A Uti Last
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If you have a UTI, its best to get it treated right away before any complications develop . Its possible for a UTI to get better on its own, but most of the time, it wont. While home remedies can help ease some of the discomfort, a doctor can prescribe you an antibiotic that is a much quicker and more effective treatment. An antibiotic will start working immediately and, depending on how complicated your UTI is, may clear it up in a matter of days. Be sure to always take your medication how your doctor prescribes.
What Are The Risk Factors For Getting Bladder Infections And Other Uti Infections
A person is more likely to get a bladder infection if they dont urinate frequently enough. If they hold their urine in, the bacteria can collect in the bladder and lead to infection. Try to go to the bathroom at least every two to three hours to keep this from happening.
Not drinking enough water is another risk factor for bladder infections because your body doesnt move as much urine through the bladder as quickly.
Risk factors for urethritis include having a sexually transmitted infection or from trauma to the urethra, such as due to the insertion of a urinary catheter.
In addition to these specific risk factors for bladder infections, there are general risk factors for all UTI types. These include:
risk factors for uti
- being pregnant
- having diabetes, as a person experiences changes to their immune system that make them more prone to UTIs
- having an enlarged prostate
- having low levels of estrogen, such as when a woman is post-menopausal
- having a history of kidney stones, which can block the flow of urine through the urinary tract
Women are also more likely than men to get UTIs because their urethra is shorter. The bacteria have less distance to go to reach the bladder and can cause infections.
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Ok So How Do I Make Sure I Never Get A Uti Or A Kidney Infection
As they say, prevention is the best cure! And there are many things you can do to ensure that youre reducing your risk for an infection, and preventing build up from occurring in the kidneys.;
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Practice good hygiene. Always wipe from front to back, keep your genital area clean, wash before and after sex. Basically, do your best to keep bacteria from even having a chance of getting into the urinary system in the first place.
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Drink lots of water. If youre dehydrated, youre not only increasing your chance of a UTI, but youre also decreasing your urine output, meaning that more minerals have a chance to build up and settle in the urinary tract or kidneys.
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Make sure to urinate whenever you feel you have to go. Dont hold it in. This concentrates the urine allowing bacteria to build up and spread.
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Alter your diet if you find youre prone to kidney stones. Cut down on certain meats and shellfish and opting instead for more vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Avoid consuming too much sugar. Cut back on sodium, and eat more oxalate-rich foods .
And if you do start experiencing any of the symptoms above, be sure to see a doctor right away. UTIs, kidney infections, and kidney stones can usually be treated fairly easily, but its important to seek medical attention before any complications develop.
Symptoms Of Urinary Tract Infection
A urinary tract infection may have one or more of the following symptoms:
- Pain or burning during urination
- A strong urge to urinate
- Cloudy or bad-smelling urine, or urine that is pink or red
- Pain in the lower belly, in the pelvis , or in the rectum
- Pain on one side of the back under the ribs
- Fever and chills
- Nausea and vomiting.
Other health conditions also could cause some of these symptoms. A person who has a kidney infection will probably have more severe symptoms.
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Who Gets Urinary Tract Infections
Anyone can get a urinary tract infection, but they are more common in women. This is because the urethra in females is shorter and closer to the anus, where E. coli bacteria are common. Older adults also are at higher risk for developing cystitis. This increased risk may be due to incomplete emptying of the bladder. There are several medical conditions that can be related to this, including an enlarged prostate or a bladder prolapse .
If you get frequent urinary tract infections, your healthcare provider may do tests to check for other health problems such as diabetes or an abnormal urinary systemthat may be contributing to your infections. People with frequent UTIs are occasionally given low-dose antibiotics for a period of time to prevent the infection from coming back. This cautious approach to treating frequent UTIs is because your body can develop a resistance to the antibiotic and you can get other types of infections, such as C. diff colitis. This practice is used very infrequently.
Treatment For Utis Vs Kidney Infection Treatment
UTIs, including kidney infections, can be treated with a course of antibiotics. The type of antibiotic can depend on the type of bacteria thats causing your infection as well as how severe your infection is.
The doctor will often start you on an antibiotic that works against a wide variety of UTI-causing bacteria. If a urine culture is performed, the doctor may switch your antibiotic to one thats most effective at treating the specific bacterium thats causing your infection.
Simple UTIs can be treated with short 3- to 5-day courses of antibiotics. Treatment for kidney infections generally lasts 7 to 14 days, depending on which class of antibiotic is prescribed.
You may begin to feel better after only a few days on antibiotics. However, you should still make sure that you complete your entire treatment course as prescribed. If you do not take all of your antibiotics, the stronger bacteria may not be killed, causing your infection to persist and flare up again.
If youre pregnant, your doctor may also request a repeat urine sample following a kidney infection, even if your symptoms have resolved. This allows them to check to see whether your infection has completely cleared.
If there are still bacteria present in the sample, you may need another course of antibiotics. Persistence of bacteria can potentially harm an unborn baby.
People with severe kidney infections may need to be hospitalized. In this case, you may receive antibiotics and fluids intravenously.
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Causes Of Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary tract infections usually occur when bacteria gets into the body through the urethra, the tube that carries urine outside the body from the bladder. Bacteria that are normally present in the large intestine and are in stool can travel from the anus through the urethra to the bladder and kidneys to create an infection.
Because women have shorter urethras, and because the urethra is nearer the anus in women, women get bladder infections and other UTIs more often than men do.
Other causes of UTIs or bladder infections may include:
- Sexual activity, which may push bacteria into the urethra.
- Having diabetes or being pregnant.
- Having any condition that impairs the flow of urine from the bladder .
- Having a catheter inserted .
- Having a bacterial infection in the blood or lymph system .
- Inheriting genes that make repeated UTIs more likely .
When older men experience UTIs, the infection may be related to other prostate conditions, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostatitis.
Other Causes Of Kidney Infection
Although a kidney infection can be the result of a bladder infection caused by any of the above listed reasons, a kidney infection doesnââ¬â¢t always begin with a bladder infection. Anything that changes the bacterial environment in your urinary tract system can increase the risk of infection, including any inflammation of the area, experiencing menopause, or the intake of medications altering the hormones in your body.
People with a weakened immune system are also at increased risk of developing infections. This includes people with malfunctioning bladder, urethra, or ureters as well as anyone with a condition that suppresses the immune system such as HIV/AIDS, diabetes, or chemotherapy.
Although rare, due to the state of their immune system, a kidney infection can be developed through their bloodstream. Bacterial or fungal infections on the skin can spread into the bloodà and end up in the kidney during the blood filtering stage.
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When To See A Doctor
Although the body may sometimes fight off a UTI on its own, waiting for this to happen carries risks. UTIs can quickly spread, causing serious kidney infections.
A person should see a doctor for any symptoms of a UTI, particularly if they are pregnant or have an underlying health condition that affects their immune system.
A person with symptoms of a kidney infection should go to the emergency room for immediate medical care. The symptoms of a kidney infection include:
- fever
Types Of Urinary Tract Conditions
A urinary tract infection refers to an infection in any area of the urinary tract. Conditions that can occur in the urinary tract or with potential to lead to complicated infections include:
- Urethritis: An inflammation of the urethra, usually caused by an infection; for example, a sexually transmitted disease such as chlamydia
- Cystitis: An infection in the bladder that has often moved up from the urethra, also one of the most common UTIs
- Nephritis: Any type of kidney inflammation
- Pyelonephritis: An infection in one or both kidneys
Asymptomatic bacteriuria can also occur where bacteria is growing in the urine but no symptoms of a urinary tract infection is present. In these situations, the bacteria usually donââ¬â¢t cause harm so no treatment is required. However, there are exceptions to this among people at risk or those who can develop severe problems from asymptomatic bacteriuria. This includes young children with renal transplant or undergoing urologic interventions, pregnant women, anyone with a kidney transplant, and anyone scheduled for a surgery involving the urinary tract or prostate gland.
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Important Notes For Uti Treatment
To ensure your UTI is completely gone, its important to finish your course of antibioticseven if it doesnt burn when you pee anymore. If you dont, you risk developing an antibiotic-resistant UTI, which makes your UTI more complicated to treat.
If youve dealt with bladder infections or UTIs before, youve likely heard about home remediessuch as cranberry juice and drinking a lot of wateras antibiotic alternatives. Though home remedies may sound like an easier shortcut, there isnt any evidence that shows they will treat a bacterial infection thats already present. Though things like staying hydrated may be recommended alongside antibiotics as a part of your treatment plan, they dont substitute the effectiveness of antibiotics.
How to get help 24/7
The sooner you can get treated for your UTI, the better. If youre feeling the burning and the urgency, its time to start your visit. The longer you wait, the more chance the infection has of traveling to your kidneys. But dont let that scare you! You can start an online visit at Virtuwell 24/7yes, even in the middle of the night when your bladder wont let you sleepand UTIs are very treatable.
Causes Of Utis Vs Causes Of Kidney Infection
Your urinary tract is normally well equipped to prevent infections. The regular passage of urine helps to flush pathogens out of the urinary tract.
When bacteria make their way into your urinary tract and begin to multiply, UTIs occur. This can lead to symptoms. These bacteria have often come from your gastrointestinal tract and spread from your anus into your urinary tract.
Women are more likely to develop UTIs than men. This is because the female urethra is shorter than the male urethra and closer to the anus. Bacteria have a shorter distance to travel in order to establish an infection.
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How Are Urinary Tract Infections Treated
You will need to treat a urinary tract infection. Antibiotics are medicines that kill bacteria and fight an infection. Antibiotics are typically used to treat urinary tract infections. Your healthcare provider will pick a drug that best treats the particular bacteria thats causing your infection. Some commonly used antibiotics can include:
- Nitrofurantoin.
- Doxycycline.
- Quinolones .
Its very important that you follow your healthcare providers directions for taking the medicine. Dont stop taking the antibiotic because your symptoms go away and you start feeling better. If the infection is not treated completely with the full course of antibiotics, it can return.
If you have a history of frequent urinary tract infections, you may be given a prescription for antibiotics that you would take at the first onset of symptoms. Other patients may be given antibiotics to take every day, every other day, or after sexual intercourse to prevent the infection. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best treatment option for you if you have a history of frequent UTIs.
How To Tell If You Have A Bladder Infection Vs Uti
Is there any feeling more horrible than when you start to feel something going wrong “down there?” You’ve got to pee every two minutes, to the point where you dare not stray more than a few steps from a bathroom but the only thing worse than the constant need to go is the fact that when you do, it hurts! It’s an all too familiar feeling for many women, but even men get bladder infections, too .
Your first thought, once you feel an infection coming on, is how to stop the pain and discomfort. Do you drink a quart of water, knock back a few glasses of cranberry juice, or see what over-the-counter treatments your local drugstore has to offer? Alternatively, should you make an appointment with your doctor? If you choose this last option, though, you may be wondering, “just what, exactly, should I tell them is wrong? Do I have a urinary tract infection;, or could it be a bladder infection instead?”;
Well, as Healthline points out, it’s either one thing, or it’s both. Bladder infections are actually a type of urinary tract infection, but they aren’t the only kind.
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What Is A Yeast Infection
Yeast infections most often affect the vagina in women, although they can also affect the mouth, gut, penis, anus, and other parts of the body. Vaginal yeast infections are also known as candidiasis or vaginal thrush.
Pregnancy, antibiotic use, or a weakened immune system increase a womans risk of developing a yeast infection. Yeast infections are also more common in women:
- With uncontrolled diabetes
- Using high-dose estrogen birth control
- Using douches or vaginal sprays
- Wearing tight underwear and synthetic clothes that dont breathe.
Vaginal yeast infections are caused by an overgrowth of yeast within the vagina, and are very common, affecting around 75% of women at least once in their lifetime. A healthy vagina contains bacteria and some yeast cells, but a disruption in the balance of yeast and bacteria causes an overgrowth of yeast cells and symptoms of vaginal thrush. Symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection range from mild to moderate and include:
- Intense itching or irritation around the genital area
- A burning sensation, especially during intercourse or while urinating
- A thick, white, odor-free, discharge .
Although vaginal yeast infections are not considered a sexually transmitted infection, sexual intercourse can trigger or spread them. Women who arent sexually active can also get them. Some women are prone to yeast infections and get them relatively regularly.
Causes Of Kidney Infection
A kidney infection usually happens when bacteria, often a type called E. coli, get into the tube that carries urine out of your body .
The bacteria travel up to your bladder, causing cystitis, and then up into your kidneys.
E. coli bacteria normally live in your bowel, where they cause no harm.
They can be transferred from your bottom to your genitals during sex or if you’re not careful when wiping your bottom after going to the loo.
A kidney infection can sometimes develop without a bladder infection. For example, if you have a problem with your kidney, such as kidney stones, or if you have diabetes or a weakened immune system.
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