UTI is one of the most frequently seen microbial infections in the world and in a typical year occurs in about 2% of the global population. Some 90% of patients are women. In fact, 50% of all women in the U.S. will have at least one UTI by the time they are 35, and ~20% of women aged 18-24 even experience it annually. The risks of getting UTI is less severe for middle-aged women but the risks rise again in and after menopause. Aside from age, existing diabetes is a risk factor.
Usually, a UTI is an uncomfortable but harmless bladder infection that’s easy to treat and the most important thing to watch out for is that you’re always close to a bathroom. At the worst, you may need to take antibiotic drugs for a few days.
Much more rarely though, UTI can become a chronic disease that is increasingly difficult to treat. These are called complicated UTI. If untreated or no progress is made in treating a complicated UTI, it can eventually infect the kidneys and thus turn into a life-threatening condition. The symptoms of a kidney infection can be a fever above 100 degrees, back pain, queasiness and vomiting, and chills across the entire body.
There about 1.3 million cases of complicated UTI in the U.S. every year, and within these 1.3 million the mortality is slightly less than 2%. So, while you should take UTI, whether simple or complicated, very seriously and get it treated immediately, in the U.S. it’s not a disease with a high mortality risk.
There are several health problems that can raise the frequency of UTI or make it more difficult to successfully treat it. Here we take a look at the most prevalent risk factors.