Urinary Tract Infection

The abdominal pain and burning urination of a UTI is an awful experience and, understandably, you want to get rid of the symptoms as fast as possible. Antibiotics can make this happen within 2-3 days, if, and only if, you make sure to get the right kind of antibiotic. There are many different E. coli bacteria strains that can cause UTIs and some of them are resistant against commonly prescribed antibiotics. 

After your doctor has diagnosed you with a urinary tract infection (UTI) the next task is to find out which bacteria has caused the infection. In ~80% of cases the troublemaker is E. coli, but there are about 45 recognized strains of that bacteria species and only about ten of those cause UTIs. Each strain responds in its own way to different antibiotics. Therefore, your doctor will have you do a urine sample test which will be sent to a lab for a urine culture.  

So, you just saw a doctor about the pain and burning you experience when peeing and were diagnosed with a urinary tract infection (UTI). Most likely, after testing a urine sample to figure out which bacteria has caused the UTI, your doctor will or already has given you a prescription for antibiotics. How long your antibiotics treatment will be depends on how serious your UTI is. A mild simple UTI may require 2-3 days of antibiotics, but it can go as long as seven days, and complicated UTI may call for a two-week treatment. To ensure that all the bacteria are killed, it’s important that you follow the instructions of your doctor and take the antibiotics as long as prescribed for.   

UTIs are infections that typically occur in the urethra, the bladder and — in rare and but potentially fatal cases — in the kidneys. UTIs are among the top three most common infections in the world and over 90% of all UTIs happen to women. This has simple anatomical reasons: it’s much easier for bacteria to enter the vagina and move up the urinary tract. In many cases the troublemaking bacteria come from the woman’s own digestive tract. They go from the anus across the perineum (more commonly known as the “dam”) into the vagina. Another common cause of infection is sex, where bacteria enter the vagina with the partner’s penis.   

If you feel a sharp pain in the two sides of your mid to lower back (these are the flanks where the kidneys are) and you experience at least one of the symptoms shown on the list below, it’s quite likely that you have an acute kidney infection (acute pyelonephritis) that requires immediate medical attention. Go see a doctor right away, because if kidney infections are left untreated, they can put your life in danger.  

Many women use hygiene products on and in their vaginas on a daily basis, be it soaps, tampons, sprays, or douches. Then there’s a range of birth control devices, such as traditional condoms, internal condoms, and diaphragms, as well as lubes and sex toys. In general, all of the above is well tolerated by most women, especially by women prior to the menopause. But it’s worth discussing the proper use and risks of some of those things we apply to or insert into our vaginas.

When you feel pain or discomfort inside your vagina or in the vulva area in general, or when you notice any unusual discharge or odor that last for longer than a few days, it’s always a good idea to see a doctor. This is because there are several common as well as a couple of rarer vaginal health problems that have similar symptoms and thus are difficult to discern on your own. This is true even if you have previous experience with some of these infections. 

As you probably noticed yourself, urinary tract infections (UTI) get better relatively fast once you start taking antibiotics. As the bacteria in the bladder are killed, within the first day of treatment you’ll notice a big improvement in terms of reduced pain and burning. For the bladder to fully recover it will take another 3-4 days after which you should no longer have strong symptoms. 

In the United States, urinary tract infections (UTI) account for 6 million patient visits annually, whereas all sexual transmitted infections (STI) amount to around 3 million cases, with roughly 80% of them being for chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. And that’s 3 million for men and women combined, whereas over 90% of the 6 million UTI are women. So, statistically speaking, when you notice something is wrong with your pee or the process of peeing — a burning sensation, pain, strange color or odor — it’s more likely that it’s “just” a UTI. Of course, UTI is a very serious condition in its own right, with risks of complications and chronic reoccurrence, and absolutely requires a doctor’s visit. But it’s probably still better news than an STI.

As you probably know, urinary tract infections (UTI) are one of the most common bacterial infections among women. By the time you reach your mid-30s, there’s on average a 50% chance that you already had at least one UTI in your life so far. The burning pain during urination and constant urge to pee is an unpleasant experience many women are only too familiar with.

UTI are infections of the urinary tract, which includes the urethra, the bladder and the kidneys. The vast majority of UTI registered every year are acute bladder infections (called cystitis in medical speak). They are caused by bacteria entering the vagina, who then move up the urethra (which is the duct between the entrance of your vagina and your bladder) and start multiplying in the bladder. These bacteria most often stem from the E. coli family and can originate from the woman’s own digestive tract (via the anus) or outside sources. Such bacterial infections can result in mild to moderate pain in the bladder, “burning” urine, and an increased urge to urinate. This is what doctors call a “simple UTI.”

UTI is one of the most common infections globally, with around 150 million cases occurring every year. More than 90% of people who get UTI are women and it’s most often seen in the 16-35 age range. That said, women that are experiencing menopause or are in their 60s or older are also at an increased risk, simply because the immune system tends to be a bit weaker at that age. In the vast majority of cases, UTI is a simple acute bladder infection (cystitis) caused by bacteria and treatable with antibiotics. It can be painful and there’s an increased urge to urinate, but there aren’t any more severe symptoms.  

UTIs are very common, with some 150 million cases recorded globally in a normal year. Over 90% of patients are women and the ages most at risk are 15 to 35 and any age older than 50. Doctors differentiate between simple UTI, which is an acute cystitis (bladder infection), and complicated UTI which includes chronic UTI, pregnancy related UTI, post-surgery UTI, UTI in patients older than 65, and any UTI where the infection has already advanced to the kidneys. Complicated UTI often need more than just antibiotics to be successfully treated. However, for a simple, acute UTI (i.e., it has only lasted for less than 10 days) antibiotics can be all it takes to effectively treat the infection.   

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 rises again in and after menopause. Aside from age, existing diabetes is a risk factor. 

While many people who are suffering from cystitis turn to their doctor for a medical treatment, many others prefer to try an alternative bladder infection treatment. Although there’s doubt that a natural bladder infection treatment will work, some of them have been effective, especially when treating mild forms of the condition. However, to best prevent the spread of cystitis, and further complications such as kidney infections, we recommend seeking confirmed medical treatments such as Trimethoprim, Nitrofurantoin and MacroBid. It is possible to use these alternative treatments alongside prescription medications to improve your condition. Here are some of the most popular alternative treatments for bladder infections like cystitis.

While Nitrofurantoin and alcohol do not have any known interactions, it is still not a good idea to mix the two. Moderate alcohol consumption (one glass a day for women and two glasses a day for men) has been shown to have no negative effect on Nitrofurantoin. However, if you drink excessive amounts, it could cause serious health problems and may reduce the drug’s effectiveness.