I. What is urinary tract infection?
The urinary system refers to all organs in the human body from the kidneys, ureters, bladder to the urethra, etc. Besides being responsible for excreting metabolic waste, it also plays an important role in electrolyte balance, blood production, bone metabolism, endocrine regulation, blood pressure and water control.
Second, why have urinary tract infections?
Urine is sterile in a normal healthy urinary system, but because our urethra is one of the natural openings of the body to the outside world, bacteria or other microorganisms can be avoided from entering the urinary tract. The urethral opening is very close to the anus, so E. coli from the anus can easily travel backwards to the bladder and cause bacterial infections in the urinary tract. Just like the flu, everyone can get it, so urinary tract infection is not an unspeakable disease. Also catheterization or long-term placement of catheters etc. in the urinary system can cause cystitis, urethritis etc. Bacteria can also be caused by the blood circulation system to the kidneys. All in all, bacterial infections of the urinary tract mainly come from the urethra upstream, but there are other different routes of infection.
Third, face the seriousness of urinary tract infection
For the average healthy adult, urinary tract infections may not be a serious disease, and will only cause inconvenience in life due to discomfort. However, if a urinary tract infection occurs in children or the elderly, it needs to be treated actively because it is likely to cause inflammation of the kidneys. For example, urinary reflux in children and repeated acute pyelogram tests may result in “acute pyelonephritis,” which can leave kidney scars and affect kidney development or cause high blood pressure in youth. Urinary tract infections in the elderly, bedridden patients, or diabetics can cause sepsis and even be fatal if not properly treated.
IV. What kind of people are prone to urinary tract infections?
Women, children, the elderly, bedridden patients, or patients with congenital urinary tract or neurological diseases, urinary tract stones, kidney disease, diabetes, etc. are all at high risk for urinary tract infections. Some people cannot go to the toilet at any time because of their work, such as drivers, stock market salesmen, teachers, nurses, salesmen and so on, are also at high risk of urinary tract infections. In addition, people who are often constipated are also a high risk group for urinary tract infections, and proper management of constipation can also help prevent urinary tract infections.
Poor lifestyle habits can lead to urinary tract infections
People who have bad habits, such as holding urine and drinking less water because they are very concerned about the cleanliness of public toilets, are a high-risk group for urinary tract infections, and women are more likely to have urinary tract infections because of the short structure of the urethra and the proximity of the urethra to the anus. So the direction of daily cleaning should be wiped from the front urethra to the back of the anus to avoid bringing the E. coli bacteria near the anus to the urethra and causing infection.
Develop the right attitude to seek medical treatment
Since the recurrence rate of urinary tract infections is quite high, if you underestimate the signs of discomfort and are embarrassed or ignore them without seeking medical treatment, it is likely that the symptoms will worsen and lead to urethritis, cystitis, prostatitis, urinary stones, and even difficulty urinating and inflammation of the kidneys. Therefore, daily urinary health care is quite important.
Five, prevention methods
The first thing is to take enough water, depending on the nature of your work, place, daily sweating and other water consumption and adjust the amount of water, generally speaking, adults about 1500-2000cc per day. second, do not often hold urine, reduce the time that urine stays in the bladder, and through urination to flush out the bacteria in the urinary tract, reducing the chance of infection. If you often hold your urine, it will stay in the bladder and become a breeding ground for germs to grow.
Sixth, urinary tract health self-examination
Symptoms of urinary tract infection
Normal urine is pale yellow or nearly transparent dry straw in color, and most of the urine just released has no odor. However, in the case of urinary tract infection, the urine may look cloudy or even appear bloody. Common symptoms include frequent urination, urgency, oliguria, pain in the back, lower back or abdomen, and pain or burning in the urethra during urination. Such symptoms may not occur at the same time, but when several of these symptoms are present, it is important to seek medical attention for early treatment. If you have symptoms such as chills, fever, dizziness, or the urge to vomit, you may have a kidney infection and must seek medical treatment immediately.
Frequent urination is not necessarily a urinary tract infection
Definition of frequent urination: Frequent urination, as the name implies, means urinating more than eight times a day. If you urinate more than ten times a day, you should consult your doctor.
Possible causes of frequent urination.
1, urinary tract infection – frequent urination, urgent urination and accompanied by painful urination, burning sensation, lower abdominal pain, etc., may be bacteria have entered the urinary tract causing infection.
2, too much water – when a person drinks a lot of soup and water, the excess water in the body will be excreted, of course, the number of urination will increase, which is a normal physiological reaction.
3, overactive bladder – if the number of urination is very frequent, there is no obvious pain, and each time the amount of urine is only a little, as if a little urine is a great internal urgency, this may be the result of excessive bladder contraction.
4, interstitial cystitis – frequent urination, urgent urination, lower abdominal pain, but when the urine examination is mostly normal, it may be this difficult disease, need to consult a specialist for further diagnosis and treatment.
Women are more prone to urinary tract infections than men
Reasons why women are prone to urinary tract infections
Due to the differences in the physiological structure of men and women, the urethra of women is very close to the anus, plus the urethra of women is only about three centimeters, unlike the urethra of men, which is about 18 to 20 centimeters, so pathogenic bacteria, especially E. coli from the anus, can easily enter the bladder through the urethra, making women more likely to receive urinary tract infections than men. According to statistics, 25 percent of women will get a bladder infection at least once in their lifetime.
There are also times in a woman’s life when she is particularly susceptible to urinary tract infections, such as during pregnancy and menopause, when hormonal changes alter the pH and normal bacterial ecology of the urinary tract and vagina, making it easier for germs to thrive in the urinary tract. In addition to hormonal changes, menopausal women are also at increased risk of urinary tract infections if they have chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
The relationship between female sexuality and urinary tract infections
Reasons why sexual intercourse affects urinary tract health
Sexual intercourse can easily bring bacteria from the vagina and anus into the urethra and even the bladder. Sexual intercourse may also cause congestion and local swelling of the perineum, making it more susceptible to infection. Generally speaking, the urine in a healthy bladder is sterile, but bacteria in the anal area, especially E. coli, can easily travel up the urethra to the bladder. This is one of the reasons why urinary tract infections occur in women, usually during the honeymoon period when newlyweds have frequent sex, which can easily cause urinary tract infections in women, so in medical terms this situation is also called “honeymoon bladder infection”.
Women who have frequent sex are a high risk group for urinary tract infections
A study done on unmarried female college students in the United States found that women who had frequent sex were more than nine times more likely to have urinary tract infections than those who did not have sex.
Many women reject intimacy with their significant others because of the urinary tract discomfort that follows sex, so men who are considerate of their significant others should pay more attention to women’s urinary tract health.
Symptoms of infection
Common symptoms of urinary tract infection include frequent urination, burning sensation when relieving urine, and discomfort in the lower abdomen. If the infection partially affects the kidneys, fever, abdominal pain, or even sepsis may result, requiring more aggressive diagnosis and treatment.
Proper attitude to seek medical treatment
After noticing the above symptoms, do not go to the pharmacy and buy drugs at will. The urinary tract infection can be cured soon after regular treatment, but if you are afraid of the disease or the trouble and use drugs indiscriminately, it may make the condition worse.
The way to prevent and control urinary tract infections caused by sexual activity
In order to prevent infection, women should not only improve personal hygiene, but both parties should shower before sex and drink about 250cc-300cc of fluid. After sex, it is best to drink a glass or two of water and take a good bathroom break to flush out any bacteria that may be present in the bladder and wash the pubic area to reduce the chance of infection. When washing, use bathing soap or body wash to gently wash away the secretions of both parties. Don’t over-wash, as over-cleaning the vagina can damage the vaginal pH and mucous membrane, which may not be beneficial. If infection often occurs after sexual intercourse, you should consult your physician for appropriate advice.
Although the symptoms will improve within a day or two after taking the medication, it is important to follow the doctor’s instructions and take the medication regularly until it is finished so that the germs are not completely killed and the infection is not repeated.
7. Urinary tract health care for pregnant women
The relationship between pregnancy and urinary tract infections
Hormonal changes in pregnancy can make the urinary tract system more vulnerable. Also, the enlarged uterus can compress the bladder and ureter, causing urine to be trapped in the kidneys or bladder, thus increasing the chance of bacterial growth. The change in vaginal pH makes pregnant women especially vulnerable to vaginitis, a condition that also increases the chance of urinary tract infections. Pregnant women with conditions such as diabetes, sickle-cell anemia, urinary tract abnormalities or stones are also at high risk for urinary tract infections.
Severity of urinary tract infections during pregnancy
Urinary tract infections during pregnancy can not only affect the mother’s health, such as causing serious cases of preeclampsia, but can also have a negative impact on the fetus. If it worsens into acute pyelonephritis, the chances of miscarriage or premature delivery are also increased.
The importance of regular maternal checkups and constant attention to urinary tract health
According to statistics, about 3-9% of pregnant women have asymptomatic bacteriuria, and 13.5%-65% of them will develop acute pyelonephritis. Once asymptomatic bacteriuria is treated, the chances of it becoming acute pyelonephritis are greatly reduced.
Tips for urinary tract care in pregnant women
Stay hydrated, don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink, and make it a habit to go to the bathroom when you feel the urge to urinate. Drink about 1,500cc-2,000cc of water a day, or for reference, achieve a urine volume of 1,500cc a day. Paying more attention to personal hygiene habits is also the most effective way of urinary tract health care. According to a recent research report, cranberry fruit contains A-type primary anthocyanins, whose chemical structure can prevent E. coli from adhering to the mucosal epithelium of the urinary tract, and drinking 250cc-300cc of cranberry juice every day can effectively reduce urinary tract infections. In addition, drinking more yogurt can help maintain the ecology of bacteria and normal pH value in the body, which is also helpful for preventing urinary tract infections.
Acute pyelonephritis is usually an infection of the kidneys through the bladder. The causes of pyelonephritis include vesicoureteral reflux, ureteral obstruction, combination, and diabetes.
In addition to the common symptoms of cystitis, acute pyelonephritis may include chills, high fever, general weakness, back pain, nausea and vomiting, and in a few cases, septic shock, which can be life-threatening. Generally, patients need to be hospitalized.
Eight, the urinary tract health care of menopausal women
The relationship between menopause and urinary tract infections
Women are prone to urinary tract infections because of their physiological structure, and menopausal women are even more vulnerable to urinary tract and vaginal mucosa dryness and fragility due to the decrease of female hormones. The change in the pH of the vagina leads to a change in the ecology of the bacterium, which makes it easier for bacteria to grow near the anus, thus increasing the risk of urinary tract infections in menopausal women.
Symptoms of urinary tract infections in menopausal women
The majority of urinary tract infections in women are due to bacteria entering the urinary system from the urethra upwards, and most of the bacteria come from the intestinal tract, especially E. coli. Symptoms of urinary tract infections in postmenopausal women include burning sensation in urine, nocturnal urination, straining to urinate, urgency to urinate, inability to urinate, and incontinence when it is too late to take off the pants when going to the toilet. Urinary tract infections can also aggravate the symptoms of urinary incontinence. Although urinary incontinence is not life-threatening, these symptoms are very disturbing.
The right attitude to seek medical attention
Older people sometimes delay seeking medical attention because they are embarrassed, and because their immune system is not as strong as that of younger people, infections can easily affect the kidneys, so they need the attention of their juniors.
Tips for menopausal women’s urinary tract health
Constipation often affects bladder emptying and indirectly makes the residual urine in the bladder a breeding ground for germs to grow. Sometimes trace amounts of feces leak outside the anus and are carried into the urethra or vagina, causing bacterial infections. Therefore, it is best for menopausal women to drink 1,500-2,000 cc of water every day, eat more fruits and vegetables and yogurt, do a good job of environmental protection, and develop a good habit of relieving stool every day, which is a good way to maintain the urinary tract.
Special health conditions of menopausal women
If urinary tract infections have been cured and you still have difficulty urinating, there may be other urinary dysfunction problems that need further examination.
2. Patients with persistent urinary incontinence or pelvic relaxation and those who have undergone hysterectomy should seek professional treatment as soon as possible to improve their symptoms if they have repeated urinary tract infections or difficulty in urination.
Patients with diabetes and hypertension are more prone to infection because of physical factors, so they should pay more attention to personal hygiene and develop the habit of drinking more water and not holding urine.
4. For women with mobility problems, it is best to prepare a portable toilet or potty that can be used nearby at any time to prevent falls.
According to statistics, the rate of asymptomatic urinary tract infections among menopausal diabetic women is three times higher than that of menopausal women in general. The urine of diabetic patients contains sugar, which is a breeding ground for germs to grow, so urinary tract infections can easily spread to the kidneys. Therefore, it is important to control blood sugar, pay attention to urinary tract health care at all times, and seek medical attention if you find the possibility of infection in order to effectively avoid urinary tract infections and protect the kidneys from harm. In addition, you should drink low-sugar and low-calorie cranberry juice or cranberry extracts without sugar to avoid affecting blood sugar control.
Nine, male urinary tract health care
Men-only urinary tract problems
Although men are uniquely positioned to be less prone to urinary tract infections than women, most men over the age of 50 will have more or less enlarged prostates (regulators), which will compress the urethra when the prostate gland continues to swell.
This causes the bladder wall to become thicker and more sensitive and more easily irritated than before. Even if there is only a small amount of urine in the bladder, the number of contractions increases, causing frequent urination and delayed urination. If left unattended, the bladder may become weak and urine will be retained in the bladder causing infections, stones, and even kidney failure and even uremia.
Self-detection of prostate enlargement
An enlarged prostate can cause the following symptoms.
The bladder is swollen but cannot urinate.
You have to wait a long time before you can urinate (more than 5 seconds).
Taking more than 40 seconds to urinate, or urinating intermittently.
You have to strain to urinate or your urination is weak and slow.
Dripping after urinating.
You often have the feeling that you can’t urinate.
Urinating more than 8 times a day.
A strong feeling of urgency or inability to hold your urine.
You often have to get up in the middle of the night to urinate, and even if you limit the amount of water you drink before going to bed, it does not improve.
Urinary incontinence, bedwetting.
Hematuria.
Prostate health recipe.
As dense urine can stimulate the prostate, drink more water, stay away from stimulants such as caffeine, spices and alcohol, exercise often to relieve emotional stress, and get enough sleep, and consume more pumpkin seeds, cruciferous plants such as dark cauliflower, tomatoes and cranberries, all of which are very helpful for prostate health.
The middle-aged and older people who have a regular sex life may also be able to prevent and relieve prostate disease. Other things to watch out for are: taking cold medicine, asthma medicine, alcohol, and avoiding staying in the cold for too long, or not having regular exercise habits.
Ten, children’s urinary tract health care
Symptoms of urinary tract infections in children
Pediatric urinary tract infections are the second most common disease in pediatrics after respiratory tract infections and gastroenteritis. The symptoms of urinary tract infections in children are not the same as those in adults, because children are limited by their ability to express themselves and cannot tell adults clearly where they are uncomfortable, so they can only be judged according to some symptoms.
Because children can’t express pain and discomfort, they tend to show it by crying and having a poor appetite. Symptoms such as weight loss, delayed yellow bile, cloudy urine with a fishy smell, high fever, unexplained vomiting or diarrhea may also indicate a urinary tract infection.
Infant boys are more likely to get urinary tract infections than female babies, but after the age of three, female babies are more likely to get urinary tract infections. Older toddlers or school-age children have symptoms similar to those of urinary tract infections in adults, such as frequent urination, difficulty urinating, and back pain. A few children may not have symptoms, so it is important not to assume that if they don’t have symptoms, they are fine.
Causes of urinary tract infections in children
The main route of infection for urinary tract infections is for E. coli or other bacteria to enter the bladder or even the ureters or kidneys through the urethra. The cause of infection in children is often related to congenital urinary tract abnormalities.
About 50 percent of urinary tract infections in children under one year of age are combined with urinary reflux disease. This is a congenital malformation of the urinary tract. Minor cases of urinary reflux will heal naturally as the baby grows older, while severe cases of urinary reflux can be cured with surgery. However, since babies with urinary reflux disease are prone to malformed nephritis, which can cause damage to kidney function, it is important to return to the clinic regularly after the diagnosis is confirmed, even if surgery is not required.
Treatment of urinary tract infection in children
Treatment is not simple and requires a urine test to find out if the infection is present. If a child has a high fever or chills, he or she will usually need to be hospitalized after the diagnosis is confirmed and receive intravenous antibiotics. Additional oral antibiotics will be given afterwards for a total of 10 to 14 days before the child is cured. Because urinary tract infections in young infants can easily spread to the kidneys, and pediatric kidney infections often cause crusting or even atrophy of the kidneys. According to a recent study, once kidney crusting occurs, about half of the people will have hypertension by the age of 30. Therefore, after symptoms are controlled, kidney ultrasound and other related examinations are usually arranged to not only insist on the occurrence of kidney complications, but also to find out if there are any congenital abnormalities or deformities in the urinary system.
During a urinary tract infection in children, if oral antibiotic treatment is needed, parents should not think that the fever has gone down and the symptoms are relieved that the disease is cured. Antibiotic treatment has a certain course of treatment, and in the absence of allergic reactions, it is important to finish the medication prescribed by the physician on time, so that the germs do not become resistant to the antibiotics, causing repeated infections in the baby and even causing irreversible effects on the kidneys. If your child is allergic to the antibiotics they are taking, they should seek immediate medical attention and discuss a follow-up treatment plan with their physician. The use of prophylactic antibiotics has been controversial in the recent past, so please discuss with your primary care physician before using them. In general, long-term use of prophylactic antibiotics is still recommended for people with high urinary reflux to protect the kidneys.
In terms of home care, children with urinary tract infections need to drink more water and go to the bathroom more often than healthy children, as well as a nutritious diet and adequate sleep. Children who are still in diapers need to be changed more often than usual, and children who are potty trained need to be reminded to go to the bathroom at all times. If your child has completed potty training but then wets the bed after an infection and needs to be diapered, moms and dads don’t have to be too anxious, as babies often have regressive behaviors when they are sick, so be more tolerant of them and give them enough security.
Recipes for urinary tract health care for children
Drinking more water and holding less urine are the best health care remedies for both adults and children. If children don’t like to drink water, it helps to let them drink more soup or juice rich in vitamin C. Moms and dads can first use three times diluted juice as boiled water, and gradually reduce the concentration of juice in the case of children can accept, so that children slowly get used to drinking plain water. Also, drinking more cranberry juice may help reduce bacterial adhesion and prevent urinary tract infections.
Most urinary tract infections in children are related to hygiene habits. For female babies, cleaning after urinating and defecating should be done by wiping in the direction of the urethra to the back of the anus to avoid bringing the E. coli around the anal opening to the urethra; and male babies should also wash their genitals thoroughly in the bath to avoid invasion of germs. If you can’t clean it, you can consider using steroid creams to make the foreskin fade down to facilitate cleaning, but you must consult with your doctor about the way and dosage to use.
In addition, both male and female babies should develop the good habit of drinking more water and not holding urine from a young age, and mothers and fathers should not be too hasty in toilet training so that children do not have a fear of going to the toilet.
XI. Urinary tract health care for long-term bedridden patients
Why are bedridden patients prone to urinary tract infections?
Normal people take a standing position when urinating, or squatting, can help to empty the urine, but bedridden patients can be a different story.
Most patients who are restricted from getting out of bed must use a bedpan or wrap a diaper around them to urinate in bed. Such a position is prone to uncleanliness and the accumulation of urine in the bladder can easily cause infection; if the patient has an indwelling catheter, the chances of urinary tract infection are even higher.
Symptoms of urinary tract infection in bed-bound patients include: frequent urination, urgency and difficulty in urination in the early stages of infection; fever, chills, pain during urination (patients who cannot express their discomfort have painful expressions during urination); cloudy urine and foul odor.
Treatment
The symptoms of urinary tract infection in bedridden patients are often not obvious at the beginning, and sometimes they are ignored because the patient is not able to express discomfort, so caregivers need to pay special attention to early detection and treatment.
High blood pressure or vascular disease can reduce blood flow to the kidneys and can aggravate urinary tract infections. In addition, urinary tract infections that are not treated early can easily spread to the kidneys and cause kidney damage, which can lead to nephrotic hypertension.
Ways to prevent urinary tract infections in bedridden patients
If there are no special restrictions, encourage patients to get out of bed as soon as possible, even if they are in a wheelchair. Unless there is a water restriction, drink plenty of water to dilute the urine and try to maintain a daily urine volume of about 1500 cc. The potty or potty chair used should be kept clean and in a location that is easily accessible to the patient at all times.
Female patients should wash their perineum daily, especially after a bowel movement, and pay attention to the direction of cleaning after using the toilet to avoid bringing germs near the anal opening to the urethra. Take a shower or a bath. If you need to take a warm bath, you must strengthen the cleaning of the bidet.
During the period of infection, you should take your medication in accordance with your physician’s orders. You should take your antibiotics on time until the medication is finished or your physician instructs you to stop taking them, so as not to develop drug-resistant germs.
Drink more acidic juices, such as cranberry juice or fruit vinegar, to acidify the urine and reduce the chance of urinary tract infection.
Patients with indwelling urinary catheters must be cleaned and disinfected daily, and the location of the adhesive tape should be changed so that it will not be pulled and will not affect normal activities.
Urological care during the day
Holding urine will reduce bladder contraction and increase the amount of residual urine that is not clean. Once bacterial infection occurs, the kidneys are easily affected and inflamed. Therefore, not holding urine and not being constipated is one of the most important things in urinary tract health care. Ask your significant other or children to remind them to go to the bathroom is the most considerate action for your family!
In addition, whether at home or on the go, drink plenty of water is right! Eight glasses of water a day (about 2,000cc) can keep the urinary tract healthy. A large amount of water can flush bacteria away from the urinary tract, so you should prepare an extra glass of water at home, and don’t forget to take a small water bottle when you go out, health care does not need to spend a lot of money to develop good habits, for urinary health care points.
Secondly, pay attention to personal hygiene habits, from childhood to clean steps from the front to the back after using the toilet is the first step to help little girls urinary tract health care; boys should be taught from childhood to thoroughly clean their genitals, especially the foreskin folds clean. In addition, both boys and girls should try not to wear too tight underwear or belly bandages to avoid poor ventilation that allows bacteria to grow.
XII. Treatment of urinary tract infection
If you feel uncomfortable or find obvious symptoms of urinary tract infection, whether it is frequent urination, painful urination that affects your daily life, or just cloudy urine with bad odor, you must seek professional medical assistance as soon as possible.
For mild cystitis, physicians usually prescribe three to seven days of oral antibiotics, and for severe or recurrent infections, seven to ten days of medication. Even if the symptoms improve for a day or two after taking the medication, it is still important to take the medication regularly as directed by your doctor to ensure that the disease is completely controlled. If recurrent infections occur frequently, in addition to taking the medication, you should see a doctor to find out the cause.
According to a 1998 study in the New England Journal of Medicine, cranberries were found to contain primocyanidins (PACs), which are rare in other fruits, and can prevent E. coli from attaching to the walls of the urinary tract, reducing the chance of infection and alleviating the discomfort of infection. Drinking 300cc of cranberry juice daily can reduce the chance of urinary tract infections and decrease the occurrence of repeat infections.