Anatomy of the Urinary Tract
Your urinary system is divided into four sections:
Urinary tract health is very important in the production and control of urine and removing waste from the body. The lower urinary system is made up of the bladder and the urethra (the tube that transports urine out of the body). Infections are more prevalent here, and they are typically simple to cure. The upper urinary system is made up of the kidneys and ureters (tubes that link the kidneys to the bladder). Infections are far more dangerous here, and they might jeopardise your long-term health. Good urinary health is vital in keeping infections away. If you suspect you have UTI, it is critical to have your symptoms checked out as soon as possible, before the bacteria spreads to your upper urinary tract.
UTI’s are far more frequent in women, accounting for over 90% of all cases. The fundamental reason for this is that women’s urethras are much shorter than men. The female urethra is usually approximately 4cm long, but the male urethra can be up to 20cm long. Bacteria don’t have to travel as far to reach a woman’s bladder because of this. UTI’s can affect men as well, although they are uncommon before the age of 50. When they do happen, it’s typically due to an enlarged prostate, which exerts pressure on the urethra-to-bladder junction, making it difficult to properly empty the bladder.
What are the causes of a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)?
UTI causes:
- Wiping your bottom from back to front
- Having sexual intercourse
- Urinary problems
- Diabetes
- Menopause
- Using condoms coated in spermicide or using a contraceptive diaphragm.
- Conditions which block the urinary tract e.g. kidney stones
- A urinary catheter
- An enlarged prostate in men.
- Having a UTI previously
What are the symptoms of UTI in women?
The following are urinary tract infection symptoms:
- Needing to urinate more than usual
- Cloudy or smelly urine
- Pain or burning when you urinate
- Not being able to fully empty your bladder
- Sudden urge to pass urine
- Stomach pain
- Fever
- Feeling generally unwell
- Nausea and vomiting
- Seeing blood in the urine.
Symptoms are frequently acute, which means they appear out of nowhere.
What are the symptoms of UTI in men?
The following are typical signs and symptoms:
- Urinating more often than normal
- Cloudy urine
- Pain or burning sensation when urinating
- Sudden urgency to pass urine
- Stomach pain
- Blood in urine
- Lower back pain
- Fever
- Nausea and vomiting
If you are under 50, UTIs in men are relatively infrequent. However, urethritis, a specific kind of UTI, affects men more frequently than women.
What are the symptoms of UTI in children?
The following are urinary symptoms:
- Urinating more often
- Cloudy urine
- Pain or burning sensation when urinating
- Sudden urgency to pass urine
- Stomach pain
- Blood in urine
- Not being able to empty the bladder fully
- Lower back pain
- Fever
- Nausea and vomiting
- Strong smell from urine
- Holding urine in as to painful to pass
- Wetting themselves or the bed.
Babies can have a high temperature of more than 37.4C, feeding may reduce and are more irritable.
What is the treatment for a UTI?
Our clinicians can recommend urine infection medicine once a diagnosis has been made:
Treatment for UTI’s, Bladder infection and Cystitis are antibiotics and the infection should generally clear up in 3 days. UTI treatment in women, men and for children are always antibiotics and this is a cure for urinary tract infection.
It is essential you complete the course of the antibiotics, even if you start feeling better as the infection would not have cleared effectively and symptoms can return. Recurrent UTI’s may require a longer course of antibiotics. You can buy paracetamol for pain relief. Ibuprofen is not generally recommended if you have a kidney infection, as this can increase your risk of kidney complications.
Where can I get antibiotics for UTI?
You can order UTI antibiotics online by completing our e-consultation, without the need of speaking to a clinician. You can choose to send the prescription to your home or local pharmacy and can receive same day antibiotics. UTI antibiotics treatment can vary depending upon your symptoms. Buying antibiotics online is easy, but we provide a patient centered approach and provide UTI treatment london and to the rest of the united kingdom.
An indication of a kidney infection is if you feel pain near your kidneys, on your lower back and sides, or if you have a high temperature, chills, blood in urine, nausea or vomiting. If you have these symptoms, you should contact our clinician as soon as possible, as a kidney infection can be severe if left untreated as it could cause sepsis.
How do you prevent Urinary Tract Infections (UTI’s)?
To prevent UTI’s:
- Urinate straight after sex
- Keep the genital area clean
- When you go toilet, wipe from front to back
- Wash the area around the vagina with water before and after sex
- Drink plenty of water
- Use a hot water bottle for stomach and back pain
- Avoid drinks which can make the infection worst e.g. coffee, tea, fizzy drinks, alcohol, juices.
Please use the NHS link if you would like more information on UTIs: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/urinary-tract-infections-utis/.
Read more on ‘Understanding Urinary Tract Infections (Cystitis): Causes, Symptoms, and Effective Treatment‘
