Urinary Tract Infections

Ever had the following symptoms? Burning with urination, the feeling that you have urinate more often, with lower abdominal pain (*and are NOT pregnant)? If so, then you were probably diagnosed with a urinary tract infection (UTI).

Many women have had the unfortunate experience of this burning, unpleasant sensation. The UTI is far more common in women as compared to males. This is due to the variations between the female and male anatomy. The urethra (which is where urine exits the body), is located closer to the rectum (and vagina, which yes, we hopefully all know men do not have a vagina). Also, the urethra is located at a shorter distance from the bladder when compared with males. Given this information, it is not surprise that UTI occur more commonly among the female sex.

Interestingly, many women note the onset of UTI with changes in sexual partner or with marked increases in sexual activity. "Honeymoon cystitis" describes a bladder infection that many brides notice upon returning from their honeymoons. Many myths to decrease sexually related UTIs include whiping from front to back (which is also a myth regarding the prevention of UTIs in general) and voiding/urinating immediately after intercourse. Unfortuantely, various studies have shown that these methods do not decrease the risk of UTIs.

Another popular remedy, the consumption of cranberry juice to prevent UTIs, also has yielded mixed results. It is unsure as to whether drinking cranberry juice definitevly treats UTIs, however, there isn't strong evidence to say that it is ineffective.

Some women also experience recurrent bladder infections. This is generally defined as 2 or more UTIs in 6 months or 3 or more episodes in 12 months. Therefore, if a person experiences a bladder infection once a year, they would not meet the criteria for recurrent UTIs though they experience them often. Women with recurrent UTIs may have additional tests performed, such as a urine culture to make sure that the antibiotics are directed against the right bug/bacteria. Once the organism/bug is identified, antibiotic therapy can be directed toward the patient's specific circumstances.

For example, if the patient is experiencing recurent UTIs that are associated with intercourse, one option is to provide the patient with medication to take immediately following sex. This has been shown to decrease the rates of recurrent bladder infections associated with intercourse. If the patient is unable to pinpoint any factors that are associated with her UTIs, low dose amounts of antibiotics can be taken for a period of 6-12 months. After this time passes, the health care provider will instruct their patient if it is appropriate to discontinue therapy and see how the patient responds.

Most women experience an improvement of symptoms within 48 of begining medication for their UTI. If symptoms have not improved, or if they have worsened patients are usually instructed to inform their health care proider for futher evaluation.