Bladder Infections In Women
Bladder infections are very common in women in addition to adolescent girls; over half of us will have at least one during our lifetimes. During the ages between 20 in addition to 50, women are 50 times more likely to have a bladder infection than men are.
RISK FACTORS:
Female anatomy sets us up to get bladder infections. Our urethra (the tube which carries urine via the bladder out of the Centeng) can be very short—only an inch or two long. Bladder infections are “ascending” infections, which means the bacteria crawl up the urethra into the bladder—in addition to in women, they don’t have very far to go. The germs don’t have very far to go via the vagina or rectum to the urethra, either—85% of the bladder infections women get are caused by germs via the vagina or rectum.
There are some some other factors which increase a woman’s risk of getting a bladder infection, too:
• Not emptying the bladder often enough.
• Pregnancy—which interferes with being able to completely empty the bladder.
• Sexual intercourse—irritation of the urethra in addition to carrying germs via the vagina to the urethra frequently contribute to bladder infections.
• Using a diaphragm with spermicidal jelly—kills off normal vaginal bacteria which keep some other microorganisms in check.
• Diabetes
• Neurological problems which interfere with bladder function
• Blockage inside urinary tract by stones
• Immunosuppressive medications, including prednisone
• Menopause—tissues become thinner in addition to fragile in addition to more susceptible to damage in addition to infection.
INFECTING AGENTS:
Most bladder infections are caused by the E. coli bacteria, which comes via the rectum. Sometimes a bladder infection can be caused by Candida, or yeast, via a vaginal yeast infection. Two sexually transmitted diseases, herpes simplex 2 in addition to trichomoniasis, can cause bladder infections.
SYMPTOMS:
The symptoms of a bladder infection are:
• Needing to urinate frequently, nevertheless only going in tiny amounts.
• Needing to urinate urgently
• Burning with urination
• Pain inside lower abdomen in addition to/or lower back
• Not being able to hold your urine (incontinence)
• Cloudy, bloody or foul smelling urine
• Fever, chills in addition to not feeling well (infrequent symptom—indicates a severe infection)
TREATMENT
Bladder infections are treated with antibiotics. Some women who get frequent bladder infections may need to take low dose antibiotics for an extended period of time. Sometimes, if bladder infections occur after intercourse, you can take one dose of an antibiotic after intercourse to prevent infection.
SELF-CARE in addition to PREVENTION
Prevention can be the best treatment for bladder infections. The following tips will help prevent bladder infections, in addition to, if you do get one, help you improve quickly.
• Drink lots of water. Keeping your bladder flushed can be the best way to prevent bladder infections.
• Drink cranberry or blueberry juice. There are substances in these juices which kill bacteria inside urine, in addition to they make your urine more acid, which suppresses bacterial growth.
• Urinate frequently. Don’t “hold the item.”
• Urinate before in addition to shortly after sexual intercourse.
• Use a lubricant such as K-Y jelly with intercourse.
• If you use a diaphragm in addition to spermicide, consider changing your birth control method.
• Always clean your bottom via front to back to avoid carrying bacteria via the rectum or vagina to the urethra.
Bladder infections are very common among women, nevertheless these simple measures can prevent at least some of them. If you experience burning or pain with urination along that has a frequent, urgent need to urinate, increase your water intake, drink cranberry juice in addition to get yourself to a doctor. Untreated bladder infections may go away on their own, nevertheless they may also move up into your kidneys, where the infection can cause some real damage.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Penny Watkins can be a freelance writer working for [http://pillspills.net]. She worked for over twenty years as a registered nurse, specializing in cardiovascular nursing.
Bladder Infections In Women
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