Urinary tract infections: women are more susceptible than men

Urinary tract infections are quite common, just behind respiratory infections. This is a female disease with higher frequency than 10 times male.

Causes and complications

Women should drink plenty of water every day to prevent urinary tract infections (Photo: ehponline) Normal urine is sterile. It contains fluids, salts and wastes, but it does not contain bacteria, viruses and fungi. Infection occurs when microorganisms, usually bacteria from the digestive tract, attach to the opening of the urethra and begin to multiply.

Most infections are caused by normal E. Coli bacteria that live in the rectum. In most cases, the bacteria begin to multiply first in the urethra, invading the bladder and causing bladder infections. If left untreated, the bacteria can enter the ureter causing kidney infections.

The chlamydia and mycoplasma bacteria can also cause urinary infections in both men and women, but they tend to limit themselves to the urethra and reproductive system.

The disease can cause acute complications: Diuresis, dysuria, and diabetes, making the patient unable to sleep and weakening. Often cystitis does not cause a fever, but if the infection is reversed on the kidney, it will cause acute kidney inflammation and can lead to a complete infection of the blood, which is dangerous if not cured. treatment. Chronic complications cause cystitis in the bottle, become smaller and make it more likely to reverse the infection on the kidneys; The kidneys shrink and lead to kidney failure, life-threatening.

Should drink plenty of water

Not everyone with urinary infections has symptoms, but most people have at least some unusual symptoms. These symptoms include an urge to urinate, urination and pain in the bladder or urethra while urinating. The patient feels tired, shaky, pale or painful even when not urinating. Women often feel heavy, uncomfortable under the pubic bone, some men are found full in the rectum.

Patients with urinary tract infections often complain of very little urination despite feeling very urinated. The urine is white or piggy, even reddish if blood is present: If a fever is present, the infection has reached the kidneys.

Subjects susceptible to this disease include: pregnant women; glycorrhea patient; older women after menopause; many children; pathological conditions that clog the urinary tract such as stones, tumors, birth defects .

Some methods for women to prevent infection by themselves

- Drink plenty of water every day. Adding vitamin C has the same effect.

- Urinate as soon as you feel sad, do not hold back.

- Wipe from front to back to prevent bacteria around the anus from entering the vagina or urethra.

- Take a shower instead of taking a bath.

- Cleaning the genital area before intercourse.

- Urinate immediately before and after intercourse.

Common disease in children

Although common, the disease is easily overlooked because of very vague signs. This is also one of the important causes of prolonged fever. If not treated properly, the disease causes dangerous complications such as sepsis, kidney failure, and high blood pressure.

A urinary tract infection should be considered when a child is uncomfortable, has poor appetite, has a fever with no obvious cause of decline, uncontrolled urination (enuresis) or diarrhea, or growth. The child visits the doctor if there are any symptoms, especially when there are abnormal changes in the child's urine.

The disease is more common in girls than boys and is more likely to occur in children who sit on the ground without wearing too thin clothes or pants. In children with untreated pinworms, pinworms themselves are agents that carry bacteria from the anus forward. In particular, susceptible to urinary infections are those with abnormalities in the urinary system (urinary obstruction, urinary stones .).

For children, symptoms of this disease are often vague and vary by age:

- Newborns: Can be feverish or vice versa, just lower body temperature below 36oC, poor feeding, vomiting, diarrhea or merely prolonged jaundice.

- Young children under 2-3 years of age: Long-term fever with unknown causes, anorexia or simply not gaining weight.

- Older children: There are typical symptoms such as severe urination, painful urination, cloudy urine, urination, high fever, lower back pain, abdominal pain in upper urinary tract infection (also called pyelonephritis). If chronic pyelonephritis is present, children often have no symptoms, only high blood pressure when there is scarring in the kidneys due to the abscesses when healed.

In addition to good hygiene in the vulva area, clean the children after each urination, the best way to prevent them is to prevent them from roaming on the ground. Wear pants for children, whether girls or boys; Periodic deworming.

Also drink plenty of water, eat lots of fruit.