Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary tract infections are one of the most common bacterial infections. Here's what you should know to avoid complications that may affect your kidneys.

A urinary infection is properly called a urinary tract infection, or UTI.

The urinary tract is the drainage system that removes urine from your body. It contains:

• Your kidneys, bean-shaped organs that serve as filters and produce urine
• Ureters, the tubes of muscle that carry urine from the kidneys to your bladder
• Your bladder, which stores urine
• The urethra, the muscle located at the neck of the bladder where urine exits your body

When an infection occurs in any part of this system, it is called a urinary tract infection.

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What causes urinary infections?

Urinary tract infections are one of the most common bacterial infections, though certain types of fungi can also cause them. UTIs affect more than 150 billion people worldwide every year.

If microbes enter your urinary tract and are not flushed out when you urinate, you can develop a UTI. Urinary tract infections can occur during:

• Sexual activity, which pushes microbes into your urethra
• Improper wiping after toilet use, causing bacteria from feces to enter your urethra
• “G-string” underwear
• Catheter use in a healthcare setting
• A bacterial infection from another part of your body that spreads to your urinary tract
• Injury or disability that makes it difficult to use the bathroom regularly, causing you to hold in urine and increasing the risk of bacteria growth

If you have diabetes or a weakened immune system, you have an increased risk for infections like a UTI. If you have suffered from a urinary tract infection in the past, you are more likely to develop another, known as a recurrent UTI.

Next: Symptoms of urinary infection >>