Four misconceptions about urinary tract infection

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UTIs occur in the urinary system and are more common in women, Because women’s urethra is shorter than men’s. UTIs can occur anywhere in the urinary system: kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. But the most common are the bladder and urethra.

The most common symptoms are pain or burning when urinating, frequent urination, feeling the need to urinate even when the bladder is empty, blood in the urine, pressure or cramping in the groin or lower abdomen, depending on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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For renal UTIs, symptoms include fever, chills, lower back or side pain, nausea and vomiting, the agency explained. The risk of this infection is greater.

Myths About Urinary Tract Infections

According to Kalpana Gupta, a professor at Boston University’s Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, UTIs are plagued by: “Frustration and disgrace”,

tell the newspaper New York Times.

These patients “felt a certain personal responsibility. Like they did something wrong,” the expert said.

The New York Times contacted Ja-Hong Kim, a urologist at UCLA Health, and Benjamin Bricker, chief of urogynecology at NYU Langone Medical Center. To discuss the most common questions patients ask experts about urinary tract infections (UTIs).

1. If I have a UTI, is it possible not to feel the burning sensation?

“It is possible. A UTI can occur anywhere in the urinary tract, including the urethra, bladder, kidneys, and in men, the prostate,” Kim explains. For a problem to be considered a UTI, the patient must have certain symptoms And confirm the presence of bacteria in the urine.

Many of the well-known symptoms, such as burning sensation and constant toilet trips, “are known from studies of young, otherwise healthy, college-aged women,” Gupta said. But in reality, symptoms can vary.

In older adults, a UTI may be accompanied by a fever or a feeling of fullness, he explained. Some patients had low back pain, suggesting that the UTI could be in the kidneys, which would make it a more serious case that could lead to sepsis and kidney damage, although those findings are “very, very rare,” King said.

2. Can it be given for having sex?

“It’s not necessary. Women are almost always advised to urinate before and after sex to get rid of any germs, but this practice isn’t supported by any evidence,” says Benjamin Bricker. “I don’t have any studies that show that urinating before or after sex reduces infection risk,” he says.

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3. Is there any health problem?

“Doctors often tell women that hygiene such as front-to-back cleaning, not wearing wet bathing suits for long periods of time, and avoiding tight underwear can reduce the risk of UTIs. The chances of entering the urethra can also be reduced by a wet bathing suit or tight underwear to irritate the vaginal area,” the diary writes. New York Times.

These practices do not cause harm, but there is no scientific evidence either. Giving these types of advice can lead women to pay too much attention to their cleanliness.

“The bottom line is that the risk of contracting a UTI is not related to how much we bathe,” bathing suits or our choice of clothing, Brick said.

4. Are antibiotics my only option?

Not always. “Imagine when you’re hiking and you scratch yourself on a tree and the scratch turns a little red. Since your body can fight these bacteria, you don’t need to take antibiotics. “

Brick pointed out. “Urinary tract infections, like other infections, are caused by bacteria,” many healthy young patients find that the body is eventually able to expel the bacteria on its own. He explained that although antibiotics are part of the usual treatment regimen, it is worth doing the culture first, which will take some time, to determine the best course of treatment.