Bladder infections – An overview
Bladder infections also called urinary tract infections or UTIs are quite common occurring in about half the population of the world at least once in their life. These infections can be painful and uncomfortable but in most cases, they usually heal on their own within a few days or they can be easily treated with a course of antibiotics. Bladder infections are more common in women than in men. It is estimated that over half the population of all the women in the world will have a urinary tract infection at least once in their life while in any given year, one out of every 2,000 healthy men develop the condition. Children are also susceptible to UTIs but the chances of a child contracting a bladder infection are quite slim. In general, it is quite easy to tell if you have a bladder infection. The common symptoms of a bladder infection include pain or a burning sensation when you urinate, pain in your lower abdomen and the constant urge to urinate.
If you’ve had a bladder infection before then most probably you would know that most often, the urinary tract infection symptoms are mild and pass within a few days. Nevertheless, if you find that the symptoms are getting uncomfortable or if the symptoms persist for over 5 consecutive days, you should seek medical help. You should also see your doctor as soon as possible if you develop a high temperature to accompany the symptoms mentioned above. If you are pregnant or you have a pre-existing medical condition such as diabetes, you are much more vulnerable to a bladder infection and you need to seek help as soon as the symptoms of the disease appear.
As for the treatment of bladder infections, if your symptoms are mild, you might want to give your body a few days to heal on its own. Antibiotics can help speed up your recovery time and they are recommended in particular for women who experience recurrent urinary tract infections. If you are healthy, it is highly unlikely that a bladder infection will progress to a more serious form of the illness but if you are diabetic or you have a weakened immune system, left untreated, a bladder infection can cause serious and permanent kidney damage, kidney failure and blood poisoning.
About the urinary tract and the urinary tract infections
The urinary tract is basically the structure where the human body makes and gets rid of urine. It is composed of the kidneys, the ureters, the bladder and the urethra, the tube connecting the bladder to the outside of the body. A urinary tract infection develops when bacteria infect part of the urinary tract. Bacteria enter the urinary tract through the urethra and sometimes through the bloodstream. Women who are sexually active are more at risk of the disease because although UTIs are not sexually transmitted infections, irritation from having sex can sometimes trigger a bladder infection. One effective way to prevent a bladder infection is to empty your bladder after sex. Wiping from front to back after going to the toilet and avoiding constipation can also help prevent bladder infections.
In terms of the types of urinary tract infections, you can get an infection in the lower or upper part of the urinary tract and doctors often describe them as lower or upper UTIs. Upper UTIs are undoubtedly more serious than lower UTIs because they can cause damage to the kidneys.
Symptoms of a bladder infection
1. Lower urinary tract infection
The symptoms of a lower urinary tract infection includes cloudy urine, the need to urinate more frequently, pain and discomfort when passing out urine, foul smelling urine, blood in urine, abdominal pain and an acute feeling of tenderness around your pelvis
2. Upper urinary tract infection
The symptoms of an upper bladder infection include a high temperature, uncontrollable shivering, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. You may occasionally experience pain in your back or groin.