Urinary tract infection or UTI is a kind of medical condition that is characterized by a bacterial infection on the urinary system. Also called as bladder infection, it is a disease that must immediately be addressed or else, great pain and discomfort can be felt. Severe cases can lead to bleeding which basically means that the infection has spread on to your kidneys. This is what you should be watching out for. Many individuals experience this ailment for many reasons. However, a lot of these people choose to ignore this condition mainly because they are simply not aware that they have it.

That is why it is of vital importance that you make it a point to really make an effort and of course, time to educate yourself regarding this disease that can seriously lead to harmful results if not treated properly. Once you have got this, it is very difficult to get rid of it so being aware about how to prevent these things, available treatments that you can apply, and risk factors that you can avoid can truly be helpful in fighting this condition. Learn more about urinary tract infection (UTI) by reading this in depth study.

The Definition
Urinary tract infection or UTI is an infection that affects any part of the urinary system. Now before you go on further, you must make sure you know the different parts of this particular system. It consists of four organs which are kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Due to the way of the female’s anatomy is created, women are more prone to this kind of infection as compared to men. That is why many cases of UTI came from females.

This condition is extremely annoying and it is very painful especially when you are trying to urinate. As soon as you have discovered that you indeed have this disease, immediately consult the doctor so that the infection will not spread to your kidneys from which can induce fatal results. Antibiotics and detoxifying your body with water usually helps prevent this problem from getting worse.

Terminology
The term urinary tract infection is based on the fact that this particular disease infects the urinary system. The name is created in such a way so that the people can easily recognize the meaning behind the term since it is pretty much self explanatory. The earliest records of this illness dated back from 1550 B.C. It was documented in a thin papyrus by egyptians describing it as heat from the bladder. Treatments such as bloodletting, herbs, and rest are first done to the patient to cure this condition before antibiotics were discovered.

The Causes
There are different things that can cause a urinary tract infection. You must also know that this medical condition can also be an underlying symptom of a much graver disease. If this is the case, it is highly recommended that you quickly go to your doctor to get a clear diagnosis of what kind of illness that you are suffering from. For the meantime, you might want to enlighten yourself with these causes.

• Poor personal hygiene
• Improper wiping after urinating or defecating
• Frequent sexual intercourse or intimacy
• Drinking little water
• Eating a diet that is high in sodium
• STD or Sexually Transmitted Diseases (e.g. erpes, gonorrhea and chlamydia)

Signs and Symptoms
Determining whether or not you have a bladder infection is crucial in treating this medical condition right away. Once you are aware of the signs, it is fairly easy to know if you have one. The following are the symptoms that you need to watch out for.

• An intense urge to pee almost every minute
• Burning sensation during urinating
• Urinating a lot with small amounts of urine
• Cloudy urine
• Urine that has a strong odor
• Pelvic and abdominal pain for females
• Rectal pain for males
• Fever that ranges from slight to high
• Blood in urine

Treatment
The most common treatment for urinary tract infection is intaking some medication that has been prescribed by the doctor. Ampicillin, Amoxicillin, Levofloxacin, Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, and Nitrofurantoin are a couple of examples that you can drink to cure this disease. More often than not, the infection will clear up just a few days from taking these medications. If symptoms persist, make sure you immediately consult your physician for further tests and analysis. If you have frequent bouts of infection, it is highly advisable that your doctor know this so that he can provide you a long-term antibiotic treatment.

Alternative Remedies
The good news is, there are several remedies that you can do at the comforts of your own home. You can start by drinking a glass of orange juice every morning to prevent any infections. Drinking a mixture of a tablespoon of honey and cinnamon in a cup of warm water everyday can help treat the urinary infection. Eating plenty of parsley can make you urinate a lot, thus helping you flush out a lot of toxins and bacteria. Just make sure you drink a lot of water in the process. Eating three to four cloves of garlic is known to have desirable effects too since garlic is a great anti-bacterial.

Prevention
Like they always say, prevention is the best medicine (and solution) to all kinds of diseases and problems. So if you really want to keep yourself from getting infected, take heed by learning everything that you can do to avoid bladder infections. First, keeping a clean personal hygiene is a must. You can do this by washing yourself everyday using a mild feminine wash (for females) and mild soap (for men). Make it a point to urinate after intercourse or any intimate activities. This can immediately flush away any lingering bacteria inside your system.

Quickly rinse of your genitals with water after. Every after urinating or defecating, wipe from the back to keep bacteria from spreading. Drinking a lot of water helps too since it can help get rid of any unwanted microorganisms living in your body. Lastly, make sure you use intimate products that do not irritate your pH balance or your skin.