{"id":312,"date":"2020-02-26T12:28:29","date_gmt":"2020-02-26T12:28:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/healthissues24.co.za\/?p=312"},"modified":"2020-02-26T12:28:29","modified_gmt":"2020-02-26T12:28:29","slug":"what-are-the-symptoms-of-a-bladder-infection-in-females","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/what-are-the-symptoms-of-a-bladder-infection-in-females\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the symptoms of a bladder infection in females?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>What are the symptoms&nbsp;of&nbsp;bladder infection?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>pain<\/strong>\u00a0or burning when urinating.<\/li><li>cloudy or bloody\u00a0<strong>urine<\/strong>.<\/li><li>urinating more often than usual, which is called \u201cfrequency\u201d<\/li><li>foul-smelling\u00a0<strong>urine<\/strong>.<\/li><li>a frequent sensation of having to urinate, which is called \u201curgency\u201d<\/li><li>cramping or pressure in the lower abdomen or lower back.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>Bladder infection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A bladder infection is most often caused by a bacterial infection within the bladder. For people with weakened immune systems, yeast can cause bladder infections as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A bladder infection is a type of\u00a0urinary tract infection (UTI). This refers to an infection anywhere in the urinary tract, such as the\u00a0bladder,\u00a0kidneys,\u00a0ureters, or urethra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most cases of bladder infections are acute, meaning they occur suddenly. Other cases may be\u00a0chronic, meaning they recur over the long term. Early treatment is key to preventing the spread of the infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>What causes a bladder infection?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Bacteria that enter through the urethra and move into the bladder cause bladder infections. Normally, the body removes the bacteria by flushing them out during urination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bacteria can sometimes attach to the walls of the bladder and multiply quickly. This overwhelms the body\u2019s ability to destroy them, resulting in a bladder infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the\u00a0National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK),\u00a0most bladder infections\u00a0are caused by\u00a0<em>Escherichia coli<\/em>\u00a0(<em>E. coli<\/em>). This type of bacteria is naturally present in the large intestines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An infection can occur when bacteria from the stool get onto the skin and enter the urethra. In women, the urethra is short and the outside opening is not far from the anus, so bacteria can easily move from one body system to another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>What are the symptoms of bladder infection?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The symptoms of a bladder infection vary depending on the severity. You\u2019ll immediately notice changes during urination. Some of the most common symptoms include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>pain or burning when urinating<\/li><li>cloudy or bloody urine<\/li><li>urinating more often than usual, which is called \u201cfrequency\u201d<\/li><li>foul-smelling urine<\/li><li>a frequent sensation of having to urinate, which is called \u201curgency\u201d<\/li><li>cramping or pressure in the lower abdomen or lower back<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When bladder infections spread, they can also cause mid-back pain. This pain is associated with infection in the kidneys. Unlike muscular back pain, this pain will be persistent regardless of your position or activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A\u00a0kidney infection\u00a0will often cause fever, chills, nausea, and vomiting. You\u2019ll typically feel quite ill. Kidney infections are more serious than bladder infections and require urgent medical attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Who is at risk for a bladder infection?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyone can get bladder infections, but women are more prone to getting them than men. This is because women have shorter urethras, making the path to the bladder easier for bacteria to reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Females\u2019 urethras are also located closer to the\u00a0rectum\u00a0than\u00a0men\u2019s urethras. This means there is a shorter distance for bacteria to travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As men age, the\u00a0prostate can enlarge. This can cause blockages to the flow of urine and increase the likelihood of a man developing a UTI. UTIs tend to increase in men as they age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other factors can increase the risk of bladder infections for both men and women. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>advanced age<\/li><li>immobility<\/li><li>insufficient fluid intake<\/li><li>surgical procedure within the urinary tract<\/li><li>urinary catheter<\/li><li>urinary obstruction, which is a blockage in the bladder or urethra<\/li><li>urinary tract abnormality, which is caused by birth defects or injuries<\/li><li>urinary retention, which means difficulty emptying the bladder<\/li><li>narrowed urethra<\/li><li>enlarged prostate<\/li><li>bowel incontinence<\/li><li>pregnancy<\/li><li>diabetes<\/li><li>nervous system conditions that affect bladder function, like\u00a0multiple sclerosis<\/li><li>weakened immune system<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3>How is a bladder infection diagnosed?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A doctor can diagnose your bladder infection by performing a\u00a0urinalysis. This is a test performed on a sample of urine to check for the presence of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>white blood cells<\/li><li>red blood cells<\/li><li>nitrites<\/li><li>bacteria<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Your doctor may also perform a\u00a0urine culture, which is a test to determine the type of bacteria in the urine causing the infection. Once the type of bacteria is known, it will be tested for antibiotic sensitivity to determine which\u00a0antibiotic\u00a0will best treat the infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>How is a bladder infection treated?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Bladder infections are treated with prescription medications to kill the bacteria, usually antibiotics, and medications that relieve pain and burning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Home treatment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When you have a UTI, drinking plenty of fluids can help flush the bacteria out of your bladder. Water is best because it is free of\u00a0caffeine\u00a0and\u00a0artificial sweeteners, which are known bladder irritants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Concentrated cranberry solutions, juices, and extracts may have a role in preventing UTIs against the bacteria&nbsp;<em>E. coli<\/em>. But they should not be solely relied upon to treat an active infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a recent study published in\u00a0Frontiers in Microbiology,\u00a0cranberry juice\u00a0did lower the number of bacteria in the bladder during an infection, but it did not cure the infection completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Can bladder infections be prevented?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Certain lifestyle changes may reduce your chances of getting a bladder infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have been experiencing recurrent bladder infections, your doctor may recommend\u00a0prophylactic treatment. This consists of antibiotics taken in small daily doses to prevent or control future bladder infections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What are the symptoms&nbsp;of&nbsp;bladder infection? pain\u00a0or burning when urinating. cloudy or bloody\u00a0urine. urinating more often than usual, which is called \u201cfrequency\u201d foul-smelling\u00a0urine. a frequent sensation of having to urinate, which is called \u201curgency\u201d cramping or pressure in the lower abdomen or lower back. Bladder infection A bladder infection is most often caused by a bacterial\u2026 <span class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/what-are-the-symptoms-of-a-bladder-infection-in-females\/\">Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}