UTI Symptoms and Prevention

Urinary tract infection, or UTI, affects one out of five women at least once in their life. While it is more common in females, it can also happen to men, older adults, and even children. It is characterized by an infection in the urinary system, specifically the lower urinary tract, including the urethra and bladder.

Who Is at Risk of Getting UTI?

The reason women develop urinary tract infections more than men is that they have a short urethra. That is the tube delivering urine out of the bladder. Because the urethra is shorter, bacteria can enter the bladder more easily.

Another reason is that the urethral opening is closer to the anus, where most of the E. coli bacteria are, which causes UTIs in the first place.

Other factors that can increase UTI risk include:

• Frequent sexual activity with different partners
• Specific types of birth control
• Menopause
• Urinary tract abnormalities
• Urinary tract blockages like kidney stones
• Weakened immune system
• Urinary surgery

Different Symptoms of UTI

UTI does not always have symptoms or signs, but the common ones include:

• A strong and persistent urge to urinate
• Frequent small amounts of urine
• Burning sensation when you urinate
• The urine has a cloudy appearance and sometimes appears reddish, which is a sign of blood.
• A strong smell is coming from your urine.
• Pelvic pain in women, particularly around the area of the pubic bone

How to Treat UTI

UTI is diagnosed through a urinalysis test to examine the urine for red and white blood cells and bacteria. If diagnosed, you will have to undergo treatment with antibiotics to fight the infection.

Antibiotics are the standard treatment against UTIs. Your doctor or healthcare provider will choose from available drugs best suited for your situation.

That can include:

• Amoxicillin
• Sulfonamides
• Nitrofurantoin
• Trimethoprim
• Doxycycline

You have to follow the directions carefully when taking medicine. Just because the symptoms start to go away or you feel better does not mean you can stop the treatment. Complete treatment includes taking the course of antibiotics to ensure it does not return.

4 Ways to Prevent a UTI

1. Drink plenty of fluids

Staying hydrated will help flush out bacteria from your urinary tract. Plenty of people drink cranberry juice for UTI prevention. It has proanthocyanidins that can prevent E. coli from attaching to the urinary tract. Vitamin C can also increase acidity in the urine, killing harmful bacteria.

2. Wipe from front to back

You want to keep E. coli as far from your urinary system as possible. When wiping your genitals, start from the front going back to prevent bringing the bacteria from your anus to the urethra.

3. Urinate before and after sex

Bacteria can get into the urethra during sex. Urinating before and after sex can help flush out bacteria that can cause UTIs. Consider washing the genital area before sex to keep it clean and reduce the chance of bacteria spreading.

4. Regularly drink probiotics

Drinking probiotics regularly can help increase good gut bacteria. That can help promote the growth of good bacteria in the urinary tract. That can prevent the development of UTIs.

Get Medical Help for UTIs

If your UTI symptoms start to include pain, fever, chills, vomiting, and blood in the urine, you should visit one of our Legacy ER & Urgent Care locations immediately. That indicates that the infection is progressing and needs immediate treatment.

Legacy ER & Urgent Care is here to meet your medical care needs by providing affordable pricing and quality care. As part of Intuitive Health’s innovative hybrid model ER and urgent care system, patients are only billed for the level of care they receive from professional and highly trained medical staff. With six facilities located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, emergent and non-emergent care are accessible and transparent, focusing on superb customer service.

Legacy ER & Urgent Care has six convenient locations in the DFW area:

• Allen – Legacy ER & Urgent Care is located at 1310 W. Exchange Pkwy Allen, TX 75013, and may be reached at 972-526-5819.
• Coppell – Legacy ER & Urgent Care is located at 330 S Denton Tap Rd Coppell, TX 75019 and may be reached at 469-702-9917.
• Frisco East: Legacy ER & Urgent Care is located at 16151 Eldorado Pkwy Frisco, TX 75035 and may be reached at 972-526-7009.
• Frisco West: Legacy ER & Urgent Care is located at 9205 Legacy Dr. Frisco, TX 75033, and may be reached at 972-526-7020.
• McKinney – Legacy ER & Urgent Care is located at 2810 Hardin Blvd McKinney, TX 75072, and may be reached at 972-573-6688.
• North Richland Hills: Legacy ER & Urgent Care is located at 8950 N. Tarrant Pkwy North Richland Hills, TX 76182, and may be reached at 817-663-1247