Urinary Tract Infection in Women

Radha came home from the office today feeling a little tired. She had had a nagging pain in the lower abdomen since morning. In the afternoon she had started going to the bathroom very frequently. She also started having pain every time she passed urine, particularly after emptying her bladder. She realized that she had developed a urinary infection.

What is a urinary tract infection?

A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an inflammation in the urinary tract caused by bacteria. When the infection is confined to the bladder, the bladder will keep contracting and there is a constant urge to pass urine.  If left untreated, the infection can travel upwards from the bladder and cause infection in the kidneys. This is called pyelonephritis. In this case, there will be fever and chills, along with pain in the flanks (over the kidney area).

How does it occur?

Urinary tract infection is the result of bacteria that multiply and spread in the urinary tract. These bacteria can cause:

• cystitis (bladder infection)
• pyelonephritis (kidney infection)
• urethritis (inflammation of the urethra, the tube that drains urine from the bladder)

Bacteria that cause UTI often spread from the rectum to the urethra and then to the bladder or kidneys. Urinary tract infection is more common in women because the urethra is short, making it easy for bacteria to spread. Women may notice that they get UTI more often in the summer because they get dehydrated from not drinking enough water.