Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are common, and they are often not noticed by the patient.

They can be in the kidneys, bladder or urethra (the tube that takes urine from to bladder to outside of the body). Urinary tract infections can be found with a urine test. Although there are some natural remedies, these infections are usually treated with antibiotics.

Women are at greater risk than men. A person can have a urinary tract infection and not know it, especially early on. At first they may just feel like they need to urinate. Later, as it gets worse, they may feel burning or pain when they do urinate. The urine may be cloudy or have an odd color. The urine might have a strong smell.

If the infection is in the kidneys, it can be serious because the bacteria can damage the kidneys. Sometimes people with a kidney infection will have a fever or have nausea. They may even vomit. Sometimes a person with a kidney infection will have pain in the middle of the back, over the kidneys.

Senior citizens can often have a urinary tract infection that is not noticed. The symptoms may be so minor that they think nothing of them. Sometimes the person only feels a little tired and has no idea that the problem is from an infection. He or she (usually a she), may have a little bit of urine leakage. Often, he or she feels the need to urinate, but very little comes out.

These symptoms are minor, and the person may think nothing of them. If you suspect a urinary tract infection, you can buy something called an “azo strip” at your local drugstore. These are strips that can be dipped in the urine to tell if there is an infection. However, you should always follow-up with your health care provider. Infections are potentially serious and should be discussed with your health care provider. Self-treatment is not a good idea.

The first, easiest and most important piece of advice is to drink plenty of water. Think of the itsy-bitsy spider, the rain washed it down. So it is with bacteria in the urinary tract; you need to drink water and keep urinating to keep bacteria from making a home in the urinary tract.

Written by: Paul Varnas, DC, DACBN (Doctor of Chiropractic; Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Nutrition). Dr. Varnas has written and published numerous articles on the topics of exercise, wellness and nutrition.