Urinary tract infection

What is that?

Urinary tract infections (UTIs), also called bladder
infections, are a common problem for a lot of
people. Although anyone could get the infection,
girls/women tend to get it more often.
Not everyone with UTIs has symptoms, but most
people tend to get a few of the following:
A sharp burning pain during urination
Frequent urination—or the urge to urinate a lot
Cloudy, dark, or bloody urine
Pain in the back or lower abdomen
Nausea/vomiting
Fever

Girls Health—How do you get it?

A woman’s urethral opening (which is sterile) is
right near two big sources of bacteria: the rectum
and the vagina. Bacteria from these areas can
move toward the urethra from the rectum if a
woman wipes the wrong way after going to the
bathroom, and could cause a UTI. During sexual
intercourse, bacteria in the urethra can be pushed
toward the bladder. And using some types of birth
control—like a diaphragm—can also cause bacteria
to collect more, and eventually get into the urethra
and the bladder.

Girls Health—How do you treat it?

If a bladder infection is diagnosed early, it’s usually
not a big deal to treat. You can find out if you have
UTI with a urine test at the doctor’s office. Other
tests can also be done on a urine sample to
determine which antibiotics are best for you. Most
infections are curable with a few days of antibiotic
treatment. A doctor could also prescribe other
medications to ease some of the painful symptoms.
One medication that’s commonly prescribed for pain
is pyridium. It works well but it could turn your urine
a reddish color. If that happens, don’t freak out—it’s
normal. Abstaining from sexual intercourse during
treatment also helps the healing process.
When a bladder infection just starts, and if it isn’t
too bad, many women treat it themselves by
drinking a few glasses of cranberry juice and lots of
water every day for a few days. This can "flush"
the infection out of the bladder.