Urinary Tract Infections in Women

Urinary Tract Infections are one of those really unpleasant issues we women deal with every so often. If you're a woman, and you've never had one, count your blessings. While terribly unpleasant, there are many things we can do not only to avoid getting one, but to cope with the symptoms when we do get one.

Let's start with how to avoid a Urinary Tract Infection, also known as a UTI. Urinary Tract Infections are caused by bacteria entering the urinary tract. Bacteria can get into the urinary tract if a woman wipes from the back to front when using the toilet, thus moving fecal matter toward the genital region. It can also occur due to the friction and movement that occurs during sexual intercourse. Thus two very important things for a woman to always remember are to urinate after intercourse and to wipe always from front to back. Change your panties at the very least once a day to keep your urinary area clean.

Now, what if you get a Urinary Tract Infection...how do you know you have one? The most common symptoms are a feeling of urgency, of needing to urinate all the time and a burning sensation when urinating. You may also feel achy and have chills and general exhaustion. Another, less common symptom is a strange ammonia-like smell to your urine. Your urine may look cloudy, and if the infection has progressed, you may even see blood in your urine.

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, you should get in to see your doctor right away. Your doctor will ask you to urinate in a sterile cup and the lab will put a special chemically treated dipstick into the urine to test for nitrites and leukocytes. They may also do a culture to test for bacterial growth. If you, indeed, do have a UTI, your doctor will put you on antibiotics...which can lead to a whole other set of issues. But, we'll get to that in a moment. First let's discuss things you can do to help with the uncomfortable symptoms until the antibiotics start working.