Distinct Symptoms of Urinary Infection

       Urinary tract infection, is a colonization of microorganisms in the urinary tract in such an amount and such a way that damages or symptoms are produced. When only the urethra and the bladder is affected, it is called lower urinary tract infection.  Urinary tract infection is commonly caused by bacteria that also are present in the normal flora in and around body openings and in the digestive tract, as for example the bacterium Escherichia Coli. Most often the bacteria enter the urinary tract through the urethral opening. Women more easily get urinary tract infection because they have a shorter urethra so that the bacteria have a shorter way to get into the bladder.

Urinary tract infection can occur acutely with very distinct symptoms. Symptoms of Urinary tract infection must always be investigated, especially blood in the urine, since the cause can be a more serious disease. Urinary tract infection can also develop slowly and chronically with only small symptoms for a long time:

    * Itching during urination.
    * Pain in the bladder region.
    * Urge to urinate, even though there is little urine in the bladder.
    * Need to urinate during nights.
    * Fever, usually mild.
    * Cloudy urine with a bad smell.
    * Pus discharged from the urethra or blended with the urine.
    * Sometimes blood in the urine.

    By upper Urinary tract infection, the infection can spread deep into the kidney tissues and destroy the structures that excrete urine. This process can gradually lead to kidney failure. The infection can cause growth of scar tissue in the urinary tract, for example in the urethra, that causes obstruction and problems with urination.

    By men the infection can spread to the prostate and into the reproductive organs and destroy the function of the reproductive system. When a pregnant woman suffers from Urinary tract infection, the child tend to be born with a too low birth weight. Urinary tract infection is diagnosed by a urine specimen. The specimen is analyzed for substances produces by the disease process, like nitrites, leukocytes or leukocyte esterase. One also performs urine culture to confirm the presence of the bacteria.

When children have been diagnosed with Urinary tract infection, in is useful to perform urine flow studies and radiologic studies of the urinary tract afterwards to see if there is urine reflux up to the bladder or other abnormalities in the urinary tract. This is sometimes done also by adults if Urinary tract infection often recur.

Urinary tract infection is commonly treated with antibiotica, like: trimethoprim, cephalosporins, nitrofurantoin, or a fluoroquinolone (ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin). Children that have been diagnosed with some urinary tract defect are often given long term treatment with small doses of antibiotics, but recent studies have thrown doubt upon the validity of this regime. Online Pharmacy provides the access to health information and prescription medications.

Although standard treatment is usually effective, it does no always manage to beat down a chronic Urinary tract infection. Treatment with low doses of antibiotics to prevent new outbreaks of Urinary tract infection can give side effects and is neither always effective. Alternative measures for treatment can therefore be useful in addition to the standard drugs, and the same alternatives can be useful to prevent new outbreaks of Urinary tract infection.

Cranberry and blueberry can help against Urinary tract infection by eliminating the bacteria causing Urinary tract infection. These herbs can be taken as juice or as tea made from dried berries, and they are also found as concentrates in capsules.

Many lifestyle measures can be used to prevent the outbreak of Urinary tract infection and help to cure Urinary tract infection.

    * Wearing clothes that hinders the lower body to get cold is useful by many peoples experience.
    * Drinking much water causes the infectious bacteria to be flushed out much easier.
    * To urinate after intercourse and cleaning the urethral opening eliminates infectious bacteria transmitted by the sexual act before they can invade the urinary tract.
    * Using condoms by anal intercourse can hinder infectious bacteria in the rectum to enter a mans urethra.
    * After anal intercourse, vaginal intercourse should be avoided without a good wash first.
    * Having a good intimate hygiene, and wiping from the front and backwards by toilet visits can hinder bacteria from entering the urinary tract.