Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

UTIs is an infection in any part of your urinary system, which includes your kidneys, bladder, ureters, and urethra where the result of pathogenic bacteria or viruses that invade the urinary tract and cause infection. They are much more common in women, although men can get them too. A burning sensation during urination is one of the major symptoms of a UTI. Others include a frequent urge to urinate and the feeling that the bladder is not completely empty after urinating. Antibiotics can usually clear up most UTIs within five to seven days.

Symptoms of UTIs

The symptoms of a UTI  include:

• A burning feeling during urination
• A frequent or intense urge to urinate, even though little comes out when one goes for urination
• Cloudy, dark, bloody, or strange-smelling urination
• Feeling tired 
• Fever or chills 
• Pain or pressure in your back or lower abdomen
• Pelvic pain in women
• Rectal pain in men

TREATMENT OF UTI

Treatment of UTIs depends on the kind of UTI problem. The doctor will guide a patient about what medical treatment route should a patient take. In most of the UTI cases, the cause of the UTI is bacteria. UTIs caused by bacteria are treated with antibiotics.

In some cases of UTI, viruses or fungi are the causes of UTI. Viral UTIs are treated with medications called antivirals. Fungal UTIs are treated with medications called antifungals.

Antibiotics for a UTI

The kind of antibiotic used to treat a bacterial UTI usually depends on what part of the tract is involved. Lower tract UTIs can usually be treated with oral antibiotics whereas upper tract UTIs require intravenous antibiotics. These antibiotics are put directly into your veins.