Family Doctor 2008

common conditions UTIs Urinary tract infections: Common and preventable If you’re experiencing a frequent urge to urinate and a burning sensation when you do, you could have a urinary tract infection. Here’s how to avoid them. By Sarah D. Garber from the kidneys to the bladder), bladder and urethra (the tube that carries urine out of your body). Bladder infections are the most common and can lead to kidney infections if they’re not treated. Bacteria, most often E. coli, cause UTIs. Infection with E. coli can be caused by use of certain forms of birth control (such as a diaphragm), sexual activity, pregnancy and improper hygiene. Women tend to have UTIs more often than men because their urethra is shorter, making it easier for bacteria to reach the bladder. medicine. Even if you’re feeling better, make sure to take all the medicine your doctor prescribes. tip HEALTH How can I prevent future UTIs? If left untreated, bladder infections can lead to more serious kidney infections. Talk to your doctor as soon as you experience any symptoms of a UTI. Drink plenty of water. Regularly drinking water helps to ﬂush out bacteria. Cranberry juice may also help, but you should talk to your doctor before using cranberry juice to prevent UTIs. It may interfere with certain medicines, such as warfarin (Coumadin). Don’t hold your urine. Urinate as soon as you feel you need to. Wipe from front to back after bowel movements. This will ensure that bacteria from your bowels don’t get into your urinary tract. Urinate after having sex. This will help ﬂush away any bacteria that may have entered your urinary tract during sexual activity. Talk to your doctor if you experience frequent UTIs. Your doctor can prescribe medicine to help keep your UTIs from coming back. Your doctor may also recommend another form of birth control if the one you’re using may be causing your UTIs. Sarah D. Garber is an editor living in Columbia, Mo. What are the symptoms? Signs of a UTI include the following: ● A burning sensation when you urinate. ● Feeling like you need to urinate more often than usual. ● Feeling like you need to urinate, but not being able to. ● Leaking a little urine. DID YOU KNOW? ● Urine that smells bad. ● Cloudy, dark or bloody urine. has ever had a urinary tract infection (UTI) A ny woman who 20% to 30% of women who have had a UTI go on to experience recurrent UTIs. If you experience frequent UTIs, talk to your doctor about ways to prevent them in the future. Signs of a more serious kidney infection include the following, in addition to the symptoms listed above: ● Nausea. ● Lower back pain. ● Fever. knows how uncomfortable they can be. For those who have never had one, there’s no need to worry. UTIs are 100% treatable, often preventable, and so common that almost every woman will have at least one in her lifetime. What should I do if I think I have a UTI? Make an appointment to visit your family doctor. Your doctor will probably want to test your urine for signs of infection, which takes a couple of minutes. If you have a UTI, your doctor will probably write you a prescription for an antibiotic and may also suggest a medicine to numb your urinary tract and relieve your symptoms. Usually, your symptoms go away 1 to 2 days after you start taking ADDITIONAL INFORMATION American Academy of Family Physicians http://familydoctor.org/190.xml National Kidney Foundation http://www.kidney.org/atoz/atozItem. cfm?id=116 National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/ utiadult What exactly is a UTI? A UTI is an infection of any part of your urinary tract. The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, ureters (tubes that carry urine 76 familydoctor 2008 http://familydoctor.org/190.xml http://www.kidney.org/atoz/atozItem.cfm?id=116 http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/utiadult

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Family Doctor 2008

Family Doctor 2008 Foreward Introduction Contents What Do You Want From Health Care? Confident Communication Need a New Doctor? Understanding Your Health Insurance OTC Safety as Simple as 1-2-3 The Fight Against Resistance Drug Interactions Prevention is Better than Cure Hitting a Home Run 'The Herbalist Will See You Now' Healthy Eating to Boost Your Heart and Health Exercise: The Elixir of Life Back from the Brink Taking Control Up All Night Vitamins and Minerals 101 Allergies: Combating the Causes Protect Yourself From Colds and the Flu Diabetes: Assessing Your Risk Dealing with Diabetes The Cholesterol Count Getting a Grip on Hypertension Facts About CKD Banish the Burn Easing the Pain Stop the Pounding Urinary Tract Infections: Common and Preventable Skin Essentials The ABCs of COPD Impotence: Tackling the Old Taboo Taking Responsibility for Your Health Prostate Cancer Screening: Is it For You? Protecting Your Prostate Heart Disease and Women: Know the Risks Birth Control to Suit You Maneuvering Through Menopause Help for PMS Infertility: Problems Having a Baby Preventive Health: What Women Need to Know Pregnancy: Taking Care of You and Your Baby Eating for Two Postpartum Mood Disorders The Basics of Breast Milk Newborn Screening Tests: Possible Lifesavers Common Newborn Conditions Childhood Vaccines: Why They're Necessary Food Allergies: The Facts Facing Your Acne Raising Grades Staying On Your Feet Age Gracefully: Take Care of Your Bones Battling Osteoarthritis Tackling Anxiety Beating the Blues

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