Urinary Tract Infections for Women: Breaking It Down
Urinary tract infections (UTI) are some of the most common reasons women present to walk-in clinics for care.
UTIs can be painful and bothersome. If left untreated, they can lead to serious kidney and bladder complications.
So how come they are so common for women? We’ll take a look at what exactly is a UTI and why women get them, how they are treated, and how to prevent them.
Anatomy Refresher
Let’s start with a brief anatomy refresher. I have heard stories of women who don’t know there are three, rather than two holes ‘down there.’ As a nurse, I’m inclined to use more medical terms for the nether region, but believe it or not, some people cringe at the word vagina. So we’ll have some fun with it instead.
Women, in fact, have three holes; a vagina hole, an anal hole, and a urethra hole. This anatomy is important to note, because it’s precisely the reason women tend to get UTIs so commonly as opposed to men. Our holes are in close proximity to each other, and a woman's urethra is a much shorter distance to the bladder than a man’s. That’s it in a nutshell, and in very non-medical terms. But why does their closeness matter? We’ll need to talk about what exactly a UTI is.
Bacteria
A UTI is when bacteria enters the urethra (that’s the hole your urine comes out of, FYI). Most UTIs are caused by the bacteria E.coli. Sound familiar? It probably does because there always seems to be some sort of E.coli outbreak from lettuce. Maybe that is just lately. But yes, E.coli is ‘bad’ bacteria when you eat it.
However, E.coli actually lives somewhat harmoniously in the intestines of most humans. Stool, or poop, as the laymen call it, sometimes grab the bacteria on its way out. When women (yes, it’s usually our fault from wiping back to front after using the toilet) introduce bacteria-laden stool near our urethra, it clings on and grows and multiplies in the urethra. Quite the visual, right? When ‘bad’ bacteria gets into a ‘clean’ hole, it causes an infection. And voila, you have a UTI.
The bacteria, (again most likely E.Coli but can be others) if left untreated, will continue to multiply and climb up towards your bladder, and can even find its way into your kidneys. This would be considered a kidney infection at that point, and much more serious. Hence, the reason to visit your healthcare provider if you have any of the following symptoms:
Typical Symptoms
Burning with urination
Cloudy or bloody urine
Pelvic pain
Urge to urinate frequently but little urine is produced
Treatment
Because UTIs are caused by bacteria, the antidote is an ‘anti-bacteria’ medication, commonly known as an antibiotic. This is the only clinically proven way to kill the bacteria in the urethra. Ask any grandmother and she will tell you that she drank a carton of cranberry juice a day and it cured her UTI. Sorry granny, but to date there has been no conclusive clinical evidence of cranberry juice killing bacteria.
Urine is acidic and the acid can sometimes kill the bacteria in the urethra on its own (our bodies are just so smart). That is what might have happened to granny while she was downing cranberry juice all day. There are some over the counter products that can decrease the symptoms, but they do not treat the bacteria. The quickest and most effective treatment is going to be an antibiotic medication from your healthcare provider.
Prevention
Some women are unfortunately more prone to UTIs than others. However, the best piece of advice to prevent a UTI is after using the toilet, wipe front to back; North to South, urethra to anus. Whatever you want to call it, keep the poop out of the urethra. And if you do find yourself with any of the symptoms listed above, give your healthcare provider a call for treatment as early as possible.
-Amanda Lundberg, RN, BSN
For more information, check out the Mayo Clinic’s Mayo Clinic's page on UTIs.
