Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are responsible for more than seven million visits to physicians' offices per year and about 5 five percent of all visits to primary care physicians.
Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are responsible for more than seven million visits to physicians’ offices per year and about 5 five percent of all visits to primary care physicians. Approximately 40 percent of women and 12 percent of men will experience at least one symptomatic urinary tract infection during their lifetime.
When you have a urinary tract infection (UTI), the lining of the bladder and urethra become red and irritated just as your throat does when you have a cold. The irritation can cause pain in your abdomen and pelvic area and may make you feel like emptying your bladder more often. You may even try to urinate but only produce a few drops and/or feel some burning as your urine comes out. At times, you may lose control of your urine. You may also find that your urine smells unpleasant or is cloudy.
Kidney infections often cause fevers and back pain. These infections need to be treated promptly because a kidney infection can quickly spread into the bloodstream and cause a life-threatening condition.
UTIs are often categorized as simple (uncomplicated) or complicated. Simple UTIs are infections that occur in normal urinary tracts. Complicated UTIs occur in abnormal urinary tracts or when the bacteria causing the infection is resistant to many antibiotic medications.