Partially conscious like a half-awake somnambulist you walk out of your bed discomforted by a heavy bladder, only to be electrocuted by excruciating pain at the sight of your body spurting the waste out. At this point, you wish you were better off in bed. Urinary tract infection can make you feel sorry for doing what earlier was a meditative bliss for you and a blessing in disguise for your bladder. Let us learn what causes it and keep as far from them as possible so even if nature gives us a call in the middle of the night, we can pass a spiteful grin and latch the toilet door.
[Read: How to avoid Urinary Tract Infection]
Common Causes
Germs enter the system via the urethra, which is a tube that carries the urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. The germs that lead to these infections breed in the large intestine and are also found in the stool. If these germs can travel into the urethra, they can also travel into the bladder as well as the kidneys and trigger the development of an infection.
It has been observed that women tend to experience more bladder infections compared with men probably because women have shorter urethras compared with men, making it easier for the germs to travel up to the bladder. Most germs get transferred to the urethra when having sex. You are likely to get the infection, if you:
• do not drink enough fluids
• have diabetes
• have kidney stones
• have an enlarged prostate gland
• are pregnant.
Dietary Additives
Whether one is highly or less likely to have urinary tract infection depends on what he/she eats. The chemicals that are added in foods as preservatives and the chemicals that are present in beverages can produce a friendly environment for the organisms to establish colonies on the wall of urinary bladder. Some additives like caffeine, high fructose and alcohol can increase one’s risks of contracting the infection. Foods that are high in sugar promote the growth of yeast and bacteria.
Dehydration
If you do not drink enough fluids, your kidneys, heart and immune system will be exposed to a lot of stress and when the immune system is weakened, it will fail to protect the body against germs and help the bacteria to multiply very easily. It is important to ensure that the urinary tract is flushed out at all times. If you drink enough amount of water, the cells of your body will remain hydrated and healthy as it will help you flush out the toxins easily.
[Read: Treatment for Urinary Tract Infection in Women]
Diabetes
Diabetes is one of those autoimmune diseases that put stress on the entire body. Considering that diabetics have high glucose levels in their blood and high glucose attracts germs, people with the medical condition and especially women are likely to be more prone to contract the infection.
Misuse of Antibiotics
Antibiotics are not always the best choice for treatment of any sort of infection. Their overuse can make the bacteria resistant to them. It is important for anybody to take the prescribed antibiotic for as long as the doctor tells them to as often times the bacteria get resistant to the medication and lie dormant until the medication has left the body, after which they become active again and adapt to the environment.
Contraceptives
Contraceptives have always been given prominence for their effectiveness in controlling birth. That in populous countries, but. What people are less informed about is that there are certain types of contraceptives that can increase the likelihood of causing UTIs in women. Some of these include diaphragm as a contraceptive device.
Allergies
Urinary tract infections may be caused in some women because of their usage of certain products in their private area like deodorants, powders, soaps and other products. The can lead to allergies and inflammation to the tissues that surround the urinary meatus. Some of these products may also promote the growth of microorganisms in the private area.
Read more articles on Urinary Tract Infection in Women.
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