Urinary Tract Infection or UTI

Urinary Tract Infection or UTI is a bacterial infection that affects any part of the urinary tract. Urine does not normally have bacteria in it. When bacteria get into the bladder and multiply in the urine, it causes a UTI. The most common type of UTI is a bladder infection, which is also often called cystitis. Cystitis means an inflammation of the bladder. UTIs are usually by the bacteria that are found in the intestines and sometimes on the skin around the rectal and vaginal areas. Symptoms can include urgency even after urinating, frequency, burning or pain during urination, bladder spasms, cloudy, bloody or foul-smelling urine, and a mild fever. The elderly may have a change in mental status with confusion. You should see your physician as soon as possible when you have these symptoms and the infection can be confirmed by a urinalysis from a urine specimen. Treatment is an antibiotic and increased fluid intake. Patients with Tarlov cysts who have trouble emptying their bladder are more prone to frequent urinary tract infections.