Comment from: OtherMother, 65-74 Female (Patient)Published: December 15
I get UTIs very frequently but keep a product called AZO on hand to help get rid of the pain until I can get to my doctor. The last time I went, they could not test my urine because of the AZO because it turns your urine dark orange. Since it was my regular doctor and they were familiar, they knew my symptoms and treated me with antibiotics. It helps to drink lots of water on a daily basis. I can tell when I'm not drinking enough water because my skin and scalp get very dry and itchy. I hope this helps someone. I am 71, and it seems the older I get, the more often I get these, but I think I put off going to the bathroom too long. We should go at the first urge.
Comment from: Coqui, 45-54 Female (Patient)Published: December 15
I take cranberry pills as a preventative (one a day) against UTIs. When I start having symptoms (which is usually every couple of months and has been going on for 20 years), I start taking a couple of cranberry pills every half hour until the symptoms disappear, or if I want a faster relief, I take Cipro twice a day for five days. I would love for these to be gone forever or to know other things I could do to prevent them.
Comment from: Ash, 19-24 Female (Patient)Published: November 24
It is 6 a.m., and I have been up since 3 a.m. with this UTI. I am 21 years old and have had UTI occurrences since I was 15. It has become worse over the last six months. For me, antibiotics work; however, I feel that I need something that will last longer. I can't keep running to the doctor every four weeks. Levaquin is great, but it takes too long. Sometimes my doctor gives me a shot right away, which relieves pain fast.
Comment from: Leish, 19-24 Female (Patient)Published: November 13
At the age of 15 I was taken to the hospital and discovered I had a kidney infection. I also found out I was pregnant. After a couple of years of having nothing, they finally started again, in the last two years I've been getting them every couple of months, and its always the same, they put me on antibiotics. I think the cause of my UTI is my oral contraceptive. After having my son, I was on the Depo Provera and I never had it once, it wasn't until I started taking the pill that they started happening frequently. At the moment its 3:15 in the morning, UTI is the reason I am not fast asleep right now, the symptoms are keeping me awake. I think it's definitely time we find a cure for this because I'm not sure about you, but I'm sick to death, already, of taking antibiotics and having to put up with this all the time.
Comment from: skeeter8, 55-64 Female (Patient)Published: August 20
I have had a urinary tract infection on and off for about 6 years now. This past year and currently I have had 7-9 UTI's already given antibiotics for.
Since April I have been bleeding, passing clots and it is getting worse. I have not had insurance since then, which I normally took care of things. It can not be from intercourse since my husband has passed away 3 years ago. Do not wear tight pants, cotton panties should be worn, do not drink and I do not know what else could be causing this.
It does get scary and I would like to know what else I should do.
If anyone has can answer please let me know.
Comment from: kimlc59, 45-54 Female (Patient)Published: December 15
I have noticed that if I drink milk products, I will have a UTI. This includes milk, chocolate milk, ice cream and sherbet. I am able to ingest yogurt and any other type of cheese product. So, if you are experiencing multiple problems with UTIs, you may want to experiment with your diet. For me, the symptoms begin within a week or less, depending on how much and how often I partake. For instance, if I have a 1/4 cup of ice cream, I am OK. If I have more than that, and more than one day, a UTI begins. If I persist, it will move to the kidneys. I hope this helps! By the way, I am almost 50 now, and this has held true for my entire life.
Comment from: Marie, 35-44 Female (Patient)Published: October 30
I used to get a urinary tract infection (UTI) every 4-6 weeks. This went on for years, and every time I was prescribed antibiotics. I think I was becoming immune to them cause they just were not working. Finally, a physicians assistant at my doctor's office suggested I start D-Mannose. It is a dietary supplement. I started the D-mannose and within two days I was symptom and pain free. Now I take D-mannose once a day and it keeps me from getting another UTI.
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Suggested Reading on Urinary Tract Infection (UTI In Adults) by Our Doctors
One in every 20 people develop a kidney stone at some point in their life. A kidney stone is a hard mineral and crystalline material formed within the kidney or urinary tract. Kidney stones symptoms and signs are, blood in the urine and pain in the abdomen, flank (lower back), or groin. A number of different conditions can lead to kidney stones including: gout, hypercalciuria, people with inflammatory bowel disease, kidney disease, and hypoparathyroidism. Some medications also increase the risk of kidney stones.
Diverticulitis is a condition in which diverticuli in the colon rupture. The rupture results in infection in the tissues that surround the colon. Diverticulitis symptoms include: abdominal pain, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, constipation, and bloating. Treatment methods include prescription medications, and in some cases, diverticulitis surgery.
Kidney infection (pyelonephritis) usually is caused from bacteria that have spread from the bladder from a UTI (urinary tract infection), poor hygiene, sexual intercourse, pregnancy, catheter, cystoscope exam, surgery, kidney stones, or prostate enlargement. Symptoms of kidney infection include: back pain, frequent urination, pain during urination, fever, and or pus or blood in the urine. Kidney infection is usually treated with antibiotics.
Blood clots can occur in the venous and arterial vascular system. Blood clots can form in the heart, legs, arteries, veins, bladder, urinary tract and uterus. Risk factors for blood clots include high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, and family history. Symptoms of a blood clot depend on the location of the clot. Some blood clots are a medical emergency. Blood clots are treated depending upon the cause of the clot. Blood clots can be prevented by lowering the risk factors for developing blood clots.
Prostatitis is a painful condition of the prostate gland. There are four types of prostatitis, acute bacterial, chronic bacterial, chronic pelvic pain syndrome, and asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis. Diagnosis is made with a digital rectal exam, urinalysis, ultrasound, MRI, biopsy, or blood test. Treatment depends upon the type of prostatitis.
Chlamydia, a type of bacteria that causes an infection, is spread through sexual contact. Most of the time, women with chlamydia have no symptoms. Antibiotics are an effective treatment for chlamydia.
Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C.). Fever is part of the body's own disease-fighting arsenal: rising body temperatures apparently are capable of killing off many disease- producing organisms.
E. coli is the most common cause of bladder infections. Bladder infection symptoms and signs include frequent urination, burning urination, and foul smelling urine. Mild bladder infections may go away by increasing one's intake of fluid. More severe infections may be treated with a few days of antibiotics.
Sepsis (blood poisoning) is a potentially deadly infection with signs and symptoms that include elevated heart rate, low or high temperature, rapid breathing and/or a white blood cell count that is too high or too low and has more than 10% band cells. Most cases of sepsis are caused by bacterial infections, and some cases are caused by fungal infections. Treatment requires hospitalization, IV antibiotics, and therapy to treat any organ dysfunction.
Group B strep are bacteria called Streptococcus agalactiae that may sometimes cause infections both in a pregnant woman and her newborn. Symptoms include fever, seizures, heart rate abnormalities, breathing problems, and fussiness. Intravenous antibiotics are used to treat group B strep infections.
Interstitial cystitis (IC) is an inflammatory disease of the bladder that can cause ulceration and bleeding of the bladder's lining and can lead to scarring and stiffening of the bladder. Symptoms of interstitial cystitis may vary among individuals and may even vary with time in the same individual.
Overactive bladder is a sudden involuntary contraction of the muscle wall of the bladder causing urinary urgency (an immediate unstoppable need to urinate). Overactive bladder is is a form of urinary incontinence. Treatment options may include Kegel exercises, biofeedback, vaginal weight training, pelvic floor electrical stimulation, behavioral therapy, and medications.
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infection is the most common type of infection acquired by patients while hospitalized. Patients at risk for VRE are those who are already ill, and hospitalized, including individuals with diabetes, elderly, ICU patients, kidney failure patients, or patients requiring catheters. Enterococci can survive for months in the digestive tract and female genital tract. Other risk factors for acquiring VRE include those how have been previously treated with vancomycin and combinations of other antibiotics. Treatment of VRE is generally with other antibiotics other than vancomycin. Prevention of VRE can be achieved by proper hand hygiene.
Testicular pain, or pain in the testicle or testicles are caused by a variety of diseases or conditions such as testicular trauma, testicular torsion, testicular cancer, epididymitis, and orchitis. Common symptoms of pain in the testicle or testicles are abdominal pain, urinary pain or incontinence, fever, nausea, vomiting, and pain in the scrotum or testicle. Treatment depends on the cause of the testicular pain or pain in the testicles.
Osteomyelitis is an infection of the bone. Potential causes include injections around the bone, fractures that puncture the skin, recent surgeries, and bacterial infections that travel from other areas of the body, spreading through the blood to the bone. Symptoms include pain, fever, chills, stiffness, and nausea. Treatment involves antibiotics and pain medications. Surgery is sometimes necessary.
Hydronephrosis is a condition in which the kidney swells, due to a backup of urine. Hydronephrosis generally occurs with another disease.Symptoms of hydronephrosis include nausea, vomiting, urinary tract infection, fever, painful urination, increased urinary frequency and urgency, flank pain, and swelling of the abdomen. Treatment of hydronephrosis depends on the cause.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH or enlarged prostate) is very common in men over 50 years of age. This noncancerous enlargement of the prostate can impede urine flow, slow the flow of urine, create the urge to urinate frequently and cause other symptoms like complete blockage of urine and urinary tract infections. Treatment may involve watchful waiting, medication, or surgery.
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is characterized by numerous cysts in the kidneys. Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic disorder. There are two major inherited forms of PKD, autosomal dominant PKD, and autosomal recessive PKD. Symptoms include headaches, urinary tract infections, blood in the urine, liver and pancreatic cysts, abnormal heart valves, high blood pressure, kidney stones, aneurysms, and diverticulosis. Diagnosis of PKD is generally with ultrasound, CT or MRI scan. There is no cure for PKD, so treatment of symptoms is usually the general protocol.
Adenovirus infection, particularly Ad14, or the "killer cold virus" has been on the increase in the past two years. Symptoms range from those experienced with colds, sore throat, bronchitis, pneumonia, diarrhea, pinkeye, fever, bladder infection, and neurological conditions. Diagnosis and treatment options need to be discussed with your physician.
Urinary retention (inability to urinate) may be caused by nerve disease, spinal cord injury, prostate enlargement, infection, surgery, medication, bladder stone, constipation, cystocele, rectocele, or urethral stricture. Symptoms include discomfort and pain. Treatment depends upon the cause of urinary retention.
A urethral stricture, or narrowing of the urethra, may cause decreased urine output. Symptoms include painful urination, urinary retention, and pelvic pain. Surgery is the only treatment for people with uncontrolled symptoms of urethral narrowing.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are very common in children. Symptoms and signs include fever and abdominal pain. Associated symptoms and signs include flank pain, vomiting, and blood in the urine. Treatment for a UTI involves antibiotic therapy.
Women's health is an important topic area to guide a woman through the stages of her life, as well as knowing the conditions and diseases that may occur. Educating yourself so that the transitions into different phases of life is key to a healthy, happy, and productive life.
People who have bladder spasms, the sensation occurs suddenly and often severely. A spasm itself is the sudden, involuntary squeezing of a muscle. A bladder spasm, or "detrusor contraction," occurs when the bladder muscle squeezes suddenly without warning, causing an urgent need to release urine. The spasm can force urine from the bladder, causing leakage. When this happens, the condition is called urge incontinence or overactive bladder.
Millions of women suffer from urinary incontinence (UI). UI occurs twice as often in women as in men. There are many types of urinary incontinence: stress incontinence, urge incontinence, overactive bladder, functional incontinence, overflow incontinence, transient incontinence, and mixed incontinence.
Urinary incontinence in children (enuresis) is twice as common in boys as in girls and may occur during the daytime or nighttime. Nighttime urinary incontinence is also called bedwetting and sleepwetting. The cause of nighttime incontinence in children is unknown. Daytime incontinence in children may be caused by an overactive bladder. Though many children overcome urinary incontinence naturally, it may be necessary to treat incontinence with medications, bladder training and moisture alarms, which wake the child when he or she begins to urinate.
Urethral cancer is a rare form of cancer that primarily affects white females, people over 60 years of age, and those who have stds or who experience frequent urinary tract infections. Symptoms and signs of urethral cancer include blood in the urine, interrupted urine flow and discharge from the urethra. Treatment involves surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.
Bedwetting, or nocturnal enuresis, is the accidental passage of urine while asleep. There are two types of bedwetting: primary and secondary. Primary enuresis is bedwetting since infancy, and secondary enuresis is bedwetting after being consistently dry for at least six months.
Blood poisoning is a nonmedical term that usually refers to the medical condition known as sepsis.
Sepsis is a potentially dangerous or life-threatening medical condition found in association with a known or suspected infection whose signs and symptoms fulfill at least two criteria of a systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).
The major SIRS criteria are an increased heart rate, fever, and increased respiratory rate; the young and the elderly may show other early signs and symptoms of sepsis sometimes before exhibiting SIRS criteria.
The majority of cases of sepsis are due to bacterial infection.
Sepsis is treated with hospitalization, intravenous antibiotics, and therapy to support any organ dysfunction.
Prevention of infections and early diagnosis and treatment of sepsis are the best ways to prevent sepsis or reduce the problems sepsis causes.
If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.
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I get UTIs very frequently but keep a product called AZO on hand to help get rid of the pain until I can get to my doctor. The last time I went, they could not test my urine because of the AZO because it turns your urine dark orange. Since it was my regular doctor and they were familiar, they knew my symptoms and treated me with antibiotics. It helps to drink lots of water on a daily basis. I can tell when I'm not drinking enough water because my skin and scalp get very dry and itchy. I hope this helps someone. I am 71, and it seems the older I get, the more often I get these, but I think I put off going to the bathroom too long. We should go at the first urge.