Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) affect people with male and female urinary systems, but women tend to get UTIs more often. At Cypress Urology in Cypress, Texas, board-certified urologist Kumaran Sathyamoorthy, MD, MPH, and physician assistant Maelyn Dishman, PA-C, provide expert UTI care to adults and children over 4. Their timely diagnosis and treatment can resolve your symptoms and prevent a severe kidney infection. If you have UTI symptoms, call Cypress Urology today or go online to request a consultation.

What is a urinary tract infection?

A urinary tract infection (UTI) sets in when bacteria multiply in any part of your urinary tract, which includes your urethra (the tube carrying urine outside your body), bladder, and kidneys.

Symptoms of a UTI include:

• Burning discomfort when urinating
• Cloudy urine
• Pink or red urine
• Strong- or unpleasant-smelling urine
• Pelvic pain
• Passing small quantities of urine
• Urgency (a sudden, pressing need to urinate)
• Urge incontinence (the inability to retain urine)

Most UTIs affect the urethra and bladder. Bacteria reaching the kidneys can cause severe infection (pyelonephritis). Symptoms include fever, nausea and vomiting, and intense back pain.

What causes a urinary tract infection?

The bacteria that cause UTIs enter your urethra from outside the body. Bacteria might transfer to the urethra after a bowel movement, especially if a woman wipes back to front rather than front to back.

Touching the penis or vulva with unclean hands or lacking good personal hygiene can also lead to infection.

The female anatomy means women are more vulnerable to UTIs. Female urethras are shorter and close to the anus, so bacteria can access a woman’s ureter more easily than a man’s.

Sexual activity may increase your risk of UTIs, particularly cystitis (bladder inflammation). Many women experience more UTIs after menopause, when hormonal changes can lead to vaginal dryness and increased susceptibility to infection.

How is a urinary tract infection treated?

Urinary tract infections typically require antibiotic treatment. Antibiotics destroy the bacteria causing your UTI, relieving pain and other symptoms. 

You need to complete the course even when your symptoms improve, or the bacteria could develop a resistance to the antibiotic that stops it from working.

You might need to take pain medication for a few days if your UTI is particularly uncomfortable. Anti-inflammatory painkillers also help to reduce inflammation in your urinary tract.

Some women repeatedly get UTIs. Long-term use of low-dose antibiotics can reduce the chance of recurrent infection. Or your urologist might prescribe an antibiotic you take after sex. However, such approaches are less common now, as overusing these drugs could lead to antibiotic resistance.

If you have a serious kidney infection, you may require intravenous medicines and need to go to the hospital.

If you develop UTI symptoms or suffer from frequent infections, call Cypress Urology today or book an appointment online.