Urinary Tract Infection

1181 Words3 Pages

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is when bacteria gets into your urine and infects the bladder. It has caused more than 8.1 million visits to health care providers each year. About 10 in 25 women and 3 in 25 men will have symptoms of at least 1 UTI during their lifetime.

The urinary tract makes and stores urine, one of the waste products of your body. Urine is made in the kidneys and travels down the ureters to the bladder. The bladder stores the urine until it is emptied through the urethra, a tube that connects the bladder to the skin, when you urinate. The opening of the urethra is at the end of the penis in a male and in front of the vagina in a female.

The two kidneys are located in the lumbar region of the back above the waist on either side of the vertebral column. The size of the kidney is big like fist-sized organs in the back that filter liquid waste from the blood and remove it from the body in the form of urine. Kidneys balance the levels of many chemicals in the body (sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorous and others) and check the blood’s acidity. Certain hormones are also made in the kidneys. These hormones help control blood pressure, boost red blood cell production and help make strong bones.

Normal urine has no bacteria in it. And the one-way flow helps …show more content…

We were told to wipe from the front to the back after using the bathroom. That’s because the urethra the tube that transports urine from the bladder to the outside of the body is located close to the anus. Bacteria from the large intestine, such as E.coli are in the perfect position to escape the anus and invade the urethra. From there, they can travel up to the bladder, and if the infection isn’t treated, continue on to infect the kidneys. Women may be especially prone to UTI because they have shorter urethras, which allow bacteria quick access to bladder. Having sex can also introduce bacteria into the urinary

More about Urinary Tract Infection

Open Document