A urinary tract infection usually begins with a sudden and frequent need to urinate.
©2007 Publications International, Ltd.
A urinary tract infection usually
begins with a sudden and frequent
need to urinate.

You stand in front of the bathroom door for the twentieth time in the last hour. You've got to go, but every time you do, you end up with only a painful trickle. You recognize the burning sensation that makes every trip to the toilet an ordeal. You've got a urinary tract infection.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the second most common reason people visit their doctors each year. Men get UTIs, but they are much more common in women -- more than eight million women head to their doctor for UTI treatment annually. And 20 percent of these women will get a second UTI.

If you've ever had a UTI, you'll probably never forget the symptoms. It usually starts with a sudden and frequent need to visit the potty. When you get there, you can squeeze out only a little bit of urine, and that's usually accompanied by a burning sensation in your bladder and/or urethra. In more extreme cases you may end up with fever, chills, back pain, and even blood in your urine.

Bladder Control

UTIs are a result of bacteria, particularly Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria, taking temporary control of your bladder and your urethra (the tube that allows urine to flow from your bladder to the toilet). Women tend to get more UTIs for two reasons: They have a shorter urethra than men, and their urethral opening is precariously close to the vagina and the bacteria-loving anus, where E. coli and other bacteria normally hang out without causing harm. That means everyday body functions and sex are more likely to push bacteria into your urethra. Being pregnant also ups your risk of a UTI because your bladder is under a lot of pressure from your uterus and is more apt to entertain an infection. And if you use a diaphragm to protect against pregnancy, you put more pressure on your urethra and are more likely to end up with a UTI.

Men get UTIs but not for the same reasons. If a man suspects he has a UTI, he should call his doctor; the UTI may be due to a bladder stone, an enlarged prostate, or a sexually transmitted disease such as gonorrhea. A prostate infection may also make its way to the bladder, causing a bladder infection.

When you have an infection in your lower urinary tract, the medically correct term for the condition is cystitis. If the infection is in your urethra, you've got urethritis. UTIs typically combine both cystitis and urethritis. But sometimes the infection is at the top of your urinary tract, closer to your kidneys. If you end up with this type of infection, it can easily spread to your kidneys, causing a condition called pyelonephritis. Pyelonephritis can cause more severe symptoms, including back pain, fever, nausea, and vomiting.

The good news is that there are many home remedies you can try to prevent or remedy a UTI. Go to the next page to learn more.

To learn more about uncomfortable infections and the home remedies that might ease them, visit these links:
 This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.