What is a urinary tract infection (UTI)?
Q: What is a urinary tract infection (UTI)?
A: A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection caused by bacteria in part of the urinary tract, such as the bladder or kidneys.
Q: What are the symptoms of a lower UTI?
A: Symptoms from a lower urinary tract infection include painful peeing and frequent peeing or wanting to pee (or both).
Q: What are the symptoms of a kidney infection?
A: Symptoms of a kidney infection include fever and side and back pain. In old people and young children, the symptoms may not be so clear.
Q: What is the main cause for UTIs?
A: The main cause for both types of UTIs is the bacteria Escherichia coli. Other bacteria, viruses, or fungus may be responsible in rare cases.
Q: Who gets UTIs more often?
A: Women get urinary tract infections more often than men. Half of women have an infection at some point in their lives. It is common to have repeated infections.
Q: What are some risk factors for getting UTIs?
A: Risk factors for getting UTIs include sexual intercourse as well as family history. Sometimes a person who had a bladder infection will get a kidney infection, although this is rare.
Q: How are UTIs usually treated?
A: Antibiotics are used to treat simple cases of urinary tract infections; however resistance to antibiotics is increasing so sometimes people with complicated infections need to take antibiotics for longer periods or intravenously (through a vein). If symptoms do not improve after two or three days further tests may be needed
