Bladder Infection is a Common Diagnosis in Women

A bladder infection is an inflammation of the urinary bladder. Bladder infection is the most common bacterial infection to affect humans, with up to one-third of all females having at least one infection at some point in their lives. A bladder infection is an infection of the urinary tract, often called a UTI (urinary tract infection). Bladder infection is irritating and painful but it is easy to treat. A simple bladder infection is usually easily treated with 10-14 days of antibiotics.

Women are more likely to have bladder infections than men because their urethra is shorter. All bladder infections are considered complicated when they affect men, because the long male urethra should prevent bacteria from getting into the bladder. Possible symptoms of a bladder infection include: urinating more often feeling an urgent need to urinate a burning, stinging, or pressure sensation during urination a crampy pain or discomfort in the lower abdomen just above the pubic bone or sometimes in the lower back need to urinate more often in the night cloudy urine that smells bad blood in the urine leaking of urine fever and occasionally chills. Increasing the intake of fluids (64 to 128 ounces per day) encourages frequent urination that flushes bacteria from the bladder. Drinking cranberry juice prevents certain types of bacteria from attaching to the wall of the bladder and may lessen the chance of infection.

When bacteria get into the bladder and multiply in the urine, it causes a urinary tract infection. The most common type of UTI is a bladder infection, which is also often called cystitis. This kind of infection can be serious, but if treated quickly the kidney is most often not damaged permanently. Some females get urinary tract infections more frequently, this may be because of the differences in the shape and length of the urethra in different people. You can not get a urinary tract infection from someone else, although females who are just becoming sexually active often get UTIs. Although antibiotics begin fighting the infection right away, they can't stop all the symptoms right away. Remember, that although urinary tract infections are uncomfortable and often painful, they are very common and easily treated.

If you have any symptoms of a urinary tract infection, you'll need to go to a health care professional right away. The sooner you contact your health care provider, the sooner you'll be able to clear up the infection. Your health care provider will prescribe an antibiotic to kill bacteria and prevent the spread of infection to your kidneys. If you have a lot of pain, your health care provider may recommend a medication to relieve the pain in your bladder, This medicine will clear up the painful symptoms in about 3 days, although it will usually make you much more comfortable within hours. If you don't want to drink cranberry juice, you can buy cranberry in pill form at your local health food store.

Cranberry juice also has been shown to have positive effects on UTIs. Make sure the cranberry juice is 100% juice, many brands are now 100% cranberry. Drinking cranberry juice prevents certain types of bacteria from attaching to the wall of the bladder and may lessen the chance of infection. If pure cranberry juice is not available, cranberry capsules can be substituted. We recommend cranberry capsules, up to nine a day, since cranberry juice often has lots of sugar or honey in it.

Antibiotics prescribed by your doctor will usually cure a bladder infection. Antibiotics can kill the good bacteria that normally live on the skin of the genital area. It takes about 48 hours to get results from a urine culture, so you may have to switch antibiotics depending on the results. Many people stop taking the medication when they begin to feel better, but that doesn't allow the antibiotics to completely kill the bacteria, which increases the risk that the infection will reappear. Bladder infections are usually easily treated with antibiotics to kill the bacteria and prevent the spread of infection to the kidneys.

Preventive measures may reduce symptoms and prevent recurrence of infection. To prevent frequent bladder infections, always drink plenty of water and cranberry juice. Quality cranberry juice produces hippuric acid in the urine which acidifies the urine and prevents bacteria from sticking to the walls of the bladder. Another thing you can do to prevent bladder infections, whether you're a male or female, is to go to the bathroom to empty your bladder frequently. A minority of women with complicated bladder infections may require surgical treatment to prevent recurrent infections. To prevent another bladder infection, the female patient should drink large amounts of fluid, urinate frequently and empty the bladder each time, particularly after intercourse, and properly clean the area around the urethra. But drinking water, such as adding 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt in one liter of drinking water should be a good prevention from urinary tract problems.

Bladder infection is most common among women, during pregnancy there will more stress and infection in the urinary track or bladder, because during pregnancy 50% of blood volume is increased so kidney is the in charge of cleaning the blood. If a bladder infection is left untreated, the bacteria may ascend up theurethra to the kidneys. The recommended daily dose to treat or prevent bladder infection is about six ounces a day of pure cranberry juice. The antibiotic commonly used for the curing bladder infection is d-mannose. The best way to prevent a bladder infection is to wipe yourself the correct way after going to the bathroom.

Bladder Infection is a Common Diagnosis in Women
If a bladder infection is left untreated, the bacteria may ascend up theurethra to the kidneys.