A urinary tract infection (UTI) is common, but it can be serious.

"Simple urinary tract infections can be managed by your primary care provider, but when they become complex leading to other issues or problems, you should seek the care of a specialist," says Dr. Mitchell Humphreys, a urologist at Mayo Clinic.

What is a UTI?

The urinary system helps the body eliminate waste, excess water and salt. It encompasses the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Bacteria can enter any part of the system, causing an infection.

What are UTI symptoms?

A UTI may cause symptoms but not always. Common symptoms are:

• A strong urge to urinate. Even after using the toilet, that sensation "to go" may not go away.

• A burning or discomfort sensation while passing urine.

• Urinating often, passing small amounts of urine.

• Blood in the urine. Blood in the urine may be red, but it may look pink or brown.

• Cloudy-looking or strong-smelling urine.

• Pelvic pain. Women, in particular, may feel pain and pressure around the pubic bone.

Symptoms also may depend on which part of the urinary tract is affected. If you're feeling back or side pain, that may be from a kidney infection. If pain is in the lower belly, a bladder infection may be the culprit.

Especially in older adults, one effect of a UTI can be delirium, or feeling increased confusion.

What are risk factors for a UTI?

"Typically, our immune systems are great at combating and preventing UTIs, but there are several situations and certain individuals that may be more prone to UTIs," Dr. Humphreys says.

• Female anatomy: Women have greater risk of UTIs. Because a woman's urethra is shorter than a man's, bacteria can more easily enter the urinary system. Menopause also increases the risk of UTIs in women.

• Sexual activity: UTIs are not sexually transmitted infections, but sexual activity increases the risk for UTIs. Intercourse can cause bacteria to enter the urethra.

• Some birth control methods: Diaphragms and spermicide, for example, increase the risk for UTIs.

• Catheter use: Catheters may be used by people in the hospital or by those who are paralyzed or have other neurological problems that make it difficult to urinate.

"A catheter is a foreign body and can serve as a highway to allow bacteria to have access to the bladder," Dr. Humphreys says.

• Recent urinary procedure: Urinary surgery or an exam with medical instruments can increase UTI risk.

• Other health concerns: People born with urinary tract problems or those who have kidney stones, prostate issues, or suppressed immune systems are at increased risk of UTIs.

With prompt treatment, UTIs rarely cause complications. But without proper treatment, UTIs can be serious. Complications may include permanent kidney damage or sepsis, which can be potentially life-threatening.

What are UTI treatments?  

UTIs typically are treated with antibiotics. Be sure to take the medication as directed.

What helps prevent UTIs?

• Drink plenty of liquids. Water consumption dilutes urine, leads to urinating more frequently and flushes bacteria.

• Wipe from front back. After urinating or having a bowel movement, wipe from front to back to help prevent spread of bacteria.

• Urinate soon after sex.

• Avoid potentially irritating products. Using deodorant sprays or powders in the genital area may irritate the urethra.

• Switch birth control. Consider birth control methods other than a diaphragm or spermicide, for example, which can contribute to bacterial growth.

The post UTI: This common infection can be serious appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

A urinary tract infection, also called a UTI, is an infection that occurs in the urinary system. This could include the urethra, bladder, ureters and kidneys. Most infections involve the bladder and urethra, known as the lower urinary tract.

The most common symptoms include painful urination, tenderness above the bladder area, urgency and frequency of urination. Cloudy and a strong odor are not signs of infection.

Women are at greater risk for a UTI because the urethra is shorter than in men, so it's easier for bacteria to travel to the bladder. UTIs also are more common in postmenopausal women because low estrogen levels change vaginal and urethral tissue to increase the risk of infection.

It's always better to prevent an infection rather than simply treat it. UTIs are no different.

Follow these tips to lower your risk of a UTI with little or no potential negative side effects:

• Drink plenty of fluids, especially water.
  This helps keep bladder tissue hydrated and healthy. It also dilutes your urine and lowers the concentration of bacteria in the bladder. Some people can clear an infection on their own just by drinking fluids. Try drinking at least 50 ounces, or about 1.5 liters, of fluid daily to prevent infections.
• Empty your bladder often.
  Regularly emptying your bladder ensures urine is not sitting in your bladder for long periods of time. Since bacteria like warm and wet environments to grow, this takes away good living conditions for the bacteria. It's normal to empty your bladder four to eight times per day.
• Urinate soon after sex.
  The act of intercourse can cause bacteria to get close to or into the urethra, the small tube that empties your bladder. Voiding after intercourse removes some of the bacteria before it can cause an infection.
• Take cranberry supplements.
  While cranberry supplements have not been shown in studies to prevent urinary tract infections, there is a reasonable biologic mechanism that using them could be helpful. If you would like to try this option, consider a concentrated over-the-counter cranberry supplement instead of cranberry juice. It likely provides more benefit and reduces extra sugar typically found in juice.
• Wipe front to back.
  Doing so after urinating and after a bowel movement helps prevent bacteria in the anal region from spreading to the vagina and urethra.

If you have two or more infections in six months, consider talking with your health care team about recurrent UTIs. Your health care team will review your medical history and medications, and complete a thorough physical exam.

Risk factors for recurrent UTIs include:

• Frequent sexual intercourse, which increases the likelihood of bacteria entering the urethra and bladder.
• Using spermicide with or without a diaphragm, as this can harm protective bacteria in the urinary tract that defend against infection.
• Urinary retention or incomplete bladder emptying caused by medications; narrowing of the urethra; prolapse of the bladder, uterus or vagina; neurological conditions; or sometimes unknown reasons.
• Vaginal atrophy, which is a postmenopausal condition caused by decreased estrogen levels.
• Genetics, especially the inherited genes that regulate the body's immune response to infections.

It's common for some people to have bacteria in their urine but not experience any symptoms. In these cases, no treatment is necessary.

Talk with your health care team if you think you have a UTI. You may need an appointment to discuss your symptoms and collect a urine sample.

You should seek medical attention if you develop a fever, chills, disorientation, or back or side pain. These could be signs of a kidney infection, which requires treatment, or a systemic infection of the bloodstream that requires hospitalization.

Sarah Suarez is a physician assistant in OB-GYN in La Crosse and Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

The post 5 tips to prevent a urinary tract infection appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. ― Though researchers have long known that several physiological and anatomical changes occur during pregnancy that can contribute to kidney stone formation, evidence of the link has been lacking. But now Mayo Clinic researchers believe they have that evidence.

An observational study that reviewed the medical records for nearly 3,000 female patients from 1984 to 2012 finds that pregnancy increases the risk of a first-time symptomatic kidney stone. The risk peaks close to delivery and then improves by one year after delivery, though a modest risk of developing kidney stones continues beyond one year after delivery.

The study, published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, included 945 women who experienced a first-time symptomatic kidney stone and 1,890 age-matched female control subjects. The study's objective was to determine whether the risk of a first-time symptomatic kidney stone increased with pregnancy and if the risk varied across different time periods before, during and after pregnancy.

"We suspected the risk of a kidney stone event would be high during pregnancy, but we were surprised that the risk remained high for up to a year after delivery," says Andrew Rule, M.D., a Mayo Clinic nephrologist and the study's senior author. "There also remains a slightly increased risk of a kidney stone event beyond a year after delivery. This finding implies that while most kidney stones that form during pregnancy are detected early by painful passage, some may remain stable in the kidney undetected for a longer period before dislodging and resulting in a painful passage."

A symptomatic kidney stone event is the most common nonobstetric hospital admission diagnosis for pregnant women. A symptomatic kidney stone event occurs in 1 of every 250–1,500 pregnancies, research shows, most often occurring during the second and third trimesters. Kidney stones, though uncommon, can cause significant complications, ranging from preeclampsia and urinary tract infection to preterm labor and delivery, and pregnancy loss.

Diagnosis of kidney stones during pregnancy can be challenging, given limited diagnostic imaging options due to concern about radiation exposure, says Dr. Rule. Treatment can be complicated by obstetric concerns, as well.

Several physiological reasons may contribute to why pregnancy contributes to kidney stone formation, says Charat Thongprayoon, M.D., a Mayo Clinic nephrologist and the study's corresponding author. During pregnancy, ureteral compression, and ureteral relaxation due to elevated progesterone hormone can cause urinary stasis in the body. In addition, increased urine calcium excretion and elevated urine pH during pregnancy can lead to calcium phosphate stone formation.

Awareness of a higher risk of kidney stones during pregnancy and the postpartum period can help health care providers offer diagnostic and preventive strategies for women.

"Urinary obstruction due to kidney stones can cause pain that some patients describe as the worst pain they have ever experienced," says Dr. Thongprayoon. "During pregnancy, a kidney stone may contribute to serious complication, and the results of this study indicate that prenatal counseling regarding kidney stones may be warranted, especially for women with other risk factors for kidney stones, such as obesity."

General dietary recommendations for preventing kidney stone disease include high fluid intake and a low-salt diet. Mayo Clinic experts also recommend appropriate calcium intake during pregnancy of at least 1,000 milligrams per day, preferably from dietary sources such as dairy products rather than calcium supplements.

The research examined data from the Rochester Epidemiology Project, a collaboration of clinics, hospitals and other health care facilities in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and community members who have agreed to share their health records for research. This project enables vital research that can find causes, treatments, and cures for disease. It is supported by the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Public Health Service, and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.

The study also was supported by the Mayo Clinic O'Brien Urology Research Center with grants from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The authors declare no relevant financial interests.

###

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news. For information on COVID-19, including Mayo Clinic’s Coronavirus Map tracking tool, which has 14-day forecasting on COVID-19 trends, visit the Mayo Clinic COVID-19 Resource Center.

Media contact:

• Kelley Luckstein, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo study finds that pregnancy increases risk for women to develop first-time symptomatic kidney stones appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Drinking more water will help women avoid urinary tract infections(UTIs), according to generations of women and now a study in JAMA. Women who added 1.5 liters of water each day to their regular intake of fluids were less likely to get another UTI, than women who drank less than that amount.

“It's estimated 50 percent of UTIs can be treated by drinking a significant amount of fluid alone," says Felecia Fick, a Mayo Clinic urogynecology physician assistant who was not involved in the study. "The extra you're drinking is flushing out the bacteria that are present in the urinary tract."

She adds any type of fluid is fine, but sometimes the more acidic, the better. "There are mixed studies on the benefits of cranberry juice, but Mayo Clinic does recommend trying cranberry juice, cranberry extract, or cranberry pills, as well as water," says Fick.

A UTI is an infection in any part of your urinary system — your kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Most infections involve the lower urinary tract — the bladder and urethra. Women are at greater risk of developing a UTI than are men due to their shorter urethras, and serious consequences can occur if a UTI spreads to your kidneys.

"If a woman has fever, chills, flank pain, kidney stone history, she should also drink a lot of fluid but it is imperative she see a health care provider immediately for a urine culture,” says Ms. Fick. She adds because there could be a kidney infection which is much more serious than an uncomplicated UTI.

Symptoms

UTIs don't always cause signs and symptoms, but, when they do, they may include:

• A strong, persistent urge to urinate
• A burning sensation when urinating
• Passing frequent, small amounts of urine
• Urine that appears cloudy
• Urine that appears red, bright pink or cola-colored — a sign of blood in the urine
• Strong-smelling urine
• Pelvic pain, in women — especially in the center of the pelvis and around the area of the pubic bone

Prevention

You can take these steps to reduce your risk of UTIs:

• Drink plenty of liquids, especially water.
  Drinking water helps dilute your urine and ensures that you'll urinate more frequently — allowing bacteria to be flushed from your urinary tract before an infection can begin.
• Drink cranberry juice.
  Although studies are not conclusive that cranberry juice prevents UTIs, it is likely not harmful.
• Wipe from front to back.
  Doing so after urinating and after a bowel movement helps prevent bacteria in the anal region from spreading to the vagina and urethra.
• Empty your bladder soon after intercourse.
  Also, drink a full glass of water to help flush bacteria.
• Avoid potentially irritating feminine products.
  Using deodorant sprays or other feminine products, such as douches and powders, in the genital area can irritate the urethra.
• Change your birth control method.
  Diaphragms, or unlubricated or spermicide-treated condoms, can all contribute to bacterial growth.

Complications

When treated promptly and properly, lower UTIs rarely lead to complications. But left untreated, a UTI can have serious consequences.

Complications of a UTI may include:

• Recurrent infections, especially in women who experience three or more UTIs in a six-month period or four or more within a year
• Permanent kidney damage from an acute or chronic kidney infection (pyelonephritis) due to an untreated UTI
• Increased risk in pregnant women of delivering low birth weight or premature infants
• Urethral narrowing (stricture) in men from recurrent urethritis, previously seen with gonococcal urethritis
• Sepsis, a potentially life-threatening complication of an infection, especially if the infection works its way up your urinary tract to your kidneys

The post Can drinking more water help women fight urinary track infections? appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ANSWER: Blood in the urine — hematuria — can be alarming. Although some causes of hematuria can be serious, others are fairly harmless and may clear up with little or no treatment. Either way, it definitely should be evaluated by a health care provider.

Blood in the urine that’s clearly visible is called gross hematuria. Blood in the urine that isn’t clearly visible is called microscopic hematuria. With gross hematuria, urine may be red or pink, or similar in color to cola, tea or rust. Gross hematuria often occurs without other symptoms. It takes little blood to discolor urine, so you’re probably not losing as much blood as it may appear. However, heavier bleeding that involves passing blood clots is an urgent issue that can be painful and puts you at risk of having a blocked bladder outlet and inability to pass urine.

The first step is to determine if the discoloration is blood. Urine can become discolored in other ways, such as by blood proteins (hemoglobin or myoglobin); from eating beets; or taking certain medications, including some used to treat urinary tract infections. Occasionally, vaginal bleeding can be mistaken for hematuria and vice versa. Hematuria in older adults nearly always indicates the need for an evaluation to determine the cause of bleeding.

To determine what is causing the hematuria, your health care provider may first order a urine test to determine if bleeding is caused by a urinary tract or kidney infection. Symptoms of an infection may include a frequent urge to urinate, burning with urination, and abdominal pain or pressure. More severe symptoms, such as a fever, chills, and back or side pain, may indicate a kidney infection. Even if you don’t have symptoms, urine tests are almost always performed to check for an infection.

Urine tests and tests on the blood in the urine often can indicate if bleeding is coming from within the kidneys, which could indicate kidney disease or kidney cysts. A family or personal health history that includes a kidney disease or urinary stones can provide important clues.

The risk of hematuria being an indicator of cancer somewhere in the urinary tract increases after age 40. And, in most cases, it’s the first symptom. If suspected, testing for cancer may include looking for kidney, bladder, prostate or other potential cancers. A history of smoking, working with chemicals or dyes, radiation to the pelvic area, and other factors heighten the risk of urinary tract cancer.

In addition to infection, kidney disease and cancer as possible causes of hematuria, there’s a long list of other possibilities, with some being more common than others. Possible causes that are temporary and generally not worrisome, or are easily addressed, include strenuous exercise (particularly running), a blow to the kidney area, or various medications, such as the cancer drug cyclophosphamide or anticlotting drugs ranging from aspirin to warfarin (Coumadin) to clopidogrel (Plavix).

Other possible causes may include an enlarged prostate, kidney or bladder stones, or a number of inherited kidney diseases, such as polycystic kidney disease or Alport syndrome. For those of African descent, sickle cell anemia can be a cause.

It’s fairly common for no cause of hematuria to be found. For older adults with hematuria of undetermined cause, follow-up testing usually is recommended. One goal is to determine if the hematuria was temporary, persistent or intermittent. Another goal may be to remain watchful — or take an additional diagnostic look — for cancer or another disease that wasn’t previously detected. (adapted from Mayo Clinic Health Letter) — Dr. Mitchell Humphreys, Urology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix

The post Mayo Clinic Q and A: Blood in urine should not be ignored appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC:

ANSWER: Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, usually happen when bacteria get into the urinary tract through the urethra and begin to multiply in the bladder. In children, the most common causes of UTIs are constipation, incomplete bladder emptying and holding urine. You and your child can take several steps that may decrease the likelihood of recurrent UTIs.

A UTI is an infection in any part of the urinary system — the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra (the tube that carries urine from your bladder out of your body). Most infections involve the lower urinary tract — the bladder and the urethra. UTIs in children typically include symptoms such as a strong, persistent urge to urinate; a burning or painful sensation when urinating; or passing frequent, small amounts of urine.

In some cases, a UTI may lead to pelvic pain. Some children also may develop a fever. Although uncommon, the presence of a fever, back pain or vomiting may signal a more serious infection that could be affecting the kidneys. If your child has these symptoms, see his or her primary care provider for an evaluation right away. A referral should be made to see a pediatric urologist if your child has had a UTI accompanied by a fever.

Constipation is a frequent cause of UTIs in children. If stool fills up the rectum and colon, it can place pressure on, or even obstruct, the bladder, so the bladder cannot empty completely. The urine left in the bladder can be the perfect place for the growth of bacteria that may cause infection.

If your child has constipation, it’s important to treat it promptly. In most cases, children should have at least one soft bowel movement a day. If that’s not happening, talk to your child’s health care provider. Treatment for constipation ranges from self-care steps — such as eating more high-fiber foods, being more physically active and drinking more fluids (especially water) — to medication, such as stool softeners, fiber supplements and laxatives.

Children also may develop a UTI if they hold urine in for long periods of time, or if they don’t relax their pelvic floor muscles completely when they urinate. Encourage your child to use the bathroom regularly — about every two hours during the daytime. Make sure your child isn’t rushing when using the bathroom, but instead takes time to empty the bladder completely. Teach girls to wipe carefully from front to back after going to the bathroom.

The benefits of cranberry in helping to prevent and treat UTIs are often highlighted. But no solid evidence shows that it’s effective for children with recurrent UTIs. If you want to learn more, talk to your child’s health care provider.

Probiotics also have been publicized as being able to help to prevent UTIs. Found in food such as yogurt, these microorganisms are a type of “good” bacteria that may help with digestion and protect the body from harmful bacteria. Their overall benefit in children with UTIs is debatable. If you want to learn more, talk to your child’s health care provider.

It is possible that an anatomic abnormality or problems with a child’s immune system can lead to recurrent UTIs without fevers, but both of these situations are rare.

If your child continues to have UTIs despite taking measures at home and in conjunction with your child’s health care provider to help prevent them, make a follow-up appointment to see your child’s health care provider. By reviewing the child’s symptoms and medical history, as well as doing a physical exam, your provider may be able to shed light on the underlying cause of recurrent UTIs, and determine if a referral to a subspecialist is necessary. — Dr. Candace Granberg, Urology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

The post Mayo Clinic Q and A: Urinary tract infections in children appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

In this Mayo Clinic Minute, reporter Vivien Williams talks to Dr. Summer Allen about the best ways to treat UTIs.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (0:57) is in the downloads. Read the script.

The post Mayo Clinic Minute: Tackling urinary tract infections appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ANSWER: Urinary tract infections, often called UTIs, are usually thought of as an adult problem. Although they aren’t particularly common in children, kids can get UTIs, too. There are some steps you can take to help prevent UTIs in your daughter. Most of the time, having one or two UTIs as a child doesn’t raise the risk for having more in the future.

A UTI is an infection in any part of the urinary system — the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Most infections involve the lower urinary tract — the bladder and the urethra. (That’s the tube that carries urine from your bladder out of your body.) During the first year of life, boys get UTIs more often than girls. Beyond the first year, UTIs are more common in girls.

UTIs typically develop when bacteria get into the urinary tract through the urethra and begin to multiply in the bladder. That can happen as a result of not wiping properly after a child goes to the bathroom. Holding urine for prolonged periods or constipation can also increase the risk of UTIs. In a 3-year-old child, toilet training can make it more likely that these issues will occur.

UTIs in this age group typically present with symptoms that may include a strong, persistent urge to urinate; a burning or painful sensation when urinating; passing frequent, small amounts of urine; or cloudy, red, pink or strong-smelling urine. Young children may not be able to pinpoint or articulate their symptoms, but they usually can tell that it hurts when they go to the bathroom. If a child has been successfully toilet trained, and then starts to have frequent accidents, that could also signal the presence of a UTI.

In some cases, a UTI may lead to pelvic pain, especially in the center of the pelvis and around the area of the pubic bone. Some children also may develop a fever with a UTI. Although uncommon, the presence of a fever, back pain or vomiting may signal a more serious infection that is affecting the kidneys and the bladder.

Treatment for UTIs in children usually involves taking an antibiotic medication. Symptoms often go away within several days of treatment, but to ensure that the infection is completely eliminated, it’s important to give your child the full course of antibiotics, as prescribed.

Among children who have a UTI, about one-third will get another infection later in life. Only about 10 percent will get a third infection. Especially when UTIs are severe or when they keep happening, your child’s doctor may order an ultrasound or other imaging tests to see if any anatomic abnormalities could be increasing his or her risk of developing UTIs.

To help prevent future UTIs, encourage your daughter to wipe from front to back after using the bathroom. Doing so after urinating and after a bowel movement helps prevent bacteria in the anal region from spreading to the vagina and urethra. Also, remind her to go to the bathroom regularly — about once every two to three hours — so she is not holding in urine for long periods of time. If she has constipation, make sure to treat it aggressively with dietary changes and, if necessary, medication. — Dr. Brian Lynch, Community Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

The post Mayo Clinic Q and A: Although Uncommon, Kids Can Get UTIs, Too appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

In this Mayo Clinic Minute, reporter Vivien Williams talks to a Mayo Clinic expert about what to do if you suspect you have a urinary tract infection.

Watch the Mayo Clinic Minute.

Journalists: Video (:57) is available in the downloads. Read the script.

The post Mayo Clinic Minute: Treating Urinary Tract Infections appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Here's the Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

The post Children’s Bone Health/UTI in Kids/Latest Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines: Mayo Clinic Radio appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.