Urine is a liquid by-product of metabolism in humans and in many animals. Urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the urinary bladder. Urination results in urine being excreted from the body through the urethra. Magnification: 0.5x Magnification: 10x Magnification:12.5 Disease: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that affects any part of the urinary tract, including the kidneys, ureters, bladder or urethra. Bacteria from the bowel are the most common cause of UTIs, but fungi and viruses can also cause infection. Facts on urinary tract infections: Here are some key points about urinary tract infection. More detail and supporting information is in the main article. Women have a lifetime risk of over 50 percent of developing a urinary tract infection (UTI). Common symptoms include a strong, frequent urge to urinate and a painful and burning sensation when urinating. A UTI is usually diagnosed based on symptoms and testing of a urine sample. UTIs can be cured with 2 to 3 days of treatment. Cranberry extracts do not treat UTIs but may help reduce the risk of recurrent UTI. Common symptoms of a UTI include: strong and frequent urge to urinate. cloudy, bloody, or strong-smelling urine. pain or a burning sensation when urinating. nausea and vomiting. muscle aches and abdominal pains. Common signs: 1. Dysuria (painful urination) Experiencing stinging pain, discomfort or a sharp, burning sensation whilst you’re urinating. 2. Frequent urination When you’ve gotta go, you gotta go, you’ll feel the frequent need to urinate, even if you only produce a small amount of urine. 3. Urinary urgency This is when you feel an overwhelming need to urinate immediately – as in now. 4. Lower abdominal tenderness and lower back pain If you’re feeling sensitive around your abdominal region, chances are you could be suffering from cystitis. Pressure on your pelvis, particularly around the pubic bone, can cause some serious discomfort, especially when coupled with frequent, painful urination. 5. Blood in urine From light-pink to dark-red or cola-coloured with clots, haematuria – or blood in the urine – is a huge tip-off that you have a bladder infection. 6. Strong-smelling urine If your urine has a strong ammonia smell, gives off a slightly sweet scent or the stench is outright unpleasant, it’s your body’s unsubtle way of alerting you to a possible UTI. 7. Cloudy urine Under normal circumstances, urine is clear and has a light-yellow colour. But when you have an infection anywhere in the urinary tract, it can cause pus (containing dead skin cells, bacteria and white blood cells) to appear in your urine, giving it a cloudy or murky appearance. Causes The vast majority of urinary tract infections (UTIs) are caused by the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli), usually found in the digestive system. Chlamydia and mycoplasma bacteria can infect the urethra but not the bladder. UTIs are given different names depending on where they occur. For example: A bladder infection is called cystitis. A urethra infection is called urethritis. A kidney infection is called pyelonephritis. The ureters are very rarely the site of infection. Treatment Antibiotics usually are the first line treatment for urinary tract infections. Which drugs are prescribed and for how long depend on your health condition and the type of bacteria found in your urine. Simple infection Drugs commonly recommended for simple UTIs include: Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra, others) Fosfomycin (Monurol) Nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin, Macrobid) Cephalexin (Keflex) Ceftriaxone Frequent infections If you have frequent UTIs, your doctor may make certain treatment recommendations, such as: Low-dose antibiotics, initially for six months but sometimes longer Self-diagnosis and treatment, if you stay in touch with your doctor A single dose of antibiotic after sexual intercourse if your infections are related to sexual activity Vaginal estrogen therapy if you're postmenopausal Severe infection For a severe UTI, you may need treatment with intravenous antibiotics in a hospital. Lifestyle and home remedies Urinary tract infections can be painful, but you can take steps to ease your discomfort until antibiotics treat the infection. Follow these tips: Drink plenty of water. Water helps to dilute your urine and flush out bacteria. Avoid drinks that may irritate your bladder. Avoid coffee, alcohol, and soft drinks containing citrus juices or caffeine until your infection has cleared. They can irritate your bladder and tend to aggravate your frequent or urgent need to urinate. Use a heating pad. Apply a warm, but not hot, heating pad to your abdomen to minimize bladder pressure or discomfort. Alternative medicine Many people drink cranberry juice to prevent UTIs. There's some indication that cranberry products, in either juice or tablet form, may have infection-fighting properties. Researchers continue to study the ability of cranberry juice to prevent UTIs, but results are not conclusive. Disease: Bladder cancer The bladder is a hollow organ in your lower abdomen that stores urine. Bladder cancer occurs in the lining of the bladder. It is the sixth most c ommon type of cancer in the United States. Symptoms include: Blood in your urine A frequent urge to urinate Pain when you urinate Low back pain Risk factors for developing bladder cancer include smoking and exposure to certain chemicals in the workplace. People with a family history of bladder cancer or who are older, white, or male have a higher risk. Treatments for bladder cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and biologic therapy. Biologic therapy boosts your body's own ability to fight cancer. Disease: Urinary incontinence (UI) - loss of bladder control. Symptoms can range from mild leaking to uncontrollable wetting. It can happen to anyone, but it becomes more common with age. Women experience UI twice as often as men. Most bladder control problems happen when muscles are too weak or too active. If the muscles that keep your bladder closed are weak, you may have accidents when you sneeze, laugh or lift a heavy object. This is stress incontinence. If bladder muscles become too active, you may feel a strong urge to go to the bathroom when you have little urine in your bladder. This is urge incontinence or overactive bladder. There are other causes of incontinence, such as prostate problems and nerve damage. Treatment depends on the type of problem you have and what best fits your lifestyle. It may include simple exercises, medicines, special devices or procedures prescribed by your doctor, or surgery. Disease: Overactive bladder - is a condition in which the bladder squeezes urine out at the wrong time. You may have overactive bladder if you have two or more of these symptoms: You urinate eight or more times a day or two or more times at night You have the sudden, strong need to urinate immediately You leak urine after a sudden, strong urge to urinate You also may have incontinence, a loss of bladder control. Nerve problems, too much fluid, or too much caffeine can cause it. Often the cause is unknown. Your doctor may prescribe a medicine that can calm muscles and nerves. The medicine may come as a pill, a liquid, or a patch. The medicines can cause your eyes to become dry. They can also cause dry mouth and constipation. To deal with these effects, use eye drops to keep your eyes moist, chew sugarless gum or suck on sugarless hard candy if dry mouth bothers you, and take small sips of water throughout the day. Disease: Urethral Disorder - The urethra is the tube that allows urine to pass out of the body. In men, it's a long tube that runs through the penis. It also carries semen in men. In women, it's short and is just above the vagina. Urethral problems may happen due to aging, illness, or injury. They include: Urethral cancer - a rare cancer that happens more often in men Urethral stricture - a narrowing of the opening of the urethra Urethritis - inflammation of the urethra, sometimes caused by infection Urethral problems may cause pain or difficulty passing urine. You may also have bleeding or discharge from the urethra. Doctors diagnose urethral problems using different tests. These include urine tests, xrays and an examination of the urethra with a scope called a cystoscope. Treatment depends on the cause of the problem. It may include medicines and, in severe cases, surgery.