The Chronic Form of UTI
In case of chronic UTI, the bladder and the urethra are repeatedly and long-term infected by bacteria. The majority of these infections begins in the bladder and urethra and produce cystitis by the inflammation of the usually sterile lower urinary tract.
Cystitis is very frequent and may be treated very quickly - one or two days are necessary for the treatment to eliminate the symptoms. In case of a chronic infection, there are at least two cystitis in six months or UTI that persist longer than 14 days.
In case of young girls repeated infections of the urinary tract should be examined by a doctor. In boys, these infections are unusual and even one is a reason to worry because a urinary tract problem or anomaly is possible.
Old people often present UTI and risk more than one category of cystitis combined to other affections (benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostates or strictures of the urethra.)
Cystitis is also frequent in absence of a sufficient quantity of fluids, in case of bowel incontinence, sedentary life. Foley catheter and placement in a nursing institution.
The symptoms of cystitis are characteristic, when:
- - The lower pelvis is pressured
- - Pain appears in the release of urine process
- - Frequency of urination increases
- - Urinating becomes often and emergency
- - The urine has a strange color
- - The urine is accompanied by a small amount of blood
Untypical symptoms are:
- - Mental confusion
- - Fever
- - Tiredness
- - Nausea and vomiting
- - Chills
An UTI is chronic or recurrent, when:
- - During six months, over 2 infections appear
- - An infection's symptoms are more persistent then 14 days
- - Symptoms resist the treatment for more than 2 days
In order to obtain a proper diagnosis, there are 3 tests:
- 1) Urinalysis, which shows the urine's content of leucocytes or red blood cells, but also bacteria
- 2) A culture of urine may show bacteria in the urine. In case it is positive over 2 weeks, shows chronic or recurrent UTI
- 3) Abdominal x-ray or ultrasounds are needed to see whether the status of the renal system is normal.
Even if there are cases in which cystitis can be defeated by the organism only, without treatment, medication is recommended to prevent the infection to touch the kidneys and provoke complicated UTI. Emergency help should be provided to old people with cystitis.
Proper medications:
The use of antibiotics against UTI is very common and frequent. But the person must finish the begun treatment at all costs. The mostly used medicines are:
- - Sulfonamides
- - Nitrofurantoin
- - Amoxicillin
- - Trimethoprim - Sulfamethoxazole
- - Cephalosporines
- - Fluoroquinalones
- - Doxycycline
Antibiotics reduce the infection and prevent a possible pyelonephritis. In case of chronic or recurrent UTI, they may be prescribed for two years or replaced by stronger ones. After the elimination of acute signs, the doses will be decreased. Pyridium reduces symptoms of cystitis, while the ascorbic acid diminishes the bacterial concentration inside the urine.
Tests performed after the infection has disappeared - In some cases, even after the infection was eradicated, possible abnormal things in the urinary tract should be identified by a series of tests, in order to discover in time a potential affection of the kidneys.
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Women and Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections - Three or more urinary tract infections increase the risk of developing others. For the women affected by this recurrence, more than one method of treatment are available
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