When you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go. But if it happens frequently and burns, we could be looking at something different - a Urinary Tract Infection.
If you’ve ever experienced UTI, as it is commonly referred to, you’ll know it can be not just painful but also an inconvenience for the patient. The constant trips to the bathroom can tamper with your daily activities.
We may think that an infection of the urinary tract is exclusive to only women but it happens to men too. UTIs are, however, 14 times more common in women than men due to the fact that the urethra is shorter in women. Contamination of the urethra from the vagina and rectum is, therefore, easier in women.
Although UTIs are less common in men, the incidents are typically more complicated as they could be related to prostate enlargement, kidney stones, diabetes, faecal incontinence, long stretches of immobility, and other conditions.
If you’re consuming a large amount of water throughout the day or when the weather is chilly, it could result in frequent trips to the bathroom. However, if they're accompanied by the following symptoms, it's likely a urinary tract infection.
Most cases and causes for urinary tract infections are not serious. They occur when bacteria enter the body through the urinary tract and begin to multiply in the bladder.
This causes the infection and although the urinary system is naturally designed to keep bacteria from causing these infections, they sometimes fail due to a wide variety of reasons.
And these are the reasons we need to nip the problem in the bud.
The most common causes for UTIs are:
The first thing you should do when experiencing UTI is to consult your doctor. If your frequent trips to the bathroom are stopping you from visiting the clinic, Speedoc is ready to help you with our video consultation and medicine delivery services.
Depending on the seriousness of the infection, your doctor may prescribe you antibiotics and advise you to schedule an appointment for further tests or evaluation if required.
Naturally, if you get better after the round of antibiotics, you're good to go!
Antibiotics are often prescribed as a treatment for urinary tract infection but they can cause some side effects like rashes, dizziness, nausea, diarrhoea, or yeast infection. If the infection can be linked or traced to sexually transmittable diseases, you may need to perform further tests to determine the real cause of the illness to find the best treatment for it.
Although usually easily dealt with, the primary concern for people who experience UTI is when it is associated with other untreated infections that could have spread from the bladder to other neighbouring organs.
One example would be when the bacteria cause infection in either one or both the kidneys and hampering their function. In people who already have issues with their kidneys, this could be a problem.
There is also a tiny chance of the infection entering the bloodstream and spreading to other organs.
The fastest way to get rid of UTI symptoms is to talk to your doctor and get a prescription for antibiotics. There are, however, steps you can take to reduce the risk of future infections.
Consulting your doctor is the fastest way to arrest underlying causes of urinary tract infections. Our trained doctors can provide you with the answers you’re looking for and arrange for medication to be delivered right to your doorstep.
Give us a call at +65 6909 7799, email us at clinic.sg@speedoc.com, or download the Speedoc app to get connected to a doctor online today!