Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the more common infections people struggle with, resulting in more than 8.1 million physician visits each year.

Jane Yun, MD, an OBGYN at Loma Linda University Health, says UTIs are caused by bacteria traveling up the urethra — the tube passing urine out of the body — and into the bladder. Some common symptoms include discomfort or burning while urinating, the frequent need to urinate or feeling like urinating even when the bladder is empty, and change in the color or odor of the urine.

If you’re experiencing these symptoms often or have received several diagnoses of a UTI, Yun says these may be four reasons why:

You are a woman.

Yun says women are more prone to developing urinary tract infections than men due to having a shorter urethra and shorter distance between the opening of the urethra and the vagina and rectum. This shorter distance promotes the colonization of vaginal and gastrointestinal bacteria at the end of the female urethra, which is normal. But sexual activity, for example, promotes the movement of the bacteria up the urethra and into the bladder to cause UTIs, she says.

You are over washing.

Getting a UTI does not mean a person has a hygiene issue. In fact, according to Yun, over-washing the vaginal area with harsh or heavily fragranced soaps or using methods such as douching can throw off the balance of normal vaginal flora, which allows the overgrowth of bacteria that can cause UTIs and increases the risks of vaginal irritation and infections. “We don’t recommend douching,” Yun says.

You are going through menopause.

Yun says menopause is a low-estrogen state causing thinning of the vaginal tissue and an increase in the pH of the vagina. “This promotes a change in the flora which can increase the risk of getting UTIs,” she says. Also, the menopausal state is often associated with incontinence — accidental leaking of urine — and incomplete emptying of the bladder, both of which can promote UTIs. “Vaginal estrogen has been shown to be helpful for this,” Yun says.

You have certain medical conditions.

There are multiple conditions that can predispose a person to developing UTIs such as diabetes, pregnancy, obesity, pelvic organ prolapse, sickle cell trait, spinal cord injuries or any condition that requires self-catheterization to empty the bladder, urinary tract anomalies and kidney stones, Yun says.

To avoid getting a UTI, Yun initially recommends behavioral changes such as increasing water intake, considering new contraception options, urinating after sexual activity, wiping from front to back when using the bathroom and taking a cranberry supplement.

If you are already experiencing symptoms of a UTI, Yun says to make an appointment with your doctor. “It’s important to prevent the infection from spreading throughout the urinary tract with antibiotics, which will cure an ongoing and active infection.”

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The medical experts of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh have warned that ignoring the kidney stone pain can damage other parts of the body, which can be life threatening. They point out that one of the most commonly ignored ailments in people is renal stone disease (nephrolithiasis).

The Head, Department of Urology, Dr Ankur Mittal said that renal stones affect all ages from infancy to the elderly population and they are formed due to the super saturation of the urine with substances such as calcium, uric acid, cystine and oxalate. “In the initial phase these substances form crystals and around them there is further deposition and eventually a kidney stone is formed. Stones can either pass through the urinary passage and be extruded in the urine or lie asymptomatically in the kidney. It is when they get obstructed in any part of the kidney or urinary tract that symptoms develop,’’ he said.

The symptoms of renal stone disease include fluctuating and excruciating pain in the abdomen, groin and flank region that can lead to urinary tract infection with fever and chills, burning micturition and even passage of blood in urine. “An expert should be immediately contacted in case of excessive unbearable pain in the flank or in the groin,’’ the doctor suggested.

Dr Mittal said that one should drink more fluids to produce at least two litres of urine per day and various dietary modifications are advised in the form of a salt restricted diet, cutting back on the consumption of meat with avoidance of caffeinated drinks, nuts, foods that contain fructose corn syrup to combat the disease.

The Director of AIIMS Rishikesh Ravikant said that soon an ‘Advanced Urology Centre’ which is in its final stage of completion would start functioning in the institute. The centre would have a world class ‘Dornier lithotripsy machine’, and a radiology suite for urological interventions, he added.

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