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What is a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)?
How do you know if someone has a urinary tract infection, what are UTIs, UTI symptoms and what can you do about it?
A UTI is an infection affecting a person’s urinary tract. The urinary tract is the bladder (cystitis), kidneys (kidney infection) or the tubes that connect them and carry urine out of the body.
There are two types of UTIs:
- Bladder and/or urethra (tube that carries urine out of the body) infections (urethritis) are known as lower UTIs.
- Kidney and/or ureter (tubes connecting kidneys to the bladder) infections which are known as upper UTIs.
What are UTI symptoms?
How do you know if someone has a urinary tract infection?
UTI symptoms can include:
- Pain or burning when urinating.
- An urge to urinate suddenly or more often than normal.
- Smelly or cloudy urine.
- Blood in your urine.
- Loss of bladder control.
- A low temperature below 36C.
- Lower stomach pain.
- Shivering.
- Sepsis
What are secondary UTI symptoms?
As a UTI progresses, secondary UTI symptoms can include:
- Fever.
- Pain in the lower back where your kidneys are located.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Fatigue.
When does a UTI turn into sepsis?
Sepsis occurs when your body has a life-threatening response to an infection.
If a UTI is not recognized and treated, or if antibiotics are not effective, you can develop sepsis.
Who can get a UTI?
Anyone can get a urinary tract infection. UTIs are particularly common amongst older people.
UTIs are more common in women because women have a shorter urethra than men. (A woman’s urethral opening is nearer to their vagina and anus this means bacteria is more likely to infect the bladder or kidneys).
UTI symptoms for older people
For older or frail people, symptoms of a urinary tract infection can include:
- Wetting themselves (incontinence) more than usual.
- Shivering or shaking.
- Sudden unexplained change in behaviour e.g. increased agitation, withdrawal, mental confusion.
– Delirium is a sudden change in the brain’s ability to function. It can appear suddenly over a few hours or days.
Delirium can cause someone to become extremely confused, emotional, have speech problems or even to lose control of some of their muscles. It is a temporary condition but can be severe when it is experienced. Delirium is not to be mistaken for symptoms of dementia.
What causes a UTI?
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are typically caused by bacteria from faeces which has entered the urinary tract.
The bacteria enters through the urethra which is a tube which takes urine out of the body.
- Using a urinary catheter – It is common for older people to have bacteria in their urine because their flow of urine is weaker making it harder for them to empty their bladder fully. Using a urinary catheter (a tube put in the bladder that can empty urine into a bag) can assist the draining of urine out of the body. However, it can also result in bacteria in a person’s urine which can result in a UTI.
- Not drinking enough liquids.
- Kidney stones can block the urinary tract.
- A weakened immune system, e.g. a diabetic person or someone having chemotherapy.
- Poor hygiene including not keeping genital area clean.
- Having sex.
- Pregnancy.
How to prevent UTIs
- Good toilet habits: Wiping a person’s bottom from front to back (instead of back to front) can stop bacteria from the bowel and vagina from potentially entering the urethral opening to the bladder.
- Good hygiene can lessen the risk of a person getting the infection, in particular keeping the genital area clean and dry.
- Drink plenty of fluids, particularly water.
- Promptly change soiled incontinence pads.
UTI treatments
A urinary tract infection can be treated and go away.
At home, you could ease UTI symptoms by taking paracetamol to reduce pain and drinking enough fluids, particularly water.
It is important to see a GP or call 111 if you or someone you care for:
- has blood in their urine.
- has pain in the lower back or sides of abdomen.
- has a high temperature.
- has a low temperature below 36C.
- is shivering.
This is because the person may have a kidney infection which requires urgent treatment.
A doctor can confirm a UTI diagnosis by testing a urine sample.
The doctor may treat a UTI by prescribing antibiotics.
It is important to finish all medication prescribed, even if the symptoms improve, to ensure the infection is completely gone.
An infection can cause inflammation in a person’s body which can worsen a person’s dementia symptoms. An infection can quicken the progress of dementia, so it is important to seek medical help.
If you suspect someone has delirium, the NHS recommends you seek medical help.
What if a UTI keeps returning after treatment?
A GP may prescribe a different antibiotic, prescribe a vaginal cream containing oestrogen, (if an individual has gone through the menopause) or refer the individual to a specialist for further tests.
A person can have a long-term UTI that is not picked up by urine tests. Long-term UTIs are linked to a greater risk of bladder cancer in older people (aged 60+).
A GP can arrange for a referral to a specialist for more tests and treatments.
