Urinary Tract Infections in Adolescents and Adults

Our urinary tract is made up of kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. A urinary tract infection (UTI) is a type of microbial attack on any one of the organs comprising the urinary tract. The main function of the urinary system is to flush unwanted waste out from the body, in the form of urine. Urine normally does not flush out bacteria from the body and when these bacteria get into the bladder or kidney, they multiply ten-folds and cause serious tract infections. 

Most commonly, UTI affects the lower urinary tract, that consists of the bladder and urethra, but they can be treated quickly and easily. UTIs that affect the upper urinary tract, consisting of kidneys and ureters, are rare and difficult to treat due to their severity. UTI causes severe discomfort and pain, hence it is important to get a prompt treatment to avoid further spread of the infection to the kidneys, which can ultimately prove to be fatal.

Common Symptoms of UTI

It is important to be aware of the basic symptoms of UTIs so that you can immediately start the treatment, as and when you encounter any one of its symptoms. When someone is infected with a lower tract UTI, the lining of the bladder and urethra starts turning red and you may also develop irritation and itching. The infected person may also feel an urge to urinate at frequent intervals. This is caused because the irritation in the bladder forces you to urinate even if you do not have much urine in your bladder. The texture of the urine also changes to a different colour which can be red or pink and also has a foul smell. The irritation in the bladder also causes pain in the lower abdomen pelvic area and lower back. 

Types of Urinary Tract Infections

UTI infections differ with their signs and symptoms depending upon the particular organ which is infected. The three different types of UTI are:

1. Infection of the bladder (Cystitis)

Symptoms

• Cramping and pain in the lower back and abdomen

• Blood in the urine

• Constant urge to urinate

• Painful urination

• Pelvic pain

2. Infection of the Urethra (Urethritis)

            Symptoms

• Burning sensation while urinating

• Discharge

3. Infection of the Kidneys (Acute Pyelonephritis)

Symptoms

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Shaking

• Chills

• Mental changes

• Upper back and side pain

• High fever

Causes of UTI in Adolescents and Adults

UTI is very commonly found in adolescents and adults. Also, girls and women are more prone to be infected with a UTI and they can develop serious UTI at more than three times the rate as compared to young boys and men. This is because girls and women have shorter urethras, so the germs and microbes can easily pass on from the bowel to the bladder. 

For adolescent girls and young women, who are menstruating, it is highly advised to change sanitary napkins and tampons frequently to avoid the risk of infection. They should also wipe from front to back with toilet paper after bowel movements. 

Another common reason for UTI in adolescents and adults, is an active sexual life. Thus, it is important to counsel adolescents about sexual activities and its consequences, to mitigate the risk of UTI. All adolescents with UTIs should be queried for sexual activity and should be checked for presence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Other factors responsible for contacting a UTI are use of spermicide and birth control medicines. 

How is UTI Diagnosed

In order to test for UTI, a urine sampling is conducted which is known as urinalysis. In some cases, the urine is also checked for the presence of bacteria through a urine culture. In young children an ultrasonography examination can also help with the detection of UTI. 

Treatment of UTI

In healthy adolescents and women, who are diagnosed with a bladder infection (Cystitis), the usual treatment includes a complete course of antibiotics. In men, the same antibiotics are used, provided there is no issue involving the prostate gland. 

If a urine culture has been performed and is negative for infection, other causes of pain, burning, and frequency should be investigated. In some cases, infection is caused by small amounts of bacteria that are not detected through a typical urine culture. Therefore, in some cases, even if the report is negative the doctor may prescribe you to take the complete course of antibiotics.

If there is severe pain and irritation in the bladder and urethra, one can also ask for numbness medication from the doctor. These medicines help to numb the bladder and urethra, to reduce the burning pain caused by UTIs. It is also recommended to drink more fluids while treating bladder infections to help flush bacteria from the bladder. 

Can UTIs prove to be fatal

While in most of the cases, it is possible to treat and cure UTI with proper treatment of antibiotics, but not if it gets “complicated”. There are several reasons for a UTI to get complicated and then it becomes difficult to cure it with regular antibiotics. 

1. Women with repeated cases of infections: Women who get UTI repeatedly over and over again might have to take a longer medication of about six months. They should also be cautious while switching birth controls and practice a habit of peeing right after having sex.

2. Permanent kidney damage: If you don't treat a UTI, it can damage your kidneys forever. An untreated UTI, could travel to the kidneys and cause sepsis. While your body is trying hard to fight sepsis, it causes respiratory issues, and other problems related to heart rate, white blood cells and body temperature. It can affect the way your kidneys function and lead to kidney scars and high blood pressure. Sometimes it can prove a fatal disease for the infected person.

3. UTI in pregnant women: UTIs are very commonly found in pregnant women. If not cured timely, they prove to be fatal for both mom and the baby. There are also chances of premature delivery, delivery with low birthweight, anemia and high blood pressure.

Can UTI be Prevented

There are several ways through which you can reduce the risk of a UTI. Natural remedies, hygienic bathroom habits, probiotics and urination before and after sex, are highly recommended to prevent yourself from contacting a UTI. Women who are in their menopause stage can also benefit from estrogen therapy in order to balance the vaginal bacteria.

Do’s and don’ts to follow during the pregnancy period

The duration of pregnancy is one of the most important periods in the life of a woman. The birth of a healthy child wholly becomes a big responsibility of a mother, so it is very important for her to create a good and healthy living environment in order to give birth to a child without any complications.

Following are all the do’s and don’ts for all the soon-to-be mothers, which they should follow for maintaining the health of both, herself as well as the baby she is carrying in her:-

Do’s:-

1. Have a balanced diet – Proper amount of nutrition is equally important for the optimum health of both mother as well as child. Have a balanced diet 3-4 times a day, with food items that are rich in folic acid, iron, vitamins, and omega-3 acids. Though, don’t eat in heavy quantities.

2. Travel safely – Apart from the later stages of pregnancy, when you should completely avoid traveling, you can travel in the early months (up to 28-30 weeks). If you are traveling by air, prefer the aisle seat for optimum movement, and if you are traveling by road, ensure to wear seat belts properly.

3. Do light exercise – There are some light exercises like yoga or walking, which will surely help you in keeping you active. This is a necessary practice that should be carried out in order to maintain the optimum flow of nutrients through blood.

4. Get enough sleep – While it is important to stay active during pregnancy, proper amount of rest and sleep is required. You should aim for sleep hours extending from seven to nine hours at least, in order to keep brain cells active and not under stress.

5. Have multivitamins – While having a balanced diet during pregnancy is a must-to-do thing, it alone might not prove sufficient for your vitamin intake. Overconsumption of a balanced diet can lead to obesity and improper weight of the fetus. Post consultation with your doctor, do take multivitamin pills that are rich in folic acid, calcium, and iron.

6. Monitor your calorie intake – This is why having a balanced diet is very essential. Eating less than required might lead to malnutrition while eating more than required can lead to obesity. Thus, maintaining a perfect balance of calorie intake is very important for giving birth to a healthy child without compromising your personal health.

Don’ts:-

1. Avoid toxic items – Things like smoking and consumption of alcohol and tobacco are not only harmful for mother, but eventually for the child inside her. This might lead to birth problems for the child.

2. Avoid exposure to items with strong odor and after-effects – Things like pesticides, solvents, and nail paint removers, which usually have a high content of lead and mercury are quite harmful. Breathing in the smell of such items can lead to improper growth of nervous system of the baby.

3. Avoid taking medicines without a prescription – All the medicines or supplements which you might have been taking in your regular cycle now need to be taken with proper consultation from a doctor. Some of the medicines which you are taking might have adverse after-effects on the baby, and that is why proper prescription and guidance are needed in that direction.

4. Avoid doing home chores that require heavy physical work – Chores like climbing ladders, bending down for mopping or cleaning, lifting heavy weights can lead to internal injuries which will eventually lead to complications for the baby as well. Avoid doing such kinds of heavy physical works.

5. Avoid eating raw and unprocessed food – Consumption of food items like fish high in mercury, uncooked meat, soft cheese, and unpasteurized milk need to be avoided during pregnancy.

6. Avoid taking bath with hot water – During pregnancy, it is advisable to bath with cold or too lukewarm water, and no hot water. Bathing with hot water or taking steam or sauna bath can causes irregular temperature variations, thus harming the fetus from within.

7. Avoid taking X-Rays – Taking X-Rays to diagnose something improper in a particular organ of your body is a good idea, but not during pregnancy. The harmful radiations caused by X-Rays can deform the fetus inside your womb, leading to birth complications.

Tips for women to ensure a healthy pregnancy

The whole duration of nine months of pregnancy is very important as there are two lives at stake – one of the mother and the other of the child. Given how many complexities and carefulness the duration of pregnancy involves, it is required to take a lot of care and precautions in this period.

Following are some of the key steps which a soon-to-be mother should follow to ensure her proper health as well as better growth of the child inside her:-

1. Proper diet intake – In the duration of pregnancy, you are eating for two – one for yourself and one for the child within you. So, it is advisable to eat proper and healthy during this duration. Having foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like fish, and folate-rich items like cereals, lentils, fruits juices, and other fruits will enhance the development of the brain and blood cells in the baby.

2. Have plenty of water – To ensure an optimum supply of oxygen and the flow of nutrients through blood, it is advisable to increase the intake of water during pregnancy. Drinking 8-10 glasses of water in this duration not only avoids the possibilities of dehydration, but also other adversities like constipation, headaches, fatigue, and hemorrhoids.

3. Avoid consumption of toxic items – In addition, to maintain a careful intake of diet, it is also important to keep a note of what all things you need to avoid during pregnancy. The consumption of toxic items like alcohol and illicit drugs as well as smoking cigarettes, and the strong smell of items like caffeine, paint thinners, and nail polish removers decreases the flow of oxygen to the baby, thus leading to possible birth defects.

4. Practice mild exercises – In order to control stress, body weight, blood circulation, and sleep cycles, the activeness of your body is required in a controlled amount during pregnancy. Doing mild exercises like yoga and walking for 15-20 minutes a day without overdoing them will boost your mood and keep you active and alert all the times.

5. Avoid heavy chores – Some of your daily chores like lifting heavy weights, standing for long durations of time, and climbing on ladders can have adverse effects on the baby due to additional pressure required to do these tasks. Do the mild household chores which do not require heavy physical work or force, and that also only when needed too much.

6. Track your medicines and vitamins – All kinds of medicines do have one or more side effects, which can turn fatal or negative when it comes to pregnancy. Whatever medicines and supplements you do take in your regular daily cycle should be now taken only after proper consultation with your doctor. Also, the intake of prenatal vitamins can be taken in the required amount, as they help in the development of the brain and spinal cord of your baby at a suitable pace.

7. Monitor your weight gain – Gaining weight during pregnancy is a natural phenomenon that cannot be avoided, as you have to eat for yourself as well as the child growing inside you. So, it is very much required to keep track of your weight gain, which should neither fall under the category of underweight nor cross the borderline of obesity. Having a weight gain of 11.5-13.5 kg is recommended as the normal weight gain during pregnancy, depending on the body mass index range.

8. Stay clean and practice good hygiene – Given the current times of COVID-19, the human baby is susceptible to diseases and infections even more than ever before. In order to avoid adverse situations for your baby, it is advisable to practice social distancing and keep yourself clean all the time. Wash and sanitize your hands regularly, which will not only prevent you from COVID-19 infections but also birth-related diseases like chickenpox and Group B streptococcus.

9. Travel carefully – The early stages of pregnancy (till 28 weeks) is the preferred duration of traveling from one place to another, post to that will require utmost care and can lead to possibilities of miscarriage if not done carefully. Before traveling, consult with your doctor and take all the necessary precautions for the same. Prefer traveling by air, and during a flight, drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration and dizziness and prefer to be seated on the aisle seat for maximum possible movement.

10. Don’t avoid cravings every time – If you are craving for something to eat, make sure to have that, but in a limited quantity. However, make sure what you are eating isn’t unhealthy – in this duration, it is advisable to stay away from raw and uncooked food items (barring fruits).

Why is Laparoscopy the best pick for ovarian cyst removal?

An ovarian cyst is an abnormal outgrowth appearing around the female ovaries. It is generally detected as a pocket like structure with liquid or semi-solid material within. A thin layer or membrane separates the cyst from its surrounding tissues, making it appear like a blister or sac-like formation.

While cyst formation isn’t categorized as a significant painful disorder, however, it can cause aggravated pain leading to cancer development in worst cases. These cysts are mostly harmless and develop quite commonly during the pregnancy period of a female. In ideal conditions, they tend to die out within a few months without warranting an elaborate treatment.

Symptoms Associated with Ovarian Cyst

Ovarian cyst, though mostly harmless, can become a matter of concern in case they rupture. In such a scenario, the patient is advised to consult a doctor for detailed diagnosis.

While smaller cysts tend to heal on their own; however, if the cyst grows beyond a specific size, it can cause bloating issues along with irregular menstruation. Some patients even report various bowel and urinary problems that come associated with an ovarian cyst.

In medical terms, an ovarian cyst is broadly categorized into two types: functional and pathological formation. While functional ovarian cysts are mostly harmless and show up mainly as a part of female’s menstrual cycle, pathological cysts come under uncommon up-growth which can be a malignant even. Functional cyst formation is widespread and almost every female tends to develop functional cyst at least once in her lifetime.

Surgical Treatments

Although cysts tend to disappear with time, they may, at times soar up to cause severe complications. If the cyst tends to persist even after a couple of menstrual cycles with painful indications, patients can have the cyst surgically removed and lead a healthy lifestyle without any intensified complications.

Laparoscopic Surgical Treatment

There are mainly two types of surgical procedures that can offer marked up mitigation in case of painful cysts.

A.    Laparoscopic Surgery: Also known as keyhole surgery, the laparoscopic procedure is a highly beneficial procedure with minimally invasive attributes. With the least number of complications involved in the operation, the patients are allowed to go back home the same day in most cases.    

B.    Laparotomy Procedure: This process is usually employed to remove cancerous cyst formation near the delicate internal spots. The incision is much more prominent in this process, involving high-risk factors and longer recovery time.

Laparoscopic Procedure

The laparoscopic procedure is gaining heightened popularity in this era of medical advancements due to its minimally invasive nature and lesser associated complications.

During the surgical process, a small incision is made near the navel area of the patient to insert a laparoscopic tube. A laparoscope is a thin tube-like instrument with a camera module attached at the frontal end. It is mainly used to show a clear picture of the internal organs along with the target surgery site. Once the site is identified, the surgeons fill the abdomen area with carbon dioxide gas to improve the sight and make space for surgery. Few more incisions are made to insert surgical instruments into the body to permanently remove the cyst.

In case the cyst is found to be cancerous, the surgeon might also recommend removal of ovaries. Once the surgical process is done, the surgeon closes the incisions either through surgical staples or through stitches.

Benefits of a Laparoscopic Surgery

Laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy is highly preferred due to the added advantages associated with this surgery. The incisions made in this surgery are relatively smaller, allowing the patient to recover soon. The pain and discomfort involved post the surgery are for a comparatively lesser time. The risk of infection and other surgical complications are also nominal in the count. During the post-surgical period, patients may feel mild painful contractions for a day or two.

At Medipulse hospital, we have a team of highly experienced Gynecologists who address issues in female patients from adolescents to geriatric age group. Our surgeons of Laparoscopic surgery department conduct the best Gynec Laparoscopic surgery in Jodhpur endorsing a practice of successful and effective health care for the patients. Dr. Mili Inania heads the department of Gynec laparoscopic surgery and has successfully tackled hundreds of complex cases.