Recurrent Bladder Infections in Women

Do you have a bladder infection or urinary tract infection that won’t go away or keeps coming back? One in five women will have at least one urinary tract infection (UTI) in their lifetime. Twenty percent of those women will have recurrent bladder infections or UTIs. The most common reported symptom with having a UTI, also called bladder infection, is pain. Bladder infections can alter life drastically. The symptoms are unpleasant and leave you running to the bathroom all day. The UTI is the most common bacterial infection, infecting over 250 million people per year. Why don’t we talk about it more?

UTIs usually appear suddenly. You are taking a quick bathroom break and then you experience the signs that you may have a bladder infection. For some women with recurrent infections, this is business as usual. The UTI is caused by a bacteria that makes its way into the urinary tract. Many things can lead to bacteria entering the urinary tract such as sex, tight clothing, wiping back to front, kidney stones, birth control, holding your urine and wet clothing such as bathing suits. Some women even report that getting into a hot tub can lead to an infection. It is important when getting recurrent bladder infections that you pay close attention to what you are wearing, or the things you may be doing that could lead to infection. For example, you may notice that every time you have sex you contract a bladder infection. Then you might want to make sure that you are urinating after intercourse and consult your provider.

Treating recurrent UTIs can vary from patient to patient. Some infections go away quickly with an antibiotic prescribed by your healthcare provider. Other infections may not go away quickly, and your provider will probably recommend running additional tests to make sure that there are no underlying medical issues. UTIs can be as simple as only lasting a few days with little to no symptoms. Some women may not experience symptoms. This is dangerous because the infection can travel into the kidneys, creating a kidney infection. Kidney infections can be more serious causing fever, pain, nausea, and blood in urine.

Anytime you are experiencing abnormalities with your urine, bladder, or kidneys it is important to be seen by your healthcare provider. The staff at Campbell County Medical Group’s Urology Clinic are highly skilled and always put the patient first. The main goal at CCH is to provide exceptional and compassionate medical care for our patients. Urine health is just as important as any other part of the body.

For more information about CCMG Urology, please visit our website at Urology Clinic in Gillette, Wyoming (cchwyo.org).

Sources:

“National Kidney Foundation.” National Kidney Foundation, 2019, www.kidney.org/.

Publishing, Harvard Health. “When Urinary Tract Infections Keep Coming Back.” Harvard Health, 17 Sept. 2019, www.health.harvard.edu/bladder-and-bowel/when-urinary-tract-infections-keep-coming-back.

“Urinary Tract Infections | Womenshealth.gov.” Womenshealth.gov, Apr. 2019, www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/urinary-tract-infections.

August 10, Joni Sweet, and 2021. “How Do You Get a UTI? Urologists Explain Why These Infections Develop.” Health.com, www.health.com/condition/uti/how-do-you-get-a-uti.