Does Wiping From Back to Front After Toilet Really Cause Urinary Tract Infections?

Your urinary tract is the system that makes urine and carries it
out of your body.
When germs get into this system, they can cause an infection
called UTI.

The germs get inside your urethra and travel up into your
bladder and kidneys and cause the infections.
Women tend to get more bladder infections than men. This is
because women have shorter urethra, so it is easier for the
germs to move up to their bladders.

You may be more likely to get the infection if


* wipe from back to front after passing stool especially for females.
* Have anal sex and vaginal sex with the same condom or without condom.
* You do not drink enough fluids
* You have diabetes
* You are pregnant.

Symptoms

* Pain or burning when you urinate.
* Urge to urinate, but not much urine comes out when you do.
* Your belly may be tender or heavy.
* Your urine may be cloudy or smells bad.
* Pain on one side of your back under your ribs.
* Fever and chills.
* Nausea and vomiting.

You can help prevent these infections by

* Drinking lots of water every day.
* Urinating often. Do not try to hold it.
* If you are a woman, urinate right after having sex.
* Clean your anus from front to back.
* Practice good personal hygiene.

How to diagnose urinary tract infection

* urinalysis and/or urine culture. A sample of urine is
examined under a microscope by looking for indications of
infection.

If you are having fevers and symptoms of a UTI, or persistent
symptoms despite therapy, then medical attention is advised.
You may need further tests, such as an ultrasound or CT
scan , to assess the urinary tract.

How it is treated

Antibiotics will be prescribed by your doctor.

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Do You Hold Urine For Too Long?

 
Urine is stored in the bladder.

  
There are potential health consequences of making “holding it” a habit. For example, research has found that women who regularly hold off on urinating when they feel the urge may get more urinary tract infections (UTIs). Sometimes bacteria get into the bladder. Urinating often eliminates the bacteria. But holding them in the bladder allows them to multiply. They multiply really fast: One bacterium can become millions of bacteria over several hours. So if you are prone to UTIs, urinate as soon as you get the urge. 

An average bladder has the capacity to hold about 15 ounces of liquid (eight glasses of water, for example, is roughly 64 ounces. Holding on to urine causes a stretch on your bladder.  When this occurs for a long time, the muscles of the bladder weaken and you may get a condition known as Urine Incontinence.  It’s much more likely that the urge to go will eventually just take over, and you will urinate whether you want to or not In this condition, you will have little control over urination. You could wet yourself unknowingly!
 

When your bladder is overfull, urine can retrograde or flow backwards into the ureters, potentially destroying them.
 
Some researches say keeping urine for long  can also cause your Blood Urea Nitrogen to elevate, resulting in metabolic acidosis or electrolyte imbalance.

While we still advise you to take in more water, we add that you pay attention to signals to empty the bladder to prevent kidney and bladder dysfunctions.

A 'normal' urination rate is eight to 10 times a day,

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Diabetes Insipidus

It is a condition in which the kidneys are unable to conserve water in the body.

TYPES
1.Nuerogenic: It is due to lack of vasopressin production.
2. Dispogenic: It is due to defect or damage to the thirst centre in the hypothalamus.
3. Gestational: It occurs during pregnancy. During pregnancy, the placenta produces vasopressinase which breaks down the ADH which would have helped in water conservation.

CAUSES
1.Head injury, infection and loss of blood supply to the hypathalamus or pituitary gland.
2. Some medications like lithium and amphoterien B
3. High calcium level in the body.
4. Kidney diseases eg. Polycyslic kidney disease.
5. Lack or deficiency in vasopressin.
6. Insensitivity of the kidneys to Vasopressin.

EXAMINATION AND TEST
1.MRI of the head
2.Urinalysis
3. Urine output

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. Excessive urination(25-30litres of water a day).
2. Extreme thirst
3. Dehydration
4.Fever
5. Sunken fontanelles(soft spot) in infants.
6. Dry skin.
7. Rapid heart rate
8. Dry mucus membrane.

MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT.
1. Adults with untreated DI may remain healthy as long as they consume enough water to compensate the water loss through urination.
2. Desmopressin in a form of injection, nasal spray or tablet.
3. Carbamazepin.

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Acute Cystitis

Acute Cystitis

It is a sudden inflammation of the bladder which is common in women. Women are at risk than men because, their urethra is short and closer to the anus.
It is mostly spread through sexual intercourse or when using a diaphragm for birth control.
Organisms that transmit it are E. Coli, klebsiella, protens, enterococci, gonococcus and staphylocuccussaprophyticus.

OTHER RISK FACTORS

1.When a catheter is inserted.
2. When the bladder or urethra is blocked.
3. Diabetic patient.
4. Pregnancy.
5. Menopause
6. Loss of bowel control.

SYMPTOMS

1.Pain during urination.
2. Haematuria (blood in urine).
3. Cloudy and foul smelling urine.
4. Frequency and urge to urinate.
5. Low back pain.
6. Fever.

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

1. Empty your bladder before and after sexual intercourse.
2. Personal hygiene and proper cleaning after defecation.
3. Antibiotics.
4. Women with recurrent bladder infection can be prevented by given a single dose of antibiotics after sexual intercourse.
All patients with bladder infection should drink plenty of water.

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