16 Power Foods You Can Eat To Prevent Urinary Tract Infection

Only you yourself know when you have the symptoms of urinary tract infection. You can shorten the suffering if you know what to

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) occurs when bacteria or other infectious organisms invade any part of the urinary tract. Infections of the lower tract are of the urethra (urethritis) or the bladder (cystitis). Infections of the upper tract are of the kidney (pyelonephritis) or the ureters (ureteritis).
Although UTIs occur in both men and women, women tend to suffer more from it because of the anatomical difference.
Women’s urethra tube is shorter than men’s, and the opening is just a short distance away from the vaginal tract and the rectal openings. Because of this, there is a higher risk of bacteria from these adjacent areas to scuttle up the tube into the bladder.

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Among infants, UTI occurs more often with boys, but among toddlers, girls are more prone. Uncircumcised baby boys tend to accumulate bacteria under the foreskin. Young children with severe constipation problems are also more prone to UTIs.

Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

Individuals who suffer from UTI often have an urgent need to urinate, and experience a painful burning sensation while urinating. The urgent need to urinate may cause uncontrollable loss of urine (incontinence), especially in older people. Urinary frequency (in small amounts) also increases during the night.
Fever is absent during UTI, but some may feel pain in the lower abdomen (above the pubic bone) and often in the lower back as well. The urine is often cloudy, with strong odor, and may contain visible blood in some.

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Causes of Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

A healthy person with good immune defense system is able to fend off bladder and kidney infections. However, when there is stress, illness, physical injury or nutritional deficiency, immune defenses weaken allowing the bacteria to take over. Pregnancy, menopause and sexual intercourse also increase the risks of UTI.
Urinary tract infections are almost always caused by the Escherichia coli (E.coli) bacterium, although some viruses, fungi and parasites may also infect the urinary tract. A majority of infections are caused by bacteria entering from the intestine or vagina. Bacteria that enter through the urinary tract are often flushed out when the bladder is being emptied.
Viruses:  The herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) may infect the urethra, making urination painful and emptying of bladder difficult.
Fungi:  A common type of fungi that causes UTI is Candida (causing candidiasis). This usually happens to individuals whose immune system is impaired.
Parasites:  Trichomoniasis, caused by a type of microscopic parasite, is a sexually transmitted disease that produces greenish yellow and frothy discharge from the vagina in women. There is usually no symptoms in men, although it can cause inflammation of the prostate gland.
Malaria is a disease caused by another type of microscopic parasite carried by mosquitoes. It destroys the small blood vessels of the kidney and can rapidly damage red blood cells, causing acute kidney failure.
Worm:  Schistosomiasis is another kind of worm that can affect the kidneys, ureters and bladder. Persistent infection of this kind may eventually result in bladder cancer.