URI Testing
– Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are responsible for nearly 10 million doctor visits each year. One in five women will have at least one UTI in her lifetime. Nearly 20 percent of women who have a UTI will have another, and 30 percent of those will have yet another. Of this last group, 80 percent will have recurrences. About 80 to 90 percent of UTs are caused by a single type of bacteria. UTIs can be treated effectively with medications called antibiotics. People who get repeated UTs may need additional tests to check for other health problems. UTIs also may be called cystitis or a bladder infection.
What is a uninary tract infection?
A urinary tract infection is what happens when bacteria (germs) get into the urinary tract (the bladder) and multiply. The result is redness, swelling, and pain in the urinary tract (see diagram).
Most UTIs stay in the bladder/ the pouch-shaped organ where urine is stored before it passes out of the body. If a UTI is not treated promptly, the bacteria can travel up to the kidneys and cause a more serious type of infection, called pyelonephritis (pronounced pie-low-net-right-iss). Pyelonephritis is an
What Causes a UTI?
About 80 to 90 percent of UTIs are caused by a type of bacteria. These bacteria normally live in your intestines, but they sometimes get into the urinary tract. Some UTIs are caused by other, less common types of bacteria. How to detect them? Urine Culture or PCR-based tests.
