A urinary infection (also known as UTI or Urinary Tract Infection) is an infection that pertains to any part of our urinary system. The urinary system is in charge of processing and removing liquid waste from our body.

     What exactly does it mean to have a urinary infection? It means that a microorganism (usually a bacterium called “E coli”), decides to take up residence in a part of body where it doesn’t belong- our urinary system- causing general pain and discomfort. Not all urinary infections are the same though. There are three different “flavors”, divided up according to the part of the urinary system where they occur.

     The urinary system begins in the kidneys, where liquid and waste materials are removed from the bloodstream. The kidneys also concentrate urine, so that our body loses as little water as possible when removing waste from the blood. From the kidneys, urine travels through a set of tubes, called ureters. These carry urine to the bladder, where our body stores urine until it’s ready to drain out of the body during urination. When it’s time to “drain” our bladder, urine passes through another tube, called the urethra, to leave your body.

Urethritis- (Urethra infection)

      Most urinary infections start as urethritis- an infection of the urethra- the tube that takes urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. It makes sense: bacteria get in from the outside, so the first place they reach (the urethra) is the first place they infect. Urethritis is uncomfortable, but it’s the least serious type of urinary infection.

Cystitis- (Bladder infection)

      When the urinary infection travels up the urethra to the bladder, the urinary infection is called cystitis. This type of urinary infection is more serious than urethritis because, without prompt treatment, it can lead to infection of the kidneys.

Pyelonephritis - (Kidney infection)

       If the urinary infection travels from the bladder and up the ureters, the tubes linking the bladder to the kidneys, things start to get more serious. A kidney infection is called pyelonephritis, and is much more dangerous (and painful) than urethritis or cystitis. This type of urinary infection usually requires several weeks of antibiotic treatment. A kidney infection can even make us so sick that we might end up in the hospital, getting fluids and antibiotics through an IV. Even worse, a serious (or acute) kidney infection can cause permanent damage to our kidneys. 

     The flow of urine from our kidneys through the urinary system helps to clear unwanted bacteria from our body. The urinary system is pretty good at warding off infection, but sometimes things go wrong. When that happens, a urinary infection can develop, and it can become quite serious without treatment. By learning to understand urinary infections and to recognize their symptoms, we can seek treatment before a minor urinary infection turns into a major problem.  

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