Urinary Tract Infections - Who's At Risk And Why?
All I can say here is "Sheesh .. sometimes it really sucks to be a woman." For several reasons that we'll talk about below, women are at a much higher risk for a UTI, and the statistics bear that out. The occurance of a UTI in women is substantially higher than in men.
So first of all, we know that a UTI, in about 90% of the cases is caused by an infection of E. Coli. I realize it's not a bundle of sunshine to think about .. but lets see .. where on your body do you suppose there might be a lot of E Coli? Here's a hint; you can find a lot of E. Coli in "number 2." That's right .. around the anus. Here's another pop quiz for you. Who has a shorter distance from the opening of the urethra (where you pee from) to the anus (where you poop from). That's right women. In men the opening is held safely away from the body, whereas in women, the opening, while tucked neatly away, is in dangerous proximity from other nether-regions.
Also, here's an interesting fact I bet you didn't know. First, a UTI generally spreads "outside - in," meaning the infection enters the body and travels inward. It typically starts at the opening of the urethra and travels toward the bladder. The average distance from the urethra opening to the bladder in women is 1.5 inches; in men - 8 inches! That's not just a little different, that's a LOT different. No wonder women get UTI's so much more frequently.
Sex. Did you know that nearly 80% of all UTI's in premenopausal women will develop within 24 hours after intercourse? In fact UTI's are considered rare among celibate women. Developing a UTI after intercourse is so common that the phrase "honeymoon cystitis" was coined becuase of how common it is for newlywed women to develop a UTI shortly after marriage, when sexual activity is typically heightened. It is really important to be careful and sanitary during sex. Also be sure to have a good drink of water before you have sex .. not because you'll be so crazy in bed you'll need to rehydrate, but because it's so important to urinate after sex to flush out any bacteria.
Men aren't immune, and plenty of men are diagnosed with a UTI as well. While it's not nearly as frequent as women there are some specific risk factors involved for men as well. Primarily men with an enlarged prostate are at a substantially higher risk for UTI than men without an enlarged prostate. The reason for this is the enlarged prostate typically inhibits normal bathroom habits. The normal urination habits are so important for flushing our bacteria from the body, that whenever this process is disrupted, problem are bound to occur.
We'll discuss some additional risk factors in another article, but here's onl last interesting situation. If you go to a doctor because you think you might have a UTI, they'll probably prescribe an antibiotic for treatment. Did you know a risk factor for a UTI is an antibiotic? Antibiotics are non-discriminatory. They will attack "good bacteria" and "bad bacteria." When you loose good bacteria, all sorts of mayhem will typically ensue.
So first of all, we know that a UTI, in about 90% of the cases is caused by an infection of E. Coli. I realize it's not a bundle of sunshine to think about .. but lets see .. where on your body do you suppose there might be a lot of E Coli? Here's a hint; you can find a lot of E. Coli in "number 2." That's right .. around the anus. Here's another pop quiz for you. Who has a shorter distance from the opening of the urethra (where you pee from) to the anus (where you poop from). That's right women. In men the opening is held safely away from the body, whereas in women, the opening, while tucked neatly away, is in dangerous proximity from other nether-regions.
Also, here's an interesting fact I bet you didn't know. First, a UTI generally spreads "outside - in," meaning the infection enters the body and travels inward. It typically starts at the opening of the urethra and travels toward the bladder. The average distance from the urethra opening to the bladder in women is 1.5 inches; in men - 8 inches! That's not just a little different, that's a LOT different. No wonder women get UTI's so much more frequently.
Sex. Did you know that nearly 80% of all UTI's in premenopausal women will develop within 24 hours after intercourse? In fact UTI's are considered rare among celibate women. Developing a UTI after intercourse is so common that the phrase "honeymoon cystitis" was coined becuase of how common it is for newlywed women to develop a UTI shortly after marriage, when sexual activity is typically heightened. It is really important to be careful and sanitary during sex. Also be sure to have a good drink of water before you have sex .. not because you'll be so crazy in bed you'll need to rehydrate, but because it's so important to urinate after sex to flush out any bacteria.
Men aren't immune, and plenty of men are diagnosed with a UTI as well. While it's not nearly as frequent as women there are some specific risk factors involved for men as well. Primarily men with an enlarged prostate are at a substantially higher risk for UTI than men without an enlarged prostate. The reason for this is the enlarged prostate typically inhibits normal bathroom habits. The normal urination habits are so important for flushing our bacteria from the body, that whenever this process is disrupted, problem are bound to occur.
We'll discuss some additional risk factors in another article, but here's onl last interesting situation. If you go to a doctor because you think you might have a UTI, they'll probably prescribe an antibiotic for treatment. Did you know a risk factor for a UTI is an antibiotic? Antibiotics are non-discriminatory. They will attack "good bacteria" and "bad bacteria." When you loose good bacteria, all sorts of mayhem will typically ensue.
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