Urinary tract infections in adults (2024)

FAQs

How do adults get urinary tract infections? ›

It's pretty easy to get a urinary tract infection. Bacteria that live in the vagin*, genital, and anal areas may enter the urethra, travel to the bladder, and cause an infection. This can happen during sexual activity when bacteria from your partner's genitals, anus, fingers, or sex toys gets pushed into your urethra.

Bacteria are the most common cause of UTIs, although fungi rarely can also infect the urinary tract. E. coli bacteria, which live in the bowel, cause most UTIs. The female anatomy contributes to women's increased likelihood of contracting a UTI.

Several other infectious and non-infectious disease processes can cause symptoms that mimic a UTI. These include conditions such as vaginitis, overactive bladder, and kidney stones; some sexually transmitted infections (STIs); and diseases such as bladder cancer.

While UTIs are not medical emergencies, they can lead to complications if left untreated. Additionally, the fastest way to cure a UTI is through antibiotic medication. Antibiotics will kill harmful bacteria. This will reduce symptoms quickly and prevent the infection from worsening.

Patients with urinary tract infection (UTI) are usually advised to drink six to eight glasses (1.5 to 2 liters) of water every day to flush the infection out of the urinary system. The best way to get the infection out of the system is by drinking liquids until the urine is clear and the stream is forceful.

Sometimes a UTI will go away on its own. Most people will need antibiotics. Some people may be prescribed a 'delayed antibiotic', meaning they'll be asked only to use it if their symptoms don't go away after a certain amount of time.

BPS (interstitial cystitis) can have similar symptoms to long-term or frequent UTIs, so the GP may give you a urine test to check for a UTI. Standard urine tests used in GP surgeries and hospitals may not pick up all infections of the bladder. You may be prescribed antibiotics to see if they help.

The bacteria that cause UTIs aren't passed from person to person during sex. These bacteria live normally in your body all the time.

“Dehydration is a leading risk factor for UTIs.” It's a common misconception that painful urination automatically signals a UTI, she added. Many other conditions can mimic the symptoms of these infections. Definitively diagnosing a UTI requires a urine culture; a urinalysis, or dipstick test, is not enough.

An asymptomatic UTI (also called asymptomatic bacteriuria) is when a person has no symptoms of infection but has a significant number of bacteria that have colonized the urinary tract. The condition is harmless in most people and rarely persists, although it does increase the risk for developing symptomatic UTIs.

What is often misdiagnosed as UTI? ›

In fact, research finds that many women with overactive bladder are often misdiagnosed with UTI, resulting in improper treatment and overuse of unnecessary antibiotics.

Painful Bladder Syndrome (PBS)

Some people feel the need to urinate frequently or rush to get to the bathroom. The symptoms range from mild to severe and can happen sometimes or all the time. PBS is not caused by an infection, but it can feel like a urinary tract infection or UTI.

Men can get UTIs, but they are less likely to do so, and symptoms may be similar to some that women experience. Risk factors include factors like problems emptying the bladder and sexual intercourse—though a man cannot get a UTI from a woman or vice versa.

Bacteria can spread more easily during sexual activity, from your partner's genitals, fingers, tongue or even sex toys. Such activity in that intimate area can also spread your own bacteria from your vagin* or anus into your urethra.

While STDs are spread primarily through sexual contact, UTIs are not generally transmitted through sexual acts (with the exception of anal sex acts). UTIs are most frequently caused when bacteria called E. coli move into the urinary tract.