UTIs are a common name for the different types of infections that can afflict the urinary path. Sexually transmitted diseases are not considered UTIs.
For example, if you suffer from diabetes, prostatitis, inflammation of the epididymis or a gynaecological illness, you run a higher risk of contracting a UTI.
Another contributing factor can be that your bladder is not completely emptied when you pee.
UTIs are a problem that mainly afflict women. These infections occur when bacteria in the urine are allowed to grow. The reason why women suffer from this more than men is partly because a woman's urethra is very short, and partly because a woman's urethra is so close to the vagina and the anus.
Two groups
UTIs are usually divided into two groups: infections that afflict the upper urinary system and thereby also the kidneys, and those infections that only afflict the lower urinary system, in other words the urethra and the bladder.
During a severe infection, you have a large amount of bacteria in your urine and you usually suffer from fever, frequent urgings to urinate, a burning feeling when you urinate, a higher sedimentation rate and a deteriorated general condition. You feel sick. It is important that you seek help, or else you risk damaging your kidneys.
Advantages of CIC
During milder infections, your urine might become cloudy and smell bad. Most people who empty their bladders with an indwelling catheter contract this milder type of infection. On the other hand, if you use the CIC method to empty your bladder, your risk of contracting UTIs is significantly reduced.