A bladder infection, also commonly referred to as a urinary tract infection, is experienced by nearly 40% of women at least once in their lifetime. Over 10% of men will also experience a bladder infection at some point in their lifetime as well. More severe cases of bladder infections such as chronic bladder infections only affect approximately 3-5% of women.
What is a Bladder Infection?
A bladder infection is an infection of the bladder that consists of harmful bacteria in the urinary tract. There are different types of bladder infections that may be experienced but the most common bacteria for bladder infections are E. Coli. In healthy state, the urinary tract has many contents but it very rarely has any bacteria. When bacteria makes it’s way into the urinary tract it will lead to a bladder infection. If possible, preventing the bladder infection would be optimal as it can be very a very dreadful experience.
What Causes a Bladder Infection?
There are many different possible causes for a bladder infection. The most common cause of a bladder infection is fecal contamination. As there is already bacteria situated in the intestines and rectal/vaginal surroundings it is often possible for fecal matter to contaminate the urethra. This is not an issue for those with the appropriate hygiene but it could be a cause for those that are ignorant to personal hygiene. If fecal contamination is the cause of the bladder infection then the type of bacteria that infects the urinary tract is E. Coli. Also, it is important to note that this is a more common cause for a bladder infection for women than it is for men.
Sexual intercourse can be another influence on bacteria entering the urethra. During intercourse any bacteria that is close to the vaginal opening could easily be pushed towards the urethra. This could easily lead to the urethra being infected and a bladder infection occurring. Obviously this is also a more common cause for a bladder infection for women than men.
Women that have bubble baths on a regular basis can also increase the risk of bladder infections and may experience frequent irritation of the vaginal area. Wet clothes, tight jeans, and more can cause bladder infections in women as well. One of the main causes that men may have to watch out for is waiting to urinate for long periods of time.
Treating a Bladder Infection
It is important that you get a bladder infection treated as quickly as possible because it could cause more serious health issues if it is not. If the condition goes untreated for long enough it could end up getting into the kidneys. This could lead to even more serious health issues then the original bladder infection so it would be obvious that the condition must be treated appropriately when detected.
If you have a bladder infection then you will want to speak with your doctor about treating it correctly. Follow his or her instructions and you should be fine. Usually treating the bladder infection will mostly require you to drink plenty of fluids including cranberry juice, take vitamin C supplements, and prevent anything from irritating the infected area.
A bladder infection is a more common issue for women then men but both genders should be aware of what causes it and how to treat it. If you take some due diligence during various activities such as sexual intercourse, swimming, having a bubble bath, then you will be more effective at preventing a bladder infection. However, if you do experience a bladder infection then you will want to speak with your doctor and start treating it immediately. Also, make sure you use your gained knowledge from that experience to help prevent any possible bladder infections in the future.
Comments are closed