Have you have ever wondered why women are much more prone to urinary tract infections than men?
Urologist Dr. Hugo Davila of Florida Cancer Specialists, the Sebastian River Medical Center and the Indian River Medical Center joins the American Academy of Family Physicians in pointing to simple anatomy to explain the problem.
Because a woman’s urethra is much closer to the anus than a man’s, bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) have a relatively easy time invading the urethra.
Once inside the urethra, those bacteria travel up to the bladder. As Davila points out, “it’s [only] about four centimeters from the main entrance of the urethra to the bladder.”
If the infection isn’t treated it can infect the kidneys, causing Pyelonephritis, an even more serious problem.
“Ninety to ninety-five percent of all these infections are E. coli,” explains Davila
Women, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, “are 10 times more likely” to develop UTIs than men, and “more than 50 percent of women will have at least one UTI during their lifetime that will require treatment with antibiotics.”
Making matters worse, about 30 percent to 40 percent of UTIs will re-occur within six months and they don’t always come with obvious signs and symptoms.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “When symptoms do present themselves, they’re likely to include strong, persistent urges to urinate, passing frequent but small amounts of urine and a burning sensation when urinating.”
Other symptoms may include urine that appears cloudy or has an unusually strong odor accompanied by pelvic pain.
When UTIs re-occur, it is often because patients whose symptoms go away stop taking their antibiotics before completing the full course of treatment. An infection from a different strain of bacteria can also start the whole process over again.
“Up to three UTIs per year is considered normal, especially if [women] are post-menopausal,” Davila explains.
That’s right. The likelihood of getting a UTI actually increases with age.
That’s because, according to Davila, after menopause, a decline in circulating estrogen in a woman’s body can cause changes within the urinary tract that make it even more vulnerable to these infections.
Up for more bad news? Having sex can also introduce bacteria into a woman’s urinary tract, though the ever-upside-looking Davila largely brushes that risk off by reminding women that simply urinating after intercourse can all but eliminate that scenario.
Indeed, far from trying to drum up business for specialists like himself, Davila says a woman’s primary care physician is likely the best bet to treat UTIs in the vast majority of cases.
The biggest exception to that, he says, is if a woman is having more than three (UTIs) in a year and keeps having them. Then, he says, “she needs to see a specialist.”
Meanwhile, when asked about the oft-quoted folk medicine claim that cranberry juice and blueberries can inhibit or prevent UTIs, Davila points out, “There was a study done by the University of Michigan and they found that [cranberries and blueberries] were no better than a placebo.”
Still, Davila adds with a smile, “they don’t have any side-effects – or the side-effects are minimal, so if . . . [women think cranberries or blueberries are] helping, they should go ahead.”
At the same time, women should be aware that, according to the University of Maryland, “people who are allergic to aspirin should not consume large quantities of cranberry juice.” Also, cranberry juice, like grapefruit juice, may interact in harmful ways and even counteract certain medications.
Dr. Davila can be reached at Florida Cancer Specialists. His Vero Beach office is located at 1880 37th St. The phone number is 772-567-2332. His Sebastian location is 13060 US Highway 1, Suite A and that phone number is 772-589-0879.
