The urinary tract consists of the Kidneys, Bladder, Ureters (tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder) and Urethra (that carry urine from the bladder outside). Infection in any part of the tract is Urinary Tract Infection or UTI however it is a term commonly used for infection in the lower tract i.e. the bladder and urethra. Women are more prone to UTI’s than men.

Some common symptoms of UTI, as stated by the Cleveland Clinic:

1. Pain in the flank (side), abdomen or pelvic area
2. Pressure in the lower pelvis
3. Frequent need to urinate (frequency)
4. Painful urination (dysuria)
5. Urgent need to urinate (urgency)
6. Incontinence (urine leakage)
7. The need to urinate at night
8. Abnormal urine colour (cloudy urine)
9. Blood in the urine
10. Strong or foul-smelling urine

While pain killers and antibiotics are the line of treatment under medical guidance, there is a limit to how many you can consume. There is also the fact that bacteria become resistant to antibiotics and do not respond to the treatment. The journey to prevent and treat UTI’s help and actually make a positive difference to handling this infection, some of this knowledge is ancient and some recently researched.

1. Drink up! Water is the most important part of your “Diet Therapy” for UTI. More water intake means more urine, which means the bacteria are flushed out helping ease the symptoms and prevent recurrence. Drink up about 1 glass of water every hour, and this is pure water-no additives. Fluids like alcohol, citrus juices and drinks that have caffeine are reported to irritate the bladder in almost all the scientific studies I looked up. So keep it simple and have plenty of water.

2. Berry berry good: Cochrane Collaboration a body of experts who identify and evaluate studies of health care interventions have given Cranberries the thumbs up for UTI. They say that results from a number of studies has pointed to scientific evidence supporting daily consumption of cranberry products to reduce the likelihood of urinary tract infections. This could be attributed to cranberries containing polyphenol compounds that exert a strong antioxidant effect on the body. Cranberries have also shown to protect the body by not allowing E.coli, the most common UTI bacteria, to stick to the urinary tract. Unsweetened cranberry juice is good and so are capsules of dried juice that are freely available. Consult your healthcare provider. There are certain conditions and medications with which this is not recommended

3. Good bugs, bad bugs and probiotics: Our skin and gut is a treasure trove of good bacteria that acts as a barrier to infections. There is strong scientific evidence that supports the use of probiotics for preventing UTI. While more conclusive evidence is awaited, using natural sources of probiotics like Yogurt or dahi or over the counter probiotic drinks will not be detrimental to your health. These will also help you overcome the after effects of antibiotic therapy and maintain a healthy digestive system.

4. Bad breath be damned: Garlic is being seen as an effective weapon against drug resistant bacteria. A study conducted by the researchers at the Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences in India found that “Garlic extract may be an effective weapon against multi-drug resistant strains of pathogenic bacteria associated with urinary tract infections (UTI)”. Garlic has been found to be useful for targeting a number of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses according to modern scientific literature, but we have been using it as a medicinal plant for centuries. Its power is attributed to the presence of Allicin and other sulphur compounds are thought to be the major antimicrobial factors. It can be eaten crushed, added to your food or as tea by steeping crushed cloves in warm water for 5-10 minutes.

UTI is an infection you do not want, if left untreated it can be life threatening. While natural remedies and food therapies will help alleviate your discomfort, and may be even reduce the length of the infection, or help avoid relapses, make sure you are not replacing good medical treatment with alternate therapy.

Exam Overview
If you have symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI), your initial evaluation by your doctor will include a medical history and physical exam. A medical history includes an evaluation of your current urinary tract symptoms, history of urinary tract infections or other urinary tract problems, family health history, and sexual history. You and your doctor will discuss your general health and the results of previous testing.

For women, your doctor will:

Evaluate the possibility of pregnancy and any history of reproductive problems.
Include a pelvic exam if symptoms indicate a possible pelvic infection or urethritis.
Examine your lower back, abdomen, and the area just above where the pelvic bone and the lower abdomen meet for tenderness, pain, or abnormalities.
Take your temperature.
For men, your doctor will:

Evaluate any history of prostate problems.
Examine your genitals, lower back, and abdomen.
Examine your rectum and rectal area to check for prostate enlargement, growths, or inflammation.
Take your temperature.
Why It Is Done
You have symptoms of a UTI.

Results
Findings of the medical history and physical exam include the following:

Normal
No pain, growths, or abnormalities
No prostate enlargement or tenderness (men only)
No discharge from the urethra
Abnormal
Pain or discomfort in response to pressure on the lower back, abdomen, or the area above the pelvic bone
Growths or abnormalities detected during pelvic or rectal exam
Enlarged or tender prostate gland (men only)
Discharge from the urethra
What To Think About
A thorough medical history and physical exam can often help rule out other possible causes of your symptoms, such as a vaginal yeast infection, sexually transmitted infection, or prostatitis. Provide your doctor with as accurate a medical and sexual history as you can.

You can buy dipstick test kits without a prescription. You use them at home to check for urinary tract infections (UTIs). Talk to your doctor about using a test kit.

The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, bladder, ureters, and urethra. Urine in the bladder is normally sterile. This means it does not contain any bacteria or other germs (such as fungi). But bacteria can enter the urinary tract through the urethra.

UTIs are more common in women and girls than in men. This may be partly because the female urethra is shorter and closer to the anus. This allows bacteria from the intestines to come into contact more easily with the urethra. Men also have an antibacterial substance in their prostate gland that reduces their risk.

The dipstick test kit contains specially treated plastic strips called dipsticks. You hold them in your urine stream or dip them in a sample of your urine. The strips test for a substance (called nitrite) produced by most UTIs. Certain types of strips also test for white blood cells (leukocytes). Some types of dipsticks can test for both nitrite and leukocytes. But most types test for only one or the other. An area on the end of the strip changes color if you have an infection.

Most UTIs are easy to cure with antibiotics. But an untreated infection may spread to the kidneys and cause a more serious problem. If you use a home test kit, make sure that your doctor knows about any abnormal test results. This will help make sure that a serious problem is not missed.

A self-test for urinary tract infection (UTI) is done under the care of your doctor to:

Find a UTI, especially in people who have UTIs often. Certain conditions increase the risk for having a UTI. Your risk is higher if you are pregnant, have diabetes, or have a condition that affects urine flow, such as kidney stones, stroke, or a spinal cord injury. In adults, a UTI usually causes symptoms such as pain or burning during urination, frequent urination, or the sudden and frequent urge to urinate. But older adults and young children with UTIs may not have these symptoms. For this reason, experts suggest that older adults and children see a doctor for a possible UTI.
Check how well treatment of a UTI is working. If you are being treated for a UTI, you can test your urine at home to see if the antibiotics have cured the infection.
Test young children who have frequent bladder infections but may not be able to report their symptoms. A home test for these children is also done under a doctor's care.

Equipment
Most home test kits for urinary tract infections (UTIs) were first made for use in a doctor's office or lab. Some drugstores stock these test kits or can order them for you without a prescription. Many types of home test kits can be ordered over the Internet.

A UTI test kit usually contains a clean collection cup, special plastic dipsticks, and instructions that explain how to perform the test. You will need a clock that measures time in seconds. You will also need wipes or towelettes to clean your genital area before you collect a urine sample.

General instructions
For any home test, you should follow some general steps:

Check the expiration date on the package. Do not use a test kit after its expiration date. The chemicals in the kit may not work as they should after that date.
Store the test kits as directed. Many kits need to be stored in a refrigerator or other cool place.
Carefully read the instructions that come with your test before you do the test. Look for any special steps you need to take to prepare for the test. For example, do you need to avoid certain foods? Do you need to limit your physical activity?
Follow the directions exactly. Do all the steps in order. Don't skip any of them.
If a step in the test needs to be timed, use a clock. Do not guess at the timing. Guessing could change your results.
If you are color-blind or have trouble telling one color from another, have someone else read the test results for you. Most test results depend on being able to see color changes on a test strip.
Write down the results of the test so you can talk to your doctor about them.

The urinary tract consists of the Kidneys, Bladder, Ureters (tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder) and Urethra (that carry urine from the bladder outside). Infection in any part of the tract is Urinary Tract Infection or UTI however it is a term commonly used for infection in the lower tract i.e. the bladder and urethra. Women are more prone to UTI’s than men.

Some common symptoms of UTI, as stated by the Cleveland Clinic:

1. Pain in the flank (side), abdomen or pelvic area
2. Pressure in the lower pelvis
3. Frequent need to urinate (frequency)
4. Painful urination (dysuria)
5. Urgent need to urinate (urgency)
6. Incontinence (urine leakage)
7. The need to urinate at night
8. Abnormal urine colour (cloudy urine)
9. Blood in the urine
10. Strong or foul-smelling urine

While pain killers and antibiotics are the line of treatment under medical guidance, there is a limit to how many you can consume. There is also the fact that bacteria become resistant to antibiotics and do not respond to the treatment. The journey to prevent and treat UTI’s help and actually make a positive difference to handling this infection, some of this knowledge is ancient and some recently researched.

Some simple inclusions would be:

1. Drink up! Water is the most important part of your “Diet Therapy” for UTI. More water intake means more urine, which means the bacteria are flushed out helping ease the symptoms and prevent recurrence. Drink up about 1 glass of water every hour, and this is pure water-no additives. Fluids like alcohol, citrus juices and drinks that have caffeine are reported to irritate the bladder in almost all the scientific studies I looked up. So keep it simple and have plenty of water.

2. Berry berry good: Cochrane Collaboration a body of experts who identify and evaluate studies of health care interventions have given Cranberries the thumbs up for UTI. They say that results from a number of studies has pointed to scientific evidence supporting daily consumption of cranberry products to reduce the likelihood of urinary tract infections. This could be attributed to cranberries containing polyphenol compounds that exert a strong antioxidant effect on the body. Cranberries have also shown to protect the body by not allowing E.coli, the most common UTI bacteria, to stick to the urinary tract. Unsweetened cranberry juice is good and so are capsules of dried juice that are freely available. Consult your healthcare provider. There are certain conditions and medications with which this is not recommended.

3. Good bugs, bad bugs and probiotics: Our skin and gut is a treasure trove of good bacteria that acts as a barrier to infections. There is strong scientific evidence that supports the use of probiotics for preventing UTI. While more conclusive evidence is awaited, using natural sources of probiotics like Yogurt or dahi or over the counter probiotic drinks will not be detrimental to your health. These will also help you overcome the after effects of antibiotic therapy and maintain a healthy digestive system.

4. Bad breath be damned: Garlic is being seen as an effective weapon against drug resistant bacteria. A study conducted by the researchers at the Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences in India found that “Garlic extract may be an effective weapon against multi-drug resistant strains of pathogenic bacteria associated with urinary tract infections (UTI)”. Garlic has been found to be useful for targeting a number of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses according to modern scientific literature, but we have been using it as a medicinal plant for centuries. Its power is attributed to the presence of Allicin and other sulphur compounds are thought to be the major antimicrobial factors. It can be eaten crushed, added to your food or as tea by steeping crushed cloves in warm water for 5-10 minutes.

UTI is an infection you do not want, if left untreated it can be life threatening. While natural remedies and food therapies will help alleviate your discomfort, and may be even reduce the length of the infection, or help avoid relapses, make sure you are not replacing good medical treatment with alternate therapy.

जर आपल्याला मूत्रमार्गाच्या संक्रमणाची लक्षणे (यूटीआय) आढळतील तर आपल्या डॉक्टरांनी आपल्या प्रारंभिक मूल्यांकनामध्ये वैद्यकीय इतिहास आणि शारीरिक परीक्षा समाविष्ट केली जाईल. वैद्यकीय इतिहासामध्ये आपल्या सध्याच्या मूत्रमार्गाच्या लक्षणांचे मूल्यांकन, मूत्रमार्गात पसरलेल्या संसर्गाचा इतिहास किंवा इतर मूत्रमार्गाच्या समस्या, कौटुंबिक आरोग्य इतिहास आणि लैंगिक इतिहास यांचा समावेश आहे. आपण आणि आपले डॉक्टर आपल्या सामान्य आरोग्य आणि मागील चाचणीच्या परिणामांवर चर्चा करतील.

महिलांसाठी, आपला डॉक्टर करेल:

गर्भधारणेची शक्यता आणि पुनरुत्पादनाच्या समस्येचा कोणताही इतिहास.
लक्षणे संभाव्य पेल्विक संसर्ग किंवा मूत्रमार्ग असल्याचे सूचित केल्यास पेल्विक परीक्षा समाविष्ट करा.
आपल्या पीठ, ओटीपोट आणि फक्त वरच्या भागाची तपासणी करा जिथे श्रोणि हाड आणि निचला ओटीपोट जळजळ, वेदना किंवा असामान्यपणासाठी पूर्ण होतो.
आपले तापमान घ्या.
पुरुषांसाठी, आपला डॉक्टर हे करेल:

प्रोस्टेट समस्यांचा कोणताही इतिहास मूल्यांकन करा.
आपल्या जननेंद्रिया, खालच्या मागचे आणि उदरचे परीक्षण करा.
प्रोस्टेट वाढ, वाढ किंवा सूज तपासण्यासाठी आपल्या गुदाम आणि रेक्टल क्षेत्राचे परीक्षण करा.
आपले तापमान घ्या.
ते का झाले आहे
आपल्याकडे यूटीआयचे लक्षण आहेत.

परिणाम
वैद्यकीय इतिहासाच्या आणि शारीरिक परीक्षांचे निष्कर्ष पुढीलप्रमाणे आहेत:

सामान्य
कोणतेही वेदना, वाढ किंवा असामान्यता नाही
प्रोस्टेट वाढ किंवा कोमलता (केवळ पुरुष)
मूत्रमार्गांमधून कोणताही डिस्चार्ज नाही
असामान्य
पीठ, ओटीपोट किंवा श्रोणीच्या हाडांवरील क्षेत्राच्या दबावामुळे वेदना किंवा अस्वस्थता
पेल्विक किंवा रेक्टल परीक्षेत आढळलेली वाढ किंवा असामान्यता
वाढलेले किंवा निविदा प्रोस्टेट ग्रंथी (फक्त पुरुष)
मूत्रमार्ग पासून निर्जलीकरण
कशाबद्दल विचार करायला पाहिजे
एक संपूर्ण वैद्यकीय इतिहास आणि शारीरिक परीक्षा आपल्या यकृतांच्या संभाव्य संभाव्य कारणे, जसे योनि यीस्ट इन्फेक्शन, लैंगिक संक्रमित संसर्ग, किंवा प्रोस्टेटायटिस यांना नियमितपणे मदत करण्यास मदत करते. आपण जितके शक्य तितके वैद्यकीय आणि लैंगिक इतिहास म्हणून आपल्या डॉक्टरांना पुरवू शकता