What happens if urine infection goes untreated




















Untreated urinary tract infections may spread to the kidney, causing more pain and illness. It can also cause sepsis. The term urosepsis describes sepsis caused by a UTI. Like strokes or heart attacks, sepsis is a medical emergency that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment.

UTIs cause more than half the cases of urosepsis among older adults. Sepsis and septic shock can result from an infection anywhere in the body, such as pneumonia , influenza , or urinary tract infections. Worldwide, one-third of people who develop sepsis die. A urinary tract infection is an infection in the urinary tract, which runs from your kidneys, through the ureters, the urinary bladder and out through the urethra. UTIs are very common and, in general, easy to treat.

A lower UTI, the more common type, affects the lower part of the urinary tract, the urethra and urinary bladder.

Infection of the urethra is called urethritis and of the bladder is called cystitis. If the kidney is infected, called pyelonephritis , this is an upper UTI, as the kidney is the highest part of the urinary tract.

Bacteria in the genital area can enter the urethra and the urinary tract, either because wiping after going to the bathroom, sexual activity, or unsanitary conditions. In the case of a fungal infection, usually the fungus gets to the urinary tract through the blood stream. Those who develop this type of infection are usually ill with a disease that has compromised their immune system, such as AIDS.

In general, women get more UTIs than do men and this increases with age. Contact your doctor if you have signs and symptoms of a UTI. Urinary tract infections typically occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract through the urethra and begin to multiply in the bladder.

Although the urinary system is designed to keep out such microscopic invaders, these defenses sometimes fail. When that happens, bacteria may take hold and grow into a full-blown infection in the urinary tract.

The most common UTIs occur mainly in women and affect the bladder and urethra. Infection of the bladder cystitis. However, sometimes other bacteria are responsible. Sexual intercourse may lead to cystitis, but you don't have to be sexually active to develop it. All women are at risk of cystitis because of their anatomy — specifically, the short distance from the urethra to the anus and the urethral opening to the bladder.

Urinary tract infections are common in women, and many women experience more than one infection during their lifetimes. Risk factors specific to women for UTIs include:. When treated promptly and properly, lower urinary tract infections rarely lead to complications. But left untreated, a urinary tract infection can have serious consequences. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Female urinary system Open pop-up dialog box Close. Some unlucky people get recurrent urinary tract infections. Understanding what causes a UTI may help you prevent one before it happens. Here are the risk factors:. UTI treatment is straightforward: A course of antibiotics prescribed by a medical professional or directly through the K Health app. Typically you take the antibiotics for about a week and symptoms gradually dissipate during the course of treatment.

This may occur when the bacteria causing the UTI become antibiotic resistant , meaning they outsmart and outlive the antibiotic. See, bacteria have this amazing and in this case unfortunate ability to mutate to evade being killed. And after being attacked multiple times by the same antibiotics we use on lots of people, the bacteria can learn to resist them.

Some research estimates that as many as one in three uncomplicated UTIs are resistant to at least one common antibiotic.

And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2. A quick internet search yields plenty of articles swearing that certain home remedies like cranberry juice cure a UTI. For example, some scientific evidence suggests that an active ingredient in cranberries called proanthocyanidins may stop bacteria like E. Certain probiotics and vitamin C supplements may also help prevent UTIs, and probiotics have the added benefit of reducing diarrhea caused by being on antibiotics.

As the name implies, UTI is an infection that affects any part of the urinary system. Despite the fact that women are more susceptible to it than men, the risk of men getting infected increases as they age. The urinary tract is mainly composed of your kidneys, pelvis, ureter, bladder, and urethra. For this reason, UTI is also known by the following names: cystitis bladder infection , urethritis urethra infection , and pyelonephritis kidney infection.

However, most UTI are diagnosed in the bladder, where urine is stored before the body finally excretes it. It has also been established that women are more likely to develop UTIs because their urethra is shorter and closer to the anus. This increases the likelihood of infection via ascension of bacteria through the periureteral entry.

Most UTIs are not considered serious.



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