Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that usually develops when microorganism enters the opening of the urethra and multiplies in the urinary tract.

Urinary system

The urinary system consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. The key player is the kidneys, a pair of purplish-brown organs located below the ribs toward the middle of the back. The kidneys filtered out the excess liquid and wastes from the blood in the form of urine. It keeps a stable balance of salts and other substances in the blood, and produces a hormone that supports the formation of red blood cells. Narrow tubes called ureters takes urine from the kidneys to the bladder, a sack like an organ in the lower abdomen. Urine is stored in the bladder and if full; it empties through the urethra.

Urinary tract infections

Urine contains some salts and waste products, but normally it does not contain bacteria. When bacteria get into the bladder or kidney then it multiplies in the urine, a UTI can result.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that usually develops when bacteria enter the opening of the urethra and multiply in the urinary tract. The urinary tract includes the kidneys, the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder (ureters), the bladder, and the tube, which connects the urinary bladder to the outside of the body (urethra).
The ureter at the bladder has a special construction that helps prevent urine from backing up into the kidneys, and the flow of urine through the urethra helps to expel bacteria.

Women develop the condition more often than men do, for reasons are unknown, although the shorter female urethra may be a reason. One woman in five develops a UTI during her lifetime. UTIs in men are not as common as in women but can be very serious when they do occur.