Urinary tract infection develops in patients when bacteria enter the urinary tract via the urethra and is later seen to multiply in the bladder rapidly. The urinary system is built to eliminate such bacteria in normal cases and multiply and grow into an infection.

Let us discuss the risk factors and prevention tips for UTI.

Risk factors

• The female anatomy
  UTI is seen to occur more commonly in women. One of the primary reasons behind this is that women naturally have a shorter urethra than men. This allows the bacteria to reach the bladder faster and efficiently.
• Menopause
  Menopause causes a decrease in the circulation of estrogen inside the urinary tract. This is often seen to be the cause of bacteria accumulation and infection in the bladder.
• Urine residue
  Incomplete bladder emptying can also cause bacteria to accumulate faster in the urinary tracts because of the residual urine. Pregnancy is one of the significant causes of urine residual-based UTI. More than 15% of pregnant women develop UTI.
• A weak immune system
  Illnesses, such as diabetes, takes a toll on the immunity of the human body. Lower immunity causes your body to grow weak and unable to fight off germs and bacteria. With low immunity, your body will be at a higher risk of having bacteria collected in the urinary tracts.
• Sexual activity
  It has been seen that women develop UTI more commonly when they are sexually active and more commonly in women who have intercourse with new partners.
• Blockage in the urinary tract
  When patients have stones in their kidneys or suffer from an enlarged prostate, the urine is trapped in the bladder due to these abnormalities. This can cause the trapped urine to get infected more quickly in the bladder.

Preventions

• Consuming more water
  By consuming more water, you can dilute urine more easily, and you will urinate more often. This is a vital factor among all the risk factors and prevention tips of UTI. Urinating more often will allow your body to flush out any bacteria that may have accumulated in the urinary tracts or the bladder and prevent the infection from spreading.
• Thorough wash
  It is essential to thoroughly wash from the front to back after urinating and passing stool. This measure can prevent any infection from entering the vaginal or anal region.
• Avoid using certain feminine products
  Certain deodorants and powders can be applied in the genital area but have been seen to cause irritation. Avoid using any such products in the genital area, which may increase the risk of developing a rash or any infection.

When the bladder fails to stop bacteria from entering, it develops into an infection, causing a lot of discomfort.

Discussed above were some of the risk factors and prevention tips of UTI , with the help of which you can now identify when you need to visit a doctor for a check-up.