By Mary Enderbury, RN, BSN, WH-MSN
Intensive Care Unit, Blanchard Valley Hospital
A urinary tract infection, commonly abbreviated as UTI, is an often uncomfortable condition that may present with difficult or painful urination (dysuria). Many people experience burning or stinging with urination when they have a urinary tract infection, although it is possible for an infection to be asymptomatic or masked by other conditions, such as common symptoms of pregnancy (i.e., frequent urination).
Urinary tract infections occur in both men and women, but they are more common in women. This is because, in female anatomy, bacteria have a shorter distance to travel up into the urethra to the bladder. Additionally, the closer proximity of bacteria from the rectum leads to higher contamination rates of the urinary tract. Urinary tract infections may also encompass bladder infections, known as cystitis, or kidney infections, known as pyelonephritis.
