There’s no doubt that women are more likely to get a urinary tract infection, but men can also develop the same problem. Whether you have a simple or complicated urinary tract infection, the board-certified Nephrologist, Sowmya Puthalapattu, MD, at Kingwood Kidney Associates have the expertise to treat the problem, relieve your symptoms, and prevent complications. If you develop a urinary tract infection, use online booking or call the office in Humble, Texas, to schedule an appointment.
A urinary tract infection or UTI develops when bacteria get into your urinary tract. The bacteria may affect your urethra or go higher into the urinary tract to infect your bladder, kidneys, and in men, the prostate gland.
Urinary tract infections are known by different names, depending on their location:
Women commonly develop UTIs at any age, while men tend to develop UTIs as they get older. Overall, women have a higher risk because their urethral opening is close to bacteria living around the vagina and rectum.
A complicated urinary tract infection occurs when the infection is associated with an underlying urinary tract problem or a health condition that makes you susceptible to serious complications from the infection.
No matter what makes it complicated, this type of infection increases your risk of treatment resistance, the need for longer courses of antibiotics, and recurrent UTIs.
UTIs in men are always considered complicated. Other possible reasons for a complicated urinary tract infection include:
You also have a complicated UTI when it develops following surgery, such as a prostatectomy.
Mild UTIs may not cause symptoms. When symptoms develop, you experience:
If the infection reaches your kidneys, you develop nausea, a fever, and pain in your upper back or side.
When patients have a complicated UTI, the team at Kingwood Kidney Associates diagnoses and treats the underlying problem. Antibiotics are the primary treatment for simple and complicated UTIs, but a complicated case requires a longer course of antibiotics.
Kingwood Kidney Associates may send your urine to the lab to determine the exact type of bacteria or organism causing your infection. This allows the team to prescribe a narrow-spectrum antibiotic that specifically targets the microorganism.
To get expert treatment for a urinary tract infection, call Kingwood Kidney Associates, or schedule an appointment online.pro
