Four Signs You Have a UTI #healthynewyear #focusonhealth #uti #womenshealth

This month, The Weekend Gourmet is focusing on staying healthy and having better nutrition, While this content will mostly be about eating more healthfully to improve your health and lose weight...we'll also feature some non-food articles. Today, The Weekend Gourmet's correspondent is sharing some information about Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) -- important information for all women. This feature may contain affiliate links.

For most women, a UTI is something that occurs at least once in their life -- unless they're incredibly lucky. Did you know that 60% of women will develop a UTI at some point in life? This is mostly because of the makeup of the female anatomy. Compared to our male counterparts, we have a shorter urethra -- which results in an easier pathway for bacteria to get to the bladder! Health is so important, and no one wants to deal with the pain that comes with a UTI -- which happen when bacteria gets into the urethra.

This can happen because of incorrect bathroom wiping techniques, sex, and infections. UTIs aren't the nicest thing to talk about for women -- much less having to experience one! However, unless you want to have a catheter inserted to relieve the pressure of infection on your bladder, it’s very important to recognize the signs of a UTI. It’s likely you’ll have to deal with a UTI at some point, so you should b prepared and informed. Let’s take a look at the signs of a UTI below:

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1. The first sign you're dealing with a UTI is typically painful and frequent peeing. Most women notice they're heading to the toilet very often, but they're unable to urinate much. The feeling is sometimes described as like "peeing razor blades," with the need to go being very urgent.
2. The next sign is in the color of the urine. Healthy urine is a pale straw color -- or almost clear. If you notice dark, cloudy, or bloody urine...that's a sign you need to make an appointment with your doctor.
3. You’ll soon notice signs of infection if your urine smells particularly strong. Some people notice a foul smell; while all urine tends to have a strong smell, urine is especially strong-smelling with the presence of a UTI.
4. Finally, back pain is very common with a UTI. These infections can -- and do -- spread, with back pain indicating your UTI has possibly spread. UTIs can ascend into the kidneys; when this happens, strong antibiotics are needed to clear the infection.

If you notice any of these symptoms and suspect you have a UTI, the first thing to do is to immediately book an appointment with your primary physician for confirmation. They’ll perform a urine test to confirm you have a UTI. The doctor will also discuss your symptoms and can often base their diagnoses on your symptoms. Along with taking antibiotics, drinking water or cranberry juice can help “flush” the infection from your urethra. Along with precautions like using the bathroom directly after having sex...and wiping correctly after going to the bathroom...you can help avoid UTIs. 

Bodies are wonderful things, so it’s important to recognize when things are going wrong. Instead of dealing with the discomfort and pain of a UTI, it's better to be vigilant and avoid actions that typically lead to UTIs. Get as much information as you can about how to handle infections of the bladder too -- so you can be aware of how to deal with them too!