HEALTH
THE PAINFUL PEE
A urinary tract infection can make a visit to the bathroom your worst nightmare.
You have to pee, and you have to pee now. Ten minutes later you have to pee again and this time, urine
stings and burns its way out. In a couple more hours it feels like you're pissing razor blades. When you turn to flush, the liquid in the bowl resembles tomato juice. Stacie Weninger has become quite familiar with these feelings.
The Wichita senior had about one urinary tract infection a week last year. She wouldn't wish the pain of one upon anyone, she says.
These pesky urinary tract infections, or UTIs, are most common among females, says Jean Schrader, physician at Family Medicine Associates, 4921 W. 18th St.Schrader sees two to three young
WHAT IS THE URINARY TRACT?
ILLUSTRATION/GREG GRIESENAUER
The system that holds urine, including the bladder, kidneys and ureters.
women daily with an infection.
Symptoms include frequent,
urgent and painful urinating, blood
in urine, foul-smelling urine and, on occasion, pain in the lower abdomen, says Patricia Denning, physician at Watkins Memorial Health Center, 1200 Schweigel Drive.
Courtney, Atchison junior, had a recent
Junior, had a recent UTI that wouldn't go away. The pain of the infection was the ultimate discomfort, she says. She tried different antibiotics until one finally worked for her she says.
Both men and women get infections when bacteria crawl into the urethra, but women are more prone to suffer from UTIs because their urethras are shorter, making
Dealing with UTIs can be painful; these tips on how to prevent and treat them can make your trips to the bathroom more enjoyable.
E. coli bacteria from the body commonly causes UTIs, Schrader says. Other times bacteria enter the bloodstream and travel downward into the bladder, Denning says. If you thought gastrointestinal problems were bad enough, you can also get infected after having diarrhea because of the thriving bacteria, Schrader says. If untreated, bacteria can sometimes travel into the kidneys, causing serious illness, including fever, backache, nausea and vomiting, Denning says.
How it happens
Relieve yourself
Make sure to make a pit stop. Women frequently get infections when they don't pass urine after sexual intercourse, Schrader says. You can also get a UTI when you don't urinate for long periods of time, which lets the urine
it easier for bacteria to find its way upward, Schrader says.
When you're finishing up in the bathroom, remember to wipe from front to back, Denning says. This helpskeepbacteria from climbing into places you don't want them.
become stagnant, she says.
your body and prevents illness in general. Adults should drink 64 ounces of water daily — about eight glasses. The average college student only drinks about half of that. Denning says.
Cranberry juice is especially good for the urinary tract because
SYMPTOMS OF A UTI
- Frequent and urgent urinating
* Pain during and after urination
  * Blood in urine
  * Smelly urine
- Pain in lower abdomen
Source: Patricia Denning,
physician at Watkins
Health Center
Water works Staying hydrated helps flush out
the juice's pigment stops bacteria from clinging to bladder walls, Schrader says. You can buy 100 percent cranberry juice or cranberry extract pills at local drug, grocery and health stores.
If you experience pain when you urinate for more
than 48 hours, start drinking fluids and visit a doctor for an urinalysis.
where medical laboratory personnel test your urine for bacteria. Physicians commonly prescribe an antibiotic that kills infection and has an anesthetic to numb the pain of urinating, Denning says.
Some women are more prone to urinary tract infections. Last year Weninger, Wichita senior, had about one each week. When women have recurrent infection related to sex, a prophylactic antibiotic can be taken around the time of intercourse. Denning says women who have four to six documented urinary tract infections each year may receive this treatment.
Whv me?
JAYPLAY 10.19.2006
Ladies, drink plenty fluids and don't fret your trips to the bathroom.
15 JAYRDAY 10:19:2006