Ok So How Do I Make Sure I Never Get A Uti Or A Kidney Infection
As they say, prevention is the best cure! And there are many things you can do to ensure that youre reducing your risk for an infection, and preventing build up from occurring in the kidneys.
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Practice good hygiene. Always wipe from front to back, keep your genital area clean, wash before and after sex. Basically, do your best to keep bacteria from even having a chance of getting into the urinary system in the first place.
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Drink lots of water. If youre dehydrated, youre not only increasing your chance of a UTI, but youre also decreasing your urine output, meaning that more minerals have a chance to build up and settle in the urinary tract or kidneys.
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Make sure to urinate whenever you feel you have to go. Dont hold it in. This concentrates the urine allowing bacteria to build up and spread.
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Alter your diet if you find youre prone to kidney stones. Cut down on certain meats and shellfish and opting instead for more vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Avoid consuming too much sugar. Cut back on sodium, and eat more oxalate-rich foods .
And if you do start experiencing any of the symptoms above, be sure to see a doctor right away. UTIs, kidney infections, and kidney stones can usually be treated fairly easily, but its important to seek medical attention before any complications develop.
What Is A Uti Anyway
A UTI, or urinary tract infection, happens when bacteria enters into any part of your urinary system, which includes the urethra, the bladder, the kidneys or the uterus. If not flushed out of the system, the bacteria can lead to an infection, or a UTI.
If youve ever had a UTI , you probably havent forgotten the symptoms. UTIs are very unpleasant, to say the least, and are often accompanied with one or more of the following:
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A burning sensation when urinating
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A strong urge to urinate often, usually passing only small amounts of urine at a time.
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Cloudy and/or strong smelling urine
When To See Your Gp
See your GP if you have a fever and persistent tummy, lower back or genital pain, or if you notice a change to your usual pattern of urination.
Most kidney infections need prompt treatment with antibiotics to stop the infection from damaging the kidneys or spreading to the bloodstream. You may also need painkillers.
If youre especially vulnerable to the effects of an infection for example, if you have a pre-existing health condition or are pregnant, you may be admitted to hospital and treated with antibiotics through an intravenous drip.
After taking antibiotics, you should feel completely better after about two weeks.
In rare cases, a kidney infection can cause further problems. These include blood poisoning and a build-up of pus in the kidney called an abscess.
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Does Nitrofurantoin Kill Good Bacteria
Nitrofurantoin is one of the broad-spectrum antibiotics that kill pathogenic bacteria without harming good bacteria, thus reducing the risk of infection. It works against certain types of bacteria by inactivating the enzymes that drive cell wall synthesis and cause UTIs. Nitrofurantoin has minimal effect on gut bacteria.
Common Side Effects People Have Besides Kidney Infection *:
* Approximation only. Some reports may have incomplete information.
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Cranberries Blueberries And Lingonberries
Cranberries, blueberries, and lingonberries , are three fruits thought by many to have protective properties against urinary tract infections. These fruits contain compounds called tannins . Tannins may prevent E. coli from adhering to cells in the urinary tract, thereby inhibiting infection.
Cranberry juice is the best-studied home remedy for UTIs. Many small studies have indicated that cranberry juice may help decrease the number of symptomatic UTIs, especially for women with recurrent urinary tract infections. However, randomized controlled studies and reviews suggest that cranberries provide little benefit. Using concentrated cranberry tablets may be more effective than cranberry juice.
Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections
Most women who have had an uncomplicated UTI have occasional recurrences. Many of these women get another infection within a year of the previous one. A much smaller number of women have ongoing, recurrent urinary tract infections, which follow the resolution of a previously treated or untreated episode.
Recurrence is often categorized as either reinfection or relapse:
- Reinfection. Most cases of recurring UTIs are reinfections. A reinfection occurs several weeks after antibiotic treatment has cleared up the initial episode. It can be caused by the same bacterial strain that caused the original episode or a different one. The infecting organism is usually introduced from fecal matter and moves up through the urinary tract.
- Relapse. Relapse is the less common form of recurrent UTI. It is diagnosed when a UTI recurs within 2 weeks of treatment of the first episode and is due to treatment failure. Relapse usually occurs in kidney infection or is associated with obstructions such as kidney stones, structural abnormalities or, in men, chronic prostatitis.
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What Does Current Guidance Say On This Issue
A 2015 NICE Clinical Knowledge Summary of current evidence and practical guidance, recommends that women who experience unacceptable discomfort or disruption from recurrent urinary tract infections be given antibiotics to try to prevent them. NICE advises that while there is currently no evidence to recommend one particular antibiotic over another, trimethoprim and nitrofurantoin are preferred antibiotics.
NICE recommends that when deciding whether or not to prescribe an antimicrobial drug, clinicians should take into account the risk of antimicrobial resistance for individual patients and the population as a whole.
What Is A Kidney Infection
Kidney infection, or pyelonephritis, is a bacterial infection of the kidneys that constitutes a medically urgent condition requiring immediate antibiotic treatment. Untreated kidney infection runs the risk of an abscess, kidney damage, loss of kidney function, blood poisoning , and, in a worst-case scenario, kidney failure.
Kidney infections are a commonly experienced type of kidney disease, accounting for over 250,000 cases per year. They are typically caused by an active urinary tract infection that begins in the bladder, called cystitis. Because women are at a higher risk for cystitis, they are also at a higher risk for kidney infection. Approximately 15-17 out of every 10,000 women are diagnosed with kidney infection annually compared to 3-4 out of every 10,000 men. Other risk factors include urinary system blockage, a compromised immune system, urinary catheters, or vesicoureteral reflux, a condition in which urine flows up from the bladder back into the kidneys.
Most kidney infections are the result of urinary tract infections caused by a bacteria called Escherichia coli, or E. coli, which normally lives in the colon. Bacteria that finds its way into the bladder and goes untreated can travel up the ureters, the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder, and spread to the kidneys and their collecting systems.
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Warnings For Other Groups
For pregnant women: During weeks 037 of pregnancy, nitrofurantoin is a category B pregnancy drug. That means two things:
Talk with your doctor if youre pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Animal studies do not always predict the way humans would respond.
Nitrofurantoin can cause red blood cell problems in a newborn. For this reason, women who are pregnant should not take this drug:
- when they are at term ,
- during labor and delivery
- if they think they are in labor
For women who are breastfeeding: Nitrofurantoin may pass into breast milk and cause side effects in a child who is breastfed. Talk with your doctor about breastfeeding your child. You may need to decide whether to stop breastfeeding or stop taking this medication.
For seniors: The kidneys of older adults may not work as well as they used to. This can cause your body to process drugs more slowly. As a result, more of a drug stays in your body for a longer time. This raises your risk of side effects. If youre older than 65 years, nitrofurantoin may not be a good choice for you.
This dosage information is for nitrofurantoin oral capsule. All possible dosages and drug forms may not be included here. Your dosage, drug form, and how often you take the drug will depend on:
How Long Before Macrobid Works For Uti
Macrobid is a perfectly acceptable antibiotic for a UTI A really bad infection can take a couple of weeks to completely clear up, but rarely do people need more than one course of antibiotics. Your doctor is in the right to tell you what she did. You have to give them at least 72 hours to begin working.
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Avoid Alcohol And Coffee
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Sometimes imaging tests
The typical symptoms of pyelonephritis lead doctors to do two common laboratory tests to determine whether the kidneys are infected: examination of a urine specimen under a microscope to count the number of red and white blood cells and bacteria and a urine culture, in which bacteria from a urine sample are grown in a laboratory to identify the numbers and type of bacteria . Blood tests may be done to check for elevated white blood cell levels , bacteria in the blood, or kidney damage.
Imaging tests are done in people who have intense back pain typical of renal colic, in those who do not respond to antibiotic treatment within 72 hours, in those whose symptoms return shortly after antibiotic treatment is finished, in those with long-standing or recurring pyelonephritis, in those whose blood test results indicate kidney damage, and in men . Ultrasonography or helical computed tomography studies done in these situations may reveal kidney stones, structural abnormalities, or other causes of urinary obstruction.
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How Long Do I Need To Take Antibiotics To Treat A Uti
How long you take antibiotics for a UTI depends on how severe your UTI is and which antibiotic youre prescribed. Some medications like fosfomycin only require one dose, while a more severe UTI might require 14 days or more of treatment. Most require 3 to 7 days of treatment.
Within the first 1 to 2 days of starting your antibiotics, youll probably notice your UTI symptoms start to fade away. If your UTI is more severe or youve had symptoms for a while before starting antibiotics, it might take a few more days for you to notice improvement.
In any case, its important to take all the antibiotics youre prescribed, even if you start feeling better before finishing them. Stopping antibiotics early can lead to antibiotic resistance, which means the medication might not work as well as it should if you need it to treat an infection in the future. It can also mean your UTI might come back if you havent treated it completely.
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What Is The Treatment For A Kidney Infection
- Antibiotics will usually clear the infection. An antibiotic is usually prescribed straightaway if a kidney infection is suspected, even before the result of the urine test is known. Some germs are resistant to some antibiotics. Therefore, sometimes a change of antibiotic may be needed if the urine test shows a germ which is resistant to the initial antibiotic. The course of antibiotics is for 7-14 days, depending on which one is used. Commonly used antibiotics for kidney infections include ciprofloxacin, cefalexin, co-amoxiclav or trimethoprim.
- Painkillers such as paracetamol can ease pain and reduce a high temperature . Stronger painkillers may be needed if the pain is more severe. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen are not usually recommended for a person with a kidney infection. This is because they may possibly cause problems with the working of the kidney during a kidney infection.
- Plenty of fluid should be taken to prevent lack of fluid in the body .
In many cases, the infection is not too severe, treatment can be taken at home and the infection will clear with a course of antibiotic tablets. If treatment is to be home-based, a doctor should be called if the symptoms are not improving after 24 hours, or the person is feeling more unwell.
However, some people need to be admitted to hospital – for example if:
What Is The Most Important Information I Should Know About Macrobid
You should not take nitrofurantoin if you are allergic to it, or if you have:
- severe kidney disease
- a history of jaundice or liver problems caused by taking nitrofurantoin.
Do not take nitrofurantoin during late pregnancy .
Tell your doctor if you have ever had:
- kidney disease
- an electrolyte imbalance or vitamin B deficiency
- glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency or
- any type of debilitating disease.
You should not breastfeed a baby younger than 1 month old while you are taking nitrofurantoin.
Nitrofurantoin should not be given to a child younger than 1 month old.
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Treatment For Urinary Tract Infection
The best cystitistreatment is an antibiotic. Your dose and the type of antibiotic will depend on the severity of yourinfection as well as other factors, including:
- Side effects from past antibiotic treatments
Before your doctor prescribes you an antibiotic for UTI, he needs to determine the type of bacteriacausing the infection first. He will take a urine sample to confirm your infection. Samples of thebacteria will be grown in the lab for a couple of days. This culture will help your doctor determine thetype of bacteria thats causing the infection.
Warnings For People With Certain Health Conditions
For people with kidney disease: If you have a history of kidney disease, you may not be able to clear nitrofurantoin from your body well. This could lead to a buildup of nitrofurantoin. This raises your risk of side effects.
For people with liver disease: You should not use nitrofurantoin. It can make your liver damage worse.
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Should You Mix Nitrofurantoin And Alcohol
As a rule, it is always best to avoid drinking alcohol while experiencing a urinary tract infection. Further, mixing nitrofurantoin and alcohol could cause the antibiotic to become less effective. Therefore, the most effective route to take would be consuming a large amount of water to flush out bacteria from the urinary tract and bladder. The urinary tract must be flushed out in a timely manner to avoid serious medical consequences.
On the other hand, there are also many reasons not to consume any type of alcohol while taking Macrobid. The controversy that lies with Macrobid and alcohol use stems from the myth that combining the two can result in ineffectiveness. Studies suggest that medical professionals and doctors agree that consuming alcohol while taking Macrobid will not render the medication completely ineffective. The following side effects are worsened by alcohol to the point of being dangerous:
The truth is drinking alcohol while having a bacterial infection diminishes the individuals bodys ability to effectively fight the infection. When an individual is undergoing an infection of any kind, proper rest and nutrition are the key essentials to successfully recovering.
How Long Does It Take For Macrobid Pain To Go Away
I took AZO, OTC pain meds, nothing would touch it. I was prescribed Macrobid and within 4-6 hours most of my UTI symptoms were almost completely gone. The side effect of mild nausea that I found went away if taken with a meal. Do not let these reviews scare you. The relief this antibiotic gave me, I would take it again with no hesitation.
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How Should I Give Nitrofurantoin
Tablets
- Tablets should be swallowed with a glass of water, squash or juice. Your child should not chew the tablet.
Capsules
- Capsules should be swallowed with a glass of water, squash or juice. Your child should not chew the capsule.
Liquid medicine
- Shake the medicine well. Measure out the right amount using an oral syringe or a medicine spoon. You can get these from your pharmacist. Do not use a kitchen teaspoon as it will not give the right amount.
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Treatment Length For All Utis
No matter what kind of bacterial infection you have and where its located, the best antibiotic treatment for UTI is generally the shortest one. This is to lower your odds of developing antibiotic resistance and to decrease your risk of a yeast infection or infectious diarrhea.
Still, its imperative that you take all the antibiotics prescribed, even after symptoms subside. Most UTIs resolve within three to 10 days. Stopping your antibiotics early, before the drugs eliminate all bacteria, can create a breeding ground for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, too.
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