Of a bacteriuria medicine speaks, if an increased value is determined of bacteria in the investigation of the urine. In many cases there are no complaints associated with this. If symptoms such as pain when urinating, a strong urge to urinate and fever occur, symptomatic bacteriuria is present in connection with inflammation of the urinary tract up to and including inflammation of the renal pelvis.
What is bacteriuria?
The medicine understands bacteriuria as an increased accumulation of bacteria in the urine. Depending on the findings, bacteriuria can be completely symptom-free and harmless, or it can be accompanied by symptoms of inflammation such as severe pain in the urinary tract, chills and fever.
In such a case, medicine speaks of symptomatic bacteriuria. Severe bacteriuria with pronounced symptoms of a urinary tract infection can develop into pelvic kidney disease if left untreated. Bacteriuria can affect patients of any age, but older people more often than younger people. Statistically speaking, women suffer more often from bacteriuria than men because of the anatomical peculiarities of the urinary tract.
Causes
According to psyknowhow.com, bacteriuria is caused by bacteria that have penetrated the urine from outside and disturb the balance in the normally sterile urine. The penetration of the bacteria can have many causes.
In women, due to the open access to the ureter, it is often intestinal bacteria that can get into the urine when using the toilet. Hygiene errors when applying a urinary catheter as well as bladder cancer and diabetes can also lead to bacteriuria.
Why bacteriuria sometimes occurs without symptoms and sometimes with discomfort is not clear medically. Research is based on weaker bacteria that do not offer the immune system enough surface to attack and therefore lead to moderate bacteriuria.
Symptoms, ailments & signs
The symptoms and complaints of bacteriuria are relatively clear and usually always point directly to the disease. For this reason, in most cases, the disease can be diagnosed and treated early so that a complete cure occurs. Those affected suffer from a large number of bacteria in the urine.
This occurrence is noticeable by pain when urinating. In addition to the pain, there is also a burning sensation. Small amounts of blood may be found in the urine. For many people, bloody urine also leads to anxiety or a panic attack. In addition to painful urination, bacteriuria can also cause pain in the pelvis or kidneys.
The urine often smells very unpleasant. The symptoms can be very different, and in some cases the bacteriuria is completely symptom-free. It can also go away on its own without the need for treatment.
Because of the pain when urinating, many bacteriuria sufferers also suffer from mental disorders or from depression. It can also lead to dehydration, as patients deliberately drink less fluids.
Diagnosis & course
A diagnosis of bacteriuria is made when elevated levels of bacteria are found when the urine is examined in the laboratory. Two urine samples are usually required to establish the diagnosis, as the result can easily be falsified by moving the urine.
If the diagnosis is clear, but the patient does not show any symptoms, the bacteriuria is normal and at some point disappears on its own. In contrast, bacteriuria with symptoms can be very severe.
Urinary tract pain can range from a slight burning sensation when urinating to very severe pain in the urethra or pelvis.
A noticeable change in the urine, such as cloudy or reddish discoloration, blood in the urine or a bad odor, can be signs of bacteriuria.
Complications
A variety of complications can occur with bacteriuria. The occurrence of bacteriuria is very different in women and men and is particularly preferred in women during pregnancy. In many cases, bacteriuria causes inflammation in the kidneys or urinary tract. This usually results in increased urination.
Pain is not uncommon when urinating. This can greatly reduce the patient’s quality of life, as pain occurs every time they go to the toilet. As a result, people often drink less, which can lead to other complaints such as headaches or insomnia. Those affected also complain of a burning sensation when urinating.
Treatment should always be carried out by a doctor. In most cases it takes place with the help of antibiotics. A surgical procedure is not necessary. The symptom often occurs in diabetics and can be avoided by reducing the intake of sugar and drinking plenty of fluids.
If you have bacteriuria, bed rest and rest will also help manage the symptom. Going to the workplace is usually not possible and should also be avoided.
When should you go to the doctor?
If you experience pain or burning sensation when urinating or if there is blood in your urine, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. They can then do an examination and determine whether it is bacteriuria or something else. Then the specific disease, such as a bladder infection or a urinary tract infection, can be identified and treated. If the symptoms are particularly intense and do not subside after a week at the latest, a doctor must be consulted at the latest.
It is possible that the bacteria have now spread to other areas of the body such as the kidneys or the urinary tract or a serious infection has already developed. Headaches, insomnia and other complaints are clear indicators of advanced bacteriuria. If one or more of these symptoms occur, the person concerned should go to a doctor and determine the cause. This is especially true for risk groups such as diabetics, people with immunodeficiency and pregnant women. Usually it is enough to use antibiotics, bed rest and dietary measures against the disease.
Treatment & Therapy
If a harmless mild bacteriuria is discovered by chance during a routine examination and it remains permanently symptom-free, the doctor will usually not give any further treatment.
However, it is advisable to significantly increase the intake of fluids, for example in the form of still mineral water, in order to flush the bacteria out of the urinary tract. Healing teas with a diuretic effect can also have a supportive effect. Dandelion and nettle, rosemary and juniper have a positive effect on urine excretion. Mixtures of this kind, known as drainage teas or urine teas, can be bought ready-made, but you can also put them together yourself.
Diuretic vegetables and fruits such as asparagus and raw carrots, melons and pineapples are good for flushing out diets for bacteriuria. As a precaution, bacteriuria in pregnant women is treated even without symptoms in order to prevent the risk of a possible premature birth or pelvic inflammation. Only antibiotics against bacteriuria work reliably during pregnancy.
Outlook & forecast
Bacteriuria does not always have to cause discomfort or pain. Many of those affected do not suffer from any symptoms and therefore do not need any special treatment.
Treatment is therefore only necessary if the person concerned has pain or a burning sensation when urinating. As a rule, the treatment of bacteriuria always leads to success, so that the course of the disease is always positive. In most cases, the treatment is done with the help of antibiotics.
The symptoms disappear after a few days and there are no further complications. The bacteriuria can possibly also lead to inflammation or discomfort in the neighboring regions of the body, which can, however, also be treated with the help of medication. Different teas can also have a positive effect on the disease.
If the bacteriuria is not treated, there is usually no self-healing and various inflammations or infections in the organs. In many cases, improved hygiene can combat the disease and limit the symptoms.
Prevention
There is no one hundred percent safe preventive measure against bacteriuria. The excessive accumulation of bacteria in the urine can develop at any time for no apparent cause. As a preventive measure, as well as drinking plenty of fluids, embarrassing hygiene when washing your intimate areas and when using the toilet helps.
Women should be careful not to accidentally let bacteria from the intestine pass through the urinary tract when wiping with a washcloth or toilet paper. In patients with urinary catheters, special hygiene is also indicated in order to avoid bacteriuria.
Aftercare
Scheduled follow-up examinations are not necessary if bacteriuria is found. The disease heals completely. Those affected no longer feel any pain. However, immunity does not develop, which can lead to new infections. Slight forms of the course often even go unnoticed.
Only pain when urinating or around the genital area usually leads to a doctor’s visit. Diagnosis is made using a urine sample. In addition to home remedies such as nettle and rosemary tea, antibiotics help relieve the signs of bacteriuria. It is often enough to just increase your hydration. This flushes the bacteria out of the body. In severe cases, the pathogens attack nearby organs.
Patients can take preventive measures themselves to prevent re-infection. The attending physician will inform you about this as part of the initial therapy. Most of the time, a disease can be traced back to a lack of hygiene. Patients at risk should wash their genital areas daily. Using the toilet and having sexual intercourse are further sources of infection.
Moist toilet paper and contraceptives such as condoms are suitable for cleaning or avoiding infection. Anyone who has a urinary catheter with them for certain medical reasons should pay particular attention to intimate hygiene. The risk of infection is many times higher for these people.
You can do that yourself
If bacteriuria is present, a doctor should always clarify whether treatment with an antibiotic is necessary. If there are only a few bacteria in the urine, an increase in the fluid intake to at least two liters per day is often enough to flush them out.
Water and herbal teas are preferable caffeine and sugary drinks, many medicinal herbs such as nettle, chamomile, bearberry leaves and horsetail have an additional diuretic and anti-inflammatory.
Lingonberries and cranberries contain substances that make it more difficult for bacteria to establish themselves in the bladder mucous membrane – the number of pathogens in the urine can also be significantly reduced by drinking lingonberry or cranberry juice regularly. Herbal medicines with extracts of nasturtium and horseradish naturally fight the bacteria present in the urine, similar to an antibiotic.
Hypothermia makes the bladder prone to infections, so the abdomen and feet in particular should always be kept warm. If the bacteriuria has already developed into a bladder infection that is accompanied by cramps, putting on a hot water bottle or a cherry stone bag often helps.
Regular and complete emptying of the bladder prevents the bacteria from multiplying massively – it is particularly recommended for women to go to the toilet after intercourse. Intimate hygiene is important in bacteriuria, but exaggerated it does more harm than good.
