UTI or Urinary Tract Infection, is a condition that causes infection in your urinary system. UTI is more common in women than in men. In fact, up to 40% of women between the ages of 20 and 40 in the country are diagnosed with UTI. Here are some of the common causes and signs of UTI you should know about.

Common signs of UTI

• Painful urination – One of the most mentioned signs in the list of common causes and signs of UTI is painful urination. The microorganism that infects the urinary system causes inflammation in the urinary tract. This causes pain while urinating, and most individuals also experience a burning sensation while urinating.
• Increased frequency of urination – Once bacteria enter the urinary system, they start causing inflammation all over. This can damage receptors that signal your brain that you need to pee. When the receptors do not function properly, you may want to pee even when there is no urine in the bladder.
• Cloudy and dark-colored urine – As the urinary infection starts spreading, your body’s defense mechanism starts kicking in. Excess white blood cells (WBCs) are targeted to the infected area to kill the bacteria. These WBCs mix with your urine and make your urine look cloudy or pale white in color.

Common causes of UTI

• Diabetes – In the list of common causes and signs of UTI, diabetes is certainly a cause you cannot ignore. When a person’s blood sugar levels are high, their body’s WBCs do not function as well as they should, and this results in increased chances of developing a UTI. Also, people with diabetes are not able to empty their bladder completely, and this puts them at a higher risk of developing infections.
• Urethral infection – The urethra is very close to the anus and the vagina in women. This increases the chance of developing infections, especially if the person does not follow healthy personal hygiene. Women with multiple sexual partners can get UTI more often because of urethral infections.
• E. coli bacteria – E. coli bacteria is a very common type of bacteria that causes havoc in the gastrointestinal tract. This bacterium, when it is shed from the body, can spread to the urinary tract and bladder and result in infections spreading across the urinary system. While other bacteria cause infections too, E. coli is the most common and has to take precautions.

Knowing the common causes and signs of UTI will help you stay healthy and free of infections. Any abnormality you notice in your urine frequency, color, or consistency needs to be discussed with your doctor right away. It is easy to treat UTIs in their early stages. Staying hydrated and practicing good hygiene will help you prevent the condition.