Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common condition, especially among women. There are a variety of factors that can contribute to a bacteria infection in the urethra, bladder or up into the kidneys. Any UTI can be painful and affect your health. However, if you are having recurrent UTIs, it could be a more serious condition. Chronic UTIs can have serious health risks and need a more holistic approach to stop the infection cycle.
What Are Chronic UTIs?
When urinary tract infections keeping coming back or do not respond to treatment, it is called a chronic UTI. Females are more susceptible to all UTIs due to their biology and other risk factors, but any gender can experience chronic UTIs. The basic symptoms of a UTI include:
- Painful, burning urination
- Frequent need to urinate
- Dark or bloody urine
- Pain in the kidney area in the lower back
- Pain in your bladder area
UTIs involve bacteria infecting the urethra, bladder or kidneys. Most UTIs begin by bacteria entering the urethra. If the bacteria are not flushed out and reach the bladder, it can cause a bladder infection. If this infection is not curtailed, the infection can travel to the kidneys, which can pose serious health risks.
Treatment for Chronic UTIs
Many patients with chronic UTIs have tried the typical antibiotic treatment and still continue to have reoccurring infections. The bacteria causing the UTIs can become resistant to antibiotics, which can result in UTIs that do not respond to this treatment. To find relief for the patient and prevent serious complications from the chronic UTIs, it is important to determine what is causing the UTIs and find a more holistic treatment approach.
At Clear Immediate Care, we strive to treat the whole patient, not just the symptoms. When a patient comes to us with chronic UTIs, we want to uncover what is perpetuating the recurrent infections. There are hormonal imbalances, lifestyle choices, medications and other factors that can contribute to chronic UTIs. We look at the overall health of the patient to devise a personalized treatment plan to stop the chronic UTIs.
If you have symptoms of a UTI, contact us at Clear Immediate Care to schedule an appointment. Call our medical center in Chicago – we are open seven days a week for primary care and urgent medical visits.