Urinary Track Infection - Do you have one?

Urinary Track Infection - The Painful and Silent Assassin  

Are you pissing blood? Do you feel razorblades slashing your most sensitive areas when you piss?

These are 2 extreme examples that you have a urinary track infection or uti.

UTI's are very common and afflict over 12 million people in the US every year.

Here are 2 interesting facts from the Nigerian Tribune:

“The amount of urine produced depends on how much water we take, the climate in which we live and how healthy our kidneys are.”

“Kidney stones are one of the most common and painful types of urinary tract disorders. Besides, one in every twenty people is said to develop this disorder at some point in life.”

-Nigerian Tribune

Urine Color Chart - What Your Urine Color Tells You

The color of your urine tells much about you including what kind of foods you have eaten recently as well as whether you've exercised and corresponding hormone levels.

So how do you know whether you have a urinary track infection?

This chart will tell you by color and is a good first watch alert mechanism. It comes courtesy of Larrian Gillespie, a retired urologist-urogynecologist:

Clear: You’ve been drinking more liquids than usual. Signals good hydration and health. However, if you’re not drinking increased amounts of beverages and it remains consistently clear, contact a physician — it could be a sign of a kidney or liver disorder.

Dark yellow: Most likely, you haven’t been drinking enough liquids and are dehydrated. Drink up, podner. On average, we need at least 32 ounces of fluids per day.

Fluorescent yellow or orange: Perhaps you’ve been consuming a lot of darker-colored foods, such as beets, carrots, too much vitamin C, etc. Could also be an early sign of liver dysfunction if urine is consistently a dark yellow/orange or brownish color. Keep hydrated. If color persists, see a doctor.

Blood-tinged or rust: If accompanied by pain, burning and frequent urination, it is most likely a urinary tract infection. Contact your health care provider for a urine culture. Can take over-the-counter medications formulated to relieve the pain while waiting for results and an antibiotic prescription.

Brown: Could indicate a serious condition, liver or kidney disease. See a physician.

Green or blue: Weird colors to scare the bejezus out of most anybody, but most likely caused by artificial coloring in food or drugs. Urine in the brighter green color can also be an indication of an excess of B vitamins (Dr. Green disagrees, saying the color is fluorescent yellow for B vitamins). Cut back on supplements and artificial food colorings. If nothing changes, consult a doctor.

Murky, cloudy: Yikes! Could be bacterial vaginosis or a yeast infection, a bad urinary tract infection, kidney stones or other urinary tract diseases. See a physician promptly and alert the physician about any changes in the way you urinate (flow, pain or urgency).

end chart

You - Newly Crowned Urine Peeper

So obviously, now you will be a urine peeper.  You can look at yours every time you go to see where you are on the chart and catch any problems very early before they become big problems.

Uti is very serious and early detection is critical to minimizing its damaging effects, symptoms and the pain it causes you.

UTI - Women, Men and Children

Women are more affected by these pesky little bacteria in your nether regions than men or children though the instances in children are on the rise right now.

Natural Remedies to Urinary Track Infection

Women are more affected by these pesky little bacteria in your nether regions than men or children though the instances in children are on the rise right now.

Drinking enough or a little more than enough water is a good way to keep your system flushed out and the bacteria on the move.  When they stagnate and have a chance to lock on to the walls of your urethra and urine tract is when problems arise.

Another of the natural remedies you can do is drink cranberry juice.  This video tells you more about how this natural and tasty remedy can cure the nasty urinary track infection you are feeling.

What You Do Now

You have some options to deal with the pain and prevent it from hitting you in the first place.  You have gotten a little education now it is time to put it into practice.

Gets the full story and cure here