The urinary tract is a system in the human anatomy prone to various infections. This particular system is divided into two parts that are the upper tract which is composed of the kidney and the ureter which is connected to it. The second part is the lower urinary tract which is made up of the urinary bladder and urethra (Price Paul, Kevin B. Frey, and Teri L. Junge,p284-285). The lower urinary tract in the herein system is the one susceptible to diseases and infections since the urethra is an opening pathway. However, the urethra is one of the body parts that is lined with normal flora to cumber the pathogens.
How Urinary Tract Infection is Acquired
The urinary bladder is a collection of cells(organ) that collects and stores urine from the distal tracts in the kidneys. When the bladder has attained its capacity of 400-600ml, the urine is passed from the bladder and out of the body through the urethra. With that in mind, the most common infection that affects the bladder is called cystitis. Cystitis is the inflammation of the bladder caused by an infection. Whereas the urethra is affected more often than not by urethritis. The mentioned infections if left untreated may cause kidney failure.
It is quite easy to contract these diseases since disease-causing pathogens that reside in the genitals and the anal sphincter make their way through the urethra and cause infections. This movement is facilitated during coitus or other sexual encounters like fingering and sex toys. Therefore, if one partner or the sex fomite is infected, then bacteria travel to the susceptible host during sexual pleasure. Furthermore, some people are more susceptible to the infection, for example, those who have had it before, have diabetes, those who are obese, and those who have kidney stones. It is almost impossible to certainly know the root cause of how UTIs are contracted.
What Can Be Done to Curb
It is possible to limit and minimize the risk of contracting UTIs. It is easier for females to contract these infections since the women have a shorter urethra which allows the bacteria to enter with ease. Moreover, women have an opening closer to the anal sphincter where most E.coli is found (Kirsten Nunez,2020)
Therefore, UTI spread and contraction can be reduced by the following; drinking plenty of fluids, staying hydrated is the best choice. Water flushes away the pathogen from the tract. Urinating before and after sex is also vital in preventing the contraction of these infections. The idea is to flush the residing bacteria before sex hence keeping it clean and after sex, it is important to urinate and wash the genitals to flush the bacteria that may have been contracted.
Body Parts that Play a Part
Urinary Tract Infection affects most parts of the urinary system, the bladder, ureters, urethra, and kidney. However, the lower urinary tract is more prone to infection. The urethra is the most common pathway for bacteria and pathogens that can cause infections. The urethra is mostly affected by urethritis which is the inflammation of the urethra. The bladder on the other hand is mostly affected by cystitis which is the inflammation of the bladder. In the case where either of these infections is not treated or controlled, it may develop into pyelonephritis which is a kidney infection.
Works Cited
Price Paul, Kevin B. Frey, and Teri L. Junge, eds. Surgical technology for the surgical technologist: A positive care approach. Taylor & Francis, 2004.
Kirsten Nunez. “Reducing risk of UTI.” Healthline: Medical Information and Health Advice You Can Trust, 20 Jan. 2020, www.healthline.com/health/how-to-prevent-uti.
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