Understanding Urinary Tract Infections Across the Lifespan

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are very common in the U.S. In fact, UTIs are the second most common type of infection in the body and are the reason for more than 8 million visits to the doctor each year. About 10 in 25 women and 3 in 25 men will have symptoms of a UTI during their lifetime. A UTI happens when you get an infection in your urinary tract. 

Most UTIs are not serious, but some can lead to serious problems like kidney infections. The most common care or treatment for a UTI is antibiotics. Signs of a UTI involve pain or burning when you pass urine, urine that looks cloudy or smells bad, pressure in your lower stomach, and an urge to go to the bathroom often. You can get a UTI at any age, but there are peak times in life when they are more common. Let’s explore UTIs across the lifespan!

UTIs in Children 

Roughly 2.5% of all children will get a UTI. UTIs are most common in children under the age of 5 years. Girls are more likely than boys to get a UTI. If a UTI or other urinary problem keeps occurring with your child, your doctor may send you to a pediatric urologist. Urologists are doctors who are trained to work on problems of the male and female urinary tract, as well as male reproductive organs such as the prostate. A parent can help lower the risk that their child will get a UTI by making sure they stay hydrated. It’s also important to go over or teach good ‘toileting habits’ with kids, such as going to the bathroom often and making sure they don’t hold their urine.

UTIs in Girls and Women

During puberty, young women may get UTIs. This peak in UTIs is often linked to the onset of sexual activity. One more peak time for UTIs in women is after menopause. This is because of lower vaginal estrogen levels. Lower estrogen levels make it easier for bacteria to grow. Much like girls having higher rates of UTIs than boys, women have higher rates of UTIs than men because of their anatomy. A woman’s urethra is shorter than a man’s. This makes it easy for bacteria to enter her bladder. To add to the human body make-up, the opening of a woman’s urethra is near the anus and vagina/birth canal; two common places where bacteria dwell. To help stop UTIs before they happen, women are urged to wipe from ‘front to back’ when using the bathroom. This helps cut the chance of spreading bacteria from the anus to the opening of the urethra.

Women may also notice more UTIs after sexual activity. “For patients who experience this issue, taking a low dose antibiotic taken around the time of sexual activity can be very useful in lowering the overall rate of infection,” says Dr. Tomas Griebling, professor of urology at the University of Kansas School of Medicine.

UTIs in Older Adults



Other Groups at High-Risk for UTIs


The purpose of your urinary tract is to make and store urine. Your urinary tract is made up of two kidneys that make urine, a bladder that holds urine, two ureters (the tubes that carry urine from the kidney to the bladder) and a urethra (the tube that carries urine from your bladder out of your body).

How UTIs are Diagnosed




Tips for Preventing UTIs

  1. Drink plenty of water.
  2. Urinate often.
  3. Don’t hold it.
  4. Keep your genital area clean.
  5. Empty your bladder before and after sex

For more information about UTIs in men, women and children, visit UrologyHealth.org.

UrologyHealth.org  |  SUMMER 2016  |  UROLOGYHEALTH extra