Urinary Tract Infections: A Study of Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

This report provides an overview of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), focusing on their impact on the elderly population. It begins by defining UTIs and highlighting their prevalence, particularly among women and the elderly. The report then details the common symptoms, such as frequent urination and burning sensations, while acknowledging the challenges in diagnosis among the elderly. It explores the primary causes, including Escherichia coli and other microorganisms like chlamydia and mycoplasma, and differentiates between the types of UTIs, such as pyelonephritis, cystitis, and urethritis. Finally, the report concludes by emphasizing the importance of hygiene and adequate water intake in preventing UTIs, while also mentioning the use of antibiotics for treatment.

Introduction
As people advance in age, their immunity becomes weaker. Weakened immunity predisposes
older people to infections. One of the most common bacterial infections that affect the elderly is
Urinary tract infection (UTI). UTI is a diseases which affects the organs in the urinary tract
(Gharbi et al., 2019). The most affected organs are urethra, kidneys, ureter and bladder.
Infections affecting the urinary tract can be divided into the lower urinary tract and high urinary
tract infections. Infections on the high urinary tract affect the kidneys and the ureter, while the
lower urinary infections occur on urethra and the bladder. Reports indicate that women are at risk
of over 50 percent of developing urinary tract infection (Mclntosh, 2018).
Symptoms
The first sign of UTI infection is a frequent urge to urinate, which may be accompanied by pain
and burning sensation while passing urine. Diagnosis is mainly based on symptoms and
laboratory tests. Diagnosis of UTI in patients over 65 years old can be a challenge because
elderly patients rarely present with the common symptoms of UTI infection (Gharbi et al., 2019).
Causes
The primary cause of these infections is Escherichia coli which is a microorganism that infects
the urinary tract. Other causes are chlamydia and mycoplasma, which only infect the urethra.
There are three well known types of UTIs namely; pyelonephritis, cystitis and urethritis.
(Mclntosh, 2018).

Conclusion
In conclusion, UTI remains one of the most common diseases among young women and the
elderly. Treatment is mainly through the use of antibiotics. The infection can be prevented by
observing high levels of hygiene and drinking a lot of water.