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00:16For many people, a urinary tract infection may start with what seems like a minor inconvenience,
00:22a frequent urge to use the bathroom, or a burning sensation when urinating.
00:27But Dr. Vimad Setahal, urologist at Valley Medical Hospital, says a UTI can become much more serious if it is
00:35allowed to progress.
00:36UTI is a urinary tract infection. It can be localized to the bladder or it can be systemic as in
00:42throughout the body.
00:43It can also spread from the bladder up to the kidneys or in a meal from the bladder down to
00:49the prostate.
00:50UTIs are mostly common among women.
00:53Dr. Setahal says more than half of women under the age of 40 will experience at least one urinary tract
00:59infection.
01:00One reason is anatomy.
01:02The female urethra is much shorter, making it easier for bacteria from outside of the body to travel into the
01:09urinary tract.
01:10And there are other factors that can increase the risk, including not drinking enough water,
01:15holding urine for extended periods, and sexual intercourse.
01:19So in males, we have a longer urethra. In a female, that's just one to two centimetres.
01:24It's thought that bacteria will creep up from outside and go in.
01:29There are also a little bit of risk factors with females, such as having intercourse, not hydrating properly,
01:36and also holding your urine from not passing urine regularly.
01:44So what should you look out for?
01:46Increase in urinary frequency, increase in urgency, having to rush to the bathroom, and dysuria.
01:53Dysuria is the burning in your urine when you have an infection.
01:56Those are the most important signs.
01:59Changes in the colour or smell of urine can also occur,
02:02although Dr. Setahal says the more important warning signs are changes in frequency, urgency, and burning.
02:09For women who are prone to UTIs, simple daily habits can make a difference.
02:15Age can also play a role.
02:16As women enter menopause and post-menopause,
02:19declining estrogen levels can remove some of the protection previously provided to the urinary tract.
02:26Certain medical conditions, including diabetes, can also increase the risk.
02:30As you guys cross into menopause and post-menopausal and you lose the estrogen protection that was there from before,
02:38your risk of a urinary tract infection increases.
02:42Also, medical disorders, diabetes, will increase your risk of having a urinary tract infection
02:47and other disorders associated with your urinary tract.
02:51And while some UTIs may seem mild, leaving an infection untreated can have serious consequences.
02:58It's going to spread to your kidneys and you're going to get very sick,
03:01or it's going to spread to your entire body and you're going to get even sicker.
03:05A simple bladder infection can spread up to the kidneys,
03:08and it can spread to your body to cause what we call urosepsis, or sepsis from urinary tract.
03:14The advice from the urologist is clear.
03:17Stay hydrated, avoid holding your urine for long periods, and urinate after sexual intercourse.
03:23Dr. Sita Hall also says cranberry products may help reduce the risk of recurrent UTIs,
03:29although they should not be considered a treatment for an active infection.
03:34I am Charlotte Kisto with tonight's Health Watch.
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