Medicine speaks of bacteriuria when an increased level of bacteria is detected during urine examination. In many cases, this is not associated with any symptoms. If symptoms such as pain when urinating, a strong urge to urinate, and fever occur, symptomatic bacteriuria is present in conjunction with inflammation of the urinary tract, up to and including inflammation of the renal pelvis.
What is bacteriuria?
Pain and burning during urination can occur with bacteriuria and are very uncomfortable. Bacteriuria is understood by medicine to be an increased accumulation of bacteria in the urine. Depending on the findings, bacteriuria can be completely symptom-free and harmless, or it can be accompanied by symptoms of inflammation such as severe pain in the urinary tract, chills and fever. In such a case, medicine refers to it as symptomatic bacteriuria. Severe bacteriuria with pronounced symptoms of urinary tract infection can develop into renal pelvic inflammatory disease if left untreated. Patients of any age can be affected by bacteriuria, although older people are more likely to be affected than younger people. Because of the anatomical specificity of the urinary tract, women are statistically more likely than men to suffer from bacteriuria.
Causes
Causes of bacteriuria are bacteria invading the urine from the outside, disturbing the balance in the normally germ-free urine. Bacterial intrusion can have many causes. In women, as a result of the open access to the ureter, it is often intestinal bacteria that can enter the urine when going to the toilet. Hygiene errors when inserting a bladder catheter, as well as bladder cancer and diabetes, can also lead to bacteriuria. Why bacteriuria sometimes occurs without symptoms and sometimes with symptoms is not clearly understood medically. Research assumes weaker bacteria that do not provide enough surface for the immune system to attack and therefore lead to moderate bacteriuria.
Symptoms, complaints, and signs
The symptoms and complaints of bacteriuria are relatively clear and usually always point directly to the disease. For this reason, in most cases, an early diagnosis and treatment of the disease can also take place, so that there is a complete cure. The affected persons suffer from a strong occurrence of bacteria in the urine. This occurrence is noticeable by pain during urination. In addition to the pain, there is also a burning sensation. Small amounts of blood may be found in the urine. In many sufferers, bloody urine also leads to anxiety or a panic attack. In addition to pain during urination, bacteriuria can also cause pain in the pelvis or kidneys. Often, the urine smells very unpleasant. The symptoms can be very different, and in some cases bacteriuria runs completely without symptoms. It can also disappear on its own without the need for treatment. Due to the pain during urination, many sufferers of bacteriuria also suffer from psychological upsets or depression. It can also lead to dehydration, as patients intentionally consume less fluid.
Diagnosis and course
Bacteriuria is diagnosed when elevated levels of bacteria are measured during laboratory testing of urine. Usually, two urine samples are needed to make the diagnosis, as the result can be easily falsified by movement of the urine. If the diagnosis is clear, but the patient does not show any symptoms, bacteriuria is inconspicuous and eventually disappears on its own. In contrast, bacteriuria with symptoms can be very severe. Pain associated with the urinary tract can range from a mild burning sensation when urinating to very severe pain in the urethra or even the pelvis. A noticeable change in the urine, such as milky or reddish discoloration to blood in the urine or a foul odor, may be evidence of bacteriuria.
Complications
Various complications can occur with bacteriuria. The incidence of bacteriuria varies greatly between women and men and is especially prevalent in women during pregnancy. Bacteriuria causes inflammation in the kidney or urinary tract in many cases. In this case, increased urination usually occurs. Pain during urination is not uncommon.This can greatly reduce the patient’s quality of life, as there is pain every time the patient goes to the toilet. As a result, people often drink less, which can lead to other complaints such as headaches or sleep disturbances. When urinating, sufferers also complain of a burning sensation. Treatment should always be carried out by a doctor. In most cases, it takes place with the help of antibiotics. Surgical intervention is not necessary. The symptom often occurs in diabetics and can be avoided by reducing the intake of sugar and drinking plenty of fluids. In bacteriuria, bed rest and rest also help to control the symptom. Going to work is usually not possible and should also be avoided.
When should you go to the doctor?
If there is pain and burning when urinating or blood in the urine, you should go to a doctor as soon as possible. This can then perform an examination and determine whether it is bacteriuria or another cause. The specific illness, such as cystitis or an infection of the urinary tract, can then be determined and treated. If the symptoms are particularly intense and do not subside after a week at the latest, a doctor must be consulted. It is possible that the bacteria have spread to other parts of the body, such as the kidneys or urinary tract, or that a serious infection has already developed. Headaches, sleep disturbances and other complaints are a clear indication of advanced bacteriuria. If one or more of these symptoms occur, the affected person should go to the doctor and have the cause determined. This applies especially to risk groups such as diabetics, people with immune deficiency and pregnant women. Usually it is enough to use antibiotics, bed rest and dietary measures against the disease.
Treatment and therapy
If harmless mild bacteriuria is discovered by chance during a routine examination and remains permanently symptom-free, the physician will usually not provide further treatment. However, it is recommended to significantly increase the intake of fluids, for example in the form of still mineral water, to flush the bacteria out of the urinary tract. Medicinal teas with a diuretic effect can also have a supporting effect. Thus dandelion and nettle, rosemary and juniper have a positive effect on urinary excretion. Such mixtures, known as drainage teas or urinary teas, are available ready to buy, but they can also be prepared by the user. Good for flushing out diuretic vegetables and fruits such as asparagus and raw carrots, melons and pineapple as a diet for bacteriuria. In pregnant women, bacteriuria is treated as a precaution even without symptoms in order to prevent the risk of a possible premature birth or inflammation of the renal pelvis. Reliably, only antibiotics are effective against bacteriuria even in pregnancy.
Outlook and prognosis
Bacteriuria does not necessarily cause discomfort or pain in every case. Many affected persons do not suffer from any symptoms in this case and for this reason do not require any special treatment. Treatment is therefore only necessary if the affected person suffers from pain or a burning sensation when urinating. As a rule, the treatment of bacteriuria always leads to success, so that there is always a positive course of the disease. In most cases, the treatment is carried out with the help of antibiotics. The symptoms disappear after a few days and there are no further complications. Bacteriuria can also lead to inflammation or discomfort in the neighboring regions of the body, which can also be treated with medication. Various teas can also have a positive effect on the disease. If bacteriuria is not treated, it usually does not heal itself and various inflammations or infections in the organs occur. In many cases, improved hygiene can also combat the disease and limit the symptoms.
Prevention
There is no preventive measure against bacteriuria that is one hundred percent effective. The excessive accumulation of bacteria in the urine can develop at any time, even without any apparent cause. In addition to drinking plenty of fluids, embarrassing hygiene when washing in the intimate area and when going to the toilet helps as a preventive measure.For example, women should be careful not to allow bacilli from the intestine to accidentally pass through the urinary tract when wiping with a washcloth or toilet paper. For patients with urinary catheters, special hygiene is also indicated to avoid bacteriuria.
Follow-up
Scheduled follow-up is not necessary if bacteriuria is detected. The condition heals completely. Affected individuals no longer feel pain. However, immunity does not develop, which can lead to renewed infections. Mild forms of the disease often go unnoticed. Only pain during urination or around the genital area usually leads to a visit to the doctor. A diagnosis is made by means of a urine sample. In addition to home remedies such as nettle and rosemary tea, antibiotics alleviate the signs of bacteriuria. Often, it is enough to increase fluid intake. This flushes the bacteria out of the body. In severe cases, the pathogens attack nearby organs. Patients can take preventive measures themselves to avoid re-infection. The attending physician will provide information about this as part of the initial treatment. In most cases, an illness can be traced back to poor hygiene. Patients at risk should wash their intimate areas daily. Going to the toilet and sexual intercourse are further sources of infection. Here, moist toilet paper and contraceptives such as condoms are suitable for cleaning or avoiding infection. Those who carry a bladder catheter for certain medical reasons should even pay close attention to intimate hygiene. The risk of infection is many times higher in these individuals.
What you can do yourself
If bacteriuria is present, it should always be clarified by a doctor whether treatment with an antibiotic is necessary. If only a few bacteria are present in the urine, increasing fluid intake to at least two liters per day is often sufficient to flush them out. Water and herbal teas are preferable to drinks containing caffeine and sugar, and many medicinal herbs such as nettle, chamomile, bearberry leaves and field horsetail also have a diuretic and anti-inflammatory effect. Cranberries contain substances that make it difficult for bacteria to settle in the bladder mucosa – the number of pathogens in the urine can also be significantly reduced by regularly drinking cranberry or cranberry juice. Herbal medicines containing extracts of nasturtium and horseradish naturally fight the bacteria present in the urine in a similar way to an antibiotic. Hypothermia makes the bladder susceptible to infection, so the abdomen and feet in particular should always be kept warm. If bacteriuria has already developed into cystitis accompanied by cramps, applying a hot water bottle or cherry pit bag often helps. Regular and complete emptying of the bladder prevents the bacteria from multiplying massively – for women, going to the toilet is recommended, especially after sexual intercourse. Intimate hygiene is important in bacteriuria, but overdone, it does more harm than good.