How dangerous are bacteria in urine? | Bacteria in urine – how dangerous is that?

How dangerous are bacteria in urine?

Bacteria in urine are not dangerous in themselves, but if they are accompanied by other symptoms such as frequent urination and pain when urinating, this indicates a urinary tract infection. This should be treated to prevent complications such as inflammation of the renal pelvis.

Can bacteria occur in urine without causing symptoms?

A urinary tract infection can also occur without pain. It is said that especially in the case of a urethritis, many women have no symptoms at all because their urethra is much shorter. Sometimes there are no symptoms at all and the infection is only discovered by chance, based on a routine examination.

Even if there is no pain, a doctor should be consulted if there is a suspicion of a urinary tract infection. If the infection is not treated, it can become more severe and cause even more pain. Women are affected much more frequently than men because their urethra is much shorter and the orifice of the urethra is much closer to the anus.

Sometimes bacteria from the intestine then reach the urinary tract and settle there. Especially in sexually active people, however, urinary tract infections occur much more frequently, as bacteria can more easily enter the body if sexual intercourse was unprotected, or the genitals are irritated in such a way that more bacteria can be absorbed into the body. However, foreign bodies such as catheters, which are used over a long period of time, are also potentially dangerous.

In addition, incompatibility with contraceptives and operations in the genital area can cause urinary tract infections. Constrictions and obstructions to the flow of urine caused by bladder or urinary stones are also counted among the causes. Urethritis is similar to cystitis.

Here it is still decisive that men are usually more at risk and more affected because they have a longer urethra. The cause of an inflammation of the renal pelvis is usually a delayed urethritis or a delayed cystitis. Carried over means that the inflammation has not been treated and the bacteria have finally been able to ascend to the kidneys.

In healthy people, bacteria in the urinary tract and therefore in the urine are only present in very small quantities. However, if bacteria succeed in colonising the urinary tract, a urinary tract infection will occur. In this case, larger amounts of bacteria can be detected in the urine.

In more than 8 out of 10 cases Escherichia coli bacteria are the cause of a urinary tract infection. Bacteria of the genus Escherichia Coli also live in the intestines of healthy people. Many subgroups of them belong to the harmless intestinal flora, which consists of several trillion bacteria.

Due to the proximity of the intestinal outlet to the urinary tract, they can easily migrate through the urethra and cause a bladder infection. So-called Haftpili help the bacteria in this process. These are thin appendages of the cell surface that anchor the bacteria to the epithelium of the urinary tract.

Escherichia coli bacteria are very adaptable. In addition, resistance to antibiotics is becoming more and more common. This makes treatment more difficult.

Several subgroups of Escherichia coli are particularly common cause of urinary tract infections. They have the necessary adhesive pills. These bacteria can probably also survive in the intestines.

Since they can migrate from there again and again, recurring urinary tract infections are the consequence. Besides bacteria of the genus Escherichia Coli other intestinal bacteria can also enter the urinary tract from the intestine. If they are able to colonize them, this can lead to a urinary tract infection.

In this case large amounts of bacteria are excreted with the urine. Since the human intestine can accommodate thousands of bacterial species, a large number of possible pathogens are conceivable. Common examples of intestinal bacteria that can cause a urinary tract infection besides Escherichia coli are Klebsiella pneumoniae or Proteus mirabilis.

Often intestinal bacteria are involved in the so-called complicated urinary tract infections. These are special urinary tract infections with complications such as kidney dysfunction or concomitant diseases. Colonisation of the urinary tract does not always have to lead to a urinary tract infection. If bacteria are detected in the urine without the typical symptoms of a urinary tract infection being present, treatment is not necessarily necessary. Even in healthy individuals, small amounts of bacteria can often be detected in the urine.