UTI Risk Factors
The risk factors for urinary tract infections vary among women, men, and children, whereas other risk factors are universal.
UTI Threat Factors Common to All
Holding Your Urine: If you do not urinate when you need to or if you do not empty your bladder completely, harmful bacteria can accumulate in your urinary tract.
Kidney Stones Kidney stones can obstruct the urinary tract and prevent urine from flowing normally.
Diabetes: causes elevated glucose levels in the blood and urine. Increased urine sugar levels promote bacterial proliferation.
If You Have Used a Bladder or Urinary Catheter Recently. If you are unable to urinate on your own, urine is drained from your bladder into a bag using flexible tubing. It is performed after surgery.
Common UTI Risk Factors in Women
Sexual Activity: Many bacteria that cause urinary tract infections reside around your anus. Any sexual activity can transport these bacteria close to the anus, where they can readily enter the urethra and travel to the bladder.
Using Spermicides or a Diaphragm: These contraceptive methods facilitate the entry of harmful microorganisms into the bladder. Spermicides eliminate innocuous bacteria in or around the vagina, enabling the survival of harmful bacteria.
Pregnancy causes several alterations in the urinary tract, making it more difficult to completely empty the bladder. Changes in the chemical composition of urine caused by pregnancy hormones may encourage the growth of pathogenic bacteria.
Menopause: Menopause decreases oestrogen levels in the body and increases vaginal dryness, which can increase the risk of developing a urinary tract infection (UTI).
Wearing Tiny Lingerie: The space between your vagina, the orifice of your urethra, and your rectum is not excessively large, and wearing a teddy, a thong, or string-bikini knickers may trap harmful bacteria near your vagina.
Wiping Incorrectly: Harmful bacteria can enter the urinary tract if you wipe from the back to the front after using the lavatory. It would be optimal if you cleansed from front to back.
Common UTI Risk Factors in Men
If the prostate is enlarged, a condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) makes it challenging to completely evacuate the bladder. It also prevents urine from leaving the bladder.
Urinary tract infections are more prevalent in men over 50 years of age.
Unprotected Anal Activity: Bacteria that cause urinary tract infections may be present around the anus.
Common UTI Risk Factor in Children
Prematurity: neonates born prematurely may be more susceptible to UTIs. Premature infants have underdeveloped immune systems, so they cannot fend off infections as effectively as term infants.
Being Uncircumcised: Uncircumcised boys have a higher risk of UTIs than circumcised boys. However, good hygiene can reduce the risk.
Inadequate Bathroom Hygiene: This may be a significant issue, particularly for females who have a reduced distance for harmful bacteria to spread between the anus and urinary tract. They must thoroughly remove all faeces and clean the area from front to back.
Approximately 20 to 30 percent of toddlers and infants with a UTI are affected by vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), a condition in which urine travels in the opposite direction from the bladder to the ureters. Occasionally, VUR improves and resolves on its own. Otherwise, surgical intervention may be required to treat the anomaly.
Sitting in a Wet Swimming Suit: Bacteria can thrive in moist, humid environments.
