Exclusive: UTI without symptoms – Can a person have a UTI and not know it?

New Delhi: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infections we see. It affects a large number of people. Women are at a higher risk of developing a UTI. It has been found that 50-60% of women may have an episode of UTI at least once in their lifetime. A major concern is that, among women who get a UTI, about 30% may later experience recurrent episodes of UTI. These repeated UTI episodes can affect quality of life and potentially cause serious long-term health damage. Dr Muhammad Taif Bendigiri, Senior Consultant Urologist, Asian Institute of Nephrology and Urology Hyderabad shared with Zee News Digital how a person can suffer from UTI and not know about it.

Most episodes of UTI present with the classic symptoms of burning during urination, pain during urination, increased frequency of urination, foul-smelling urine, lower abdominal pain, blood in urine, fever, etc. However, in some scenarios, a UTI can exist in a person without causing any noticeable symptoms. It is called Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB).

Technically, this means that there are bacteria in the urine without symptoms of a UTI. These people are unaware of the presence of bacteria in their urine until it is tested.

gave A typical UTI will be amenable to diagnosis and treatment. With appropriate antibiotics and necessary lifestyle changes.

However, in the case of asymptomatic bacteriuria, the classical approach is not warranted. This would mean trying to treat reports when the person is not bothered by the situation. It has also been found that trying to treat these patients aggressively will not be beneficial.

There are two main situations when these ASBs are considered mandatory for treatment and when the patient benefits from its treatment. The first situation occurs during pregnancy, as the presence of bacteria in the urine during pregnancy is potentially harmful and has the potential for major negative consequences for the pregnancy. Therefore, treatment is needed to treat asymptomatic bacteria found during routine examinations in pregnancy.

Another situation where the asymptomatic presence of bacteria must be treated is before undergoing any surgical intervention involving the urinary system. It is important to clear the bacteria before the intervention otherwise there is a risk of infection flare up due to the spread of bacteria in the blood during the intervention. Apart from these two cases, it is safe to withhold aggressive antibiotic therapy for asymptomatic bacteriuria even if there are concerns such as diabetes, old age, cardiovascular diseases, etc.

However, lifestyle changes can be tried to reduce the chances of having bacteria in the urine. These include ensuring adequate water intake, a balanced diet with good amounts of fiber, avoiding constipation, avoiding prolonged urination, good personal hygiene, safe sex, and controlling blood sugar levels. , and maintaining an active lifestyle. The old adage, “Prevention is better than cure,” holds true in the case of UTIs as well.