Urinary tract infections (UTIs) could be
common among women,girls and children,but the elderly are not safe either.There
are several factors to explain this,
What are UTIs?
A UTI affects any part of the urinary system
like kidneys,ureters,bladder and urethra and its common among girls,pregnant
women and the elderly.However,it is very difficult to detect among the old
adults because they do not present with common signs as in the young people.
Elderly persons aged 60 and above are at
high risk.Urine formation starts from the kidney,and later it is passed to the
ureters that connect to the bladder and then it is passed out through the
urethra.This is the urinary system affected by UTIs.
The infection of the urinary system
involves both the lower(urinary bladder and urethra) and the upper(kidneys and
ureters) urinary tracts.The main cause of UTIs is bacteria such as
ecoli,staphylococcus and enterococci.Ecoli being the commonest organism of all
and this can be got from stool.
Who is at risk?
People of all age groups are at risk of
catching UTIs but in old age both men and women aged 60 and above can catch UTI
but women are more prone to getting such infections because they have a shorter
urethra.
Some physicians say as women age,their
hormones change,leading to loss of estrogen and making them prone to UTI.He
adds that it is also common in people with diabetes.
Even elderly men are at a higher risk of
getting UTI than when they are still middle aged.As they age,their prostate
gland enlarges,hence blocking the complete emptying of the bladder and the
little urine that remains in the bladder becomes a perfect ground for bacteria
to thrive,resulting in an infection.
Hospitalized elderly people are also more
likely to suffer from UTI because of the urinary bladder catheters inserted in
them to help them pass out urine.
Signs of UTI
infection
An elderly person may develop
fever,frequent urination,reduced mobility and dizziness,which lead to falls.
The most common sign of UTI in the elderly is
confusion because their behavior can change abruptly from their normal
mentation.
They develop urine incontinence,passing
urine out before reaching the bathroom and also start passing urine in bed at
night.
The elderly person may get lower abdominal
pain,burning sensation on urination,foul smelling urine and fever.
Prevention
Make sure to drink plenty of fluids so that
you can flash out bacteria causing UTI.It’s advisable for elderly people to
take fluids before 6:00 pm to avoid interruptions in their sleep at night
because of the urge to visit the bathrooms.
Elderly people should also avoid urinary bladder
irritants like caffeine and alcohol.And also urinate as soon as they feel the
urge to help sweep out bacteria hence reducing on the risk of in
