5 health conditions women need to know about
Get to know these health conditions that only affect, or are much more likely to occur in, women
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Urinary Tract Infection
If this is your first urinary tract infection (UTI), you can take solace in the fact that you’re not alone: more than 10 percent of women suffer from a UTI at least once a year. Treatment may now be only a phone call away, and you could feel better in a single day.
Most urinary tract infections are called “lower UTIs,” meaning the germs have taken hold in your urethra (a condition called urethritis) or in your bladder (a condition called cystitis). If the germs travel farther, an “upper UTI” can develop, affecting the narrow tubes (ureters) leading to the kidneys or even the kidneys themselves. This potentially serious infection is known as pyelonephritis.
Between 80 and 90 percent of urinary tract infections are caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli), a bacterium usually confined to the colon and rectum that can spread from the anus to the urethra. Because a woman’s urethra is relatively short, women are more prone to UTIs than men (whose much longer urethra in the penis makes it harder for the bacteria to travel to the bladder). After menopause, some women are increasingly susceptible to infection because of a lack of estrogen.
Related:
• The 5 deadliest cancers for women
• Canada's best medical care for women
• The 5 best foods for women
Most urinary tract infections are called “lower UTIs,” meaning the germs have taken hold in your urethra (a condition called urethritis) or in your bladder (a condition called cystitis). If the germs travel farther, an “upper UTI” can develop, affecting the narrow tubes (ureters) leading to the kidneys or even the kidneys themselves. This potentially serious infection is known as pyelonephritis.
Between 80 and 90 percent of urinary tract infections are caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli), a bacterium usually confined to the colon and rectum that can spread from the anus to the urethra. Because a woman’s urethra is relatively short, women are more prone to UTIs than men (whose much longer urethra in the penis makes it harder for the bacteria to travel to the bladder). After menopause, some women are increasingly susceptible to infection because of a lack of estrogen.
Related:
• The 5 deadliest cancers for women
• Canada's best medical care for women
• The 5 best foods for women
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