Bladder infections, sometimes called urinary tract infections or UTI, are common and usually harmless to the patients who get them. They are not STDs and are not something that you can “catch” from someone else. Although bladder infections can be uncomfortable, even painful, at times, they are easily treatable and go away without any lasting side effects posing no real danger to the infected person. However, getting a bladder infection while pregnant can be dangerous if not treated quickly. Since bladder infections are considered common and harmless, many pregnant women are unaware of the hazards of an untreated bladder infection.
Symptoms Of Bladder Infections
Before we can talk about the dangers of bladder infections, we should discuss the symptoms that will be your first clue that something is wrong. Bladder infections are most often accompanied by an urgent need to urinate followed by stinging pain while urinating. It is common to feel this urgency to pee and then only release a small amount of urine. Sometimes there is a tiny amount of blood in the urine, which will give it a pinkish color. Bladder infections can also cause the urine to smell very bad and be cloudy in appearance.
Bladder Infections During Pregnancy
Sometimes if a bladder infection is left untreated it can back up into the kidneys and turn into a kidney infection as well as a bladder infection. Kidney infections are more painful than bladder infections and can include such flu-like symptoms as chills, fever and nausea. Patients with kidney infections often feel sharp pains in their backs, low, on one or both sides where the kidneys are located. Although they are more uncomfortable, kidney infections are also relatively harmless and go away quickly with proper treatment.
However, if you are pregnant and become sick with a kidney infection you can be in danger of going into premature labor and possibly losing the baby. This is why most ob/gyns will test your urine for bacteria during your first prenatal visit. If bacteria are discovered, you will likely be given a mild anti-biotic to clear up the bacteria. Reoccurring bladder infections are common for some pregnant women. If you do get a bladder infection, or UTI, don’t start panicking. Only when the infection backs up into the kidneys does it become dangerous.
Precautions To Take To Prevent Bladder Infections
Luckily the things that can prevent bladder infections are easy to do. Drinking lots of water will help keep you urinating frequently and discourage the growth of bacteria in the bladder. Every time you go to the bathroom, wipe from front to back. Never wipe from back to front since bacteria from the rectal area can get into the urethra. Keep your vaginal area as clean and dry as possible to discourage the presence of bacteria.
Finally, cranberries can make the urine very acidic, which also discourages the growth of bacteria. By drinking 100% cranberry juice (not juice cocktail), or taking concentrated cranberry pills, you can prevent bladder infections from occurring.
It is important to note that you can have a bladder infection, never realize it, and have it turn into a kidney infection before you even know what is happening. Especially in the early stages of pregnancy when you might be experiencing morning sickness and feeling generally lousy all the time, a bladder infection can go unnoticed.
If you are having pains in the sides of your back, especially when you drink or eat anything, pain during urination, a fever higher than 100.5 degrees, and other flu-like symptoms, contact your doctor immediately. Tell them you think you may have a kidney infection and have them test your urine to see if it really is a kidney infection that needs to be treated.
