What Are the Causes of Frequent UTI?

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the second most common kind of infection. UTIs are more common in women than men; about one in five women will contract a UTI in her lifetime, according to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse.

• Urinary tract infections can cause painful and frequent urination.

Background

• Urine is usually sterile. Infections develop when bacteria from the digestive tract travel to the urethra and multiply. The urethra is the tube through which urine moves from the bladder to the outside of the body.

Recurring UTIs

• Many women contract frequent UTIs; almost 20 percent of women who become infected once will become infected again, and 30 percent of women who have two UTIs will develop a third. About 80 percent of women who have had three UTIs will contract another infection.

Risk Factors

• An obstruction of the urinary tract, such as a kidney stone, increases the chances of infection. Catheters in the urethra and bladder can transmit bacteria that cause infections. Diseases that compromise the immune system, such as diabetes, also increase the risk of UTIs.

Research

• According to research funded by the National Institutes of Health, one possible factor of recurrent UTIs is the capability of bacteria to cling to cells lining the urinary tract.

Warning

• Untreated UTIs can lead to kidney infections. Pregnant women with UTIs are especially vulnerable to kidney infections.