Chronic or Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections

For many women, urinary tract infections are not just something that happens once. Many women suffer from chronic or recurrent infections. This type of infection is defined by having urinary tract infections that occur within months of each other. The main reason behind chronic urinary tract infections are underlying conditions. If the underlying condition is not treated, the urinary tract infections will keep reoccurring. More than 80% of all women who have urinary tract infections experience reoccurrence due to reinfection. A reinfection typically occurs about 6 to 8 weeks after the first episode.

Reinfection due to the initial case is not always the root of chronic urinary tract infections. Sometimes, the infection stems from a whole different bacterial strain which was totally different from the infection before that. A medical professional can determine if the infection is due to the initial infection or has been caused by a different strain of bacteria.

Women who have been afflicted with at least three urinary tract infections within a year’s time are considered to be chronic suffers. Treatment for those with this condition include low doses of antibiotics for at least six months-sometimes longer, a dose of antibiotics following sexual intercourse or simply a small course of antibiotics when the symptoms begin to surface. To help with treatment, the patient should drink plenty of water, use the bathroom when the feeling strikes (do not hold it in and wait), and keep the genital and anal area cleansed well at all times.