Urinary tract infections are inflammatory conditions caused by various microorganisms that reach the urinary tract, where they multiply and eventually cause changes in the normal functioning of the kidneys and urinary tract.
Urinary tract infections, if detected later, must be taken very seriously each time and treated properly. Urinary tract infections occur at the level of:
* lower urinary tract: urethra (the infection is called urethritis), urinary bladder (cystitis)
* upper urinary tract: ureters, kidneys (infections are called nephritis, with variations like pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis)
There are also other diseases at the upper urinary tract level characterized by infectious processes such as pyonephritis, pyonephrosis, which occur as complications of urinary tract infections.
Urinary tract infections in adolescence and adulthood are more common in women. Men can also be exposed to such infections, more commonly in childhood (newborns, young children) or elderly individuals, usually if associated with renal malformations, anatomical changes in the urinary tract, or medical-surgical procedures that can cause infection through instrumentation (such as bladder catheterization). Women can frequently develop urinary tract infections even without having malformations or other kidney problems. In situations of colitis, chronic constipation, biliary disorders - urinary tract infections are favored.
Kidney stones (renal calculi or nephrolithiasis) are mineral deposits located in the kidney. These can remain in the kidney or be eliminated from the body through the urinary tract (the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder, called ureters, and the one that connects the bladder to the outside - the urethra). The path of the stones (popularly called kidney stones) can be asymptomatic or can cause intense pain or other symptoms (so-called renal colic). Normally, kidney stones do not cause chronic (long-term) damage to the urinary tract. About half of those with at least one kidney stone will develop new stones in the next 5 years if left untreated. Most stones leave the kidney and pass through the entire urinary tract when they are small enough to be easily eliminated from the body.
On the other hand, larger stones can block the ureter. As a result, symptoms such as pain may occur. They can obstruct the flow of urine from the kidney to the bladder through the ureter. Usually, the pain worsens within 15-60 minutes and becomes constant and very intense. The pain decreases in intensity when the stone is mobilized and no longer blocks the ureter. The pain disappears when the stone is passed into the bladder. In most cases, large stones require specialized treatment. The smaller the stone, the greater the chances of it being eliminated from the body without requiring treatment.
Approximately 90% of stones smaller than 5 mm and about half of those larger than 5 mm are passed spontaneously. Home treatment is necessary for 10-20% of them. On average, a stone passes through the urinary tract in 1-3 weeks, and two-thirds of those that pass spontaneously do so within 4 weeks of the onset of symptoms.
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