Bladder Infection, Why Me?

Bladder and urinary tract infections are common occurrences in women. Surveys reveal that 1/3 of women will have experienced a urinary tract infection by the time they are 24 years of age and more than ½ of women sometime in their lifetimes.   A woman’s anatomy is such that the orifices (openings) of the vagina, urethra (opening and channel draining the bladder), and rectum are all within close proximity to each other and as a result bacteria from the vagina or rectum can easily be introduced into the urethra and bladder. The bacteria that cause the infection can settle in the urethra, bladder, kidney, or all of them. The symptoms can be one or all of the following: urgency, frequency, dysuria (burning with urination) bladder pain, lower back pain, or upper back pain.