Asymptomatic Bacteriuria
Asymptomatic Bacteriuria is a condition where a significant amount of bacteria is found in the urine. This might indicate that there is an infection in the urinary tract. As asymptomatic means no symptoms, you might not find any visible symptoms and signs of the urinary tract infection.
The bacterium called E.coli
is responsible for Asymptomatic
Bacteriuria. Bacteria might get introduced to the urinary tract during
sexual intercourse or cleaning up after bowel.
Normally this condition
neither causes any serious complications nor needs any treatment This
condition when affect pregnant women can
lead to serious complications and hence this discussion. It is less common in
men. However, the condition is also observed in people having diabetes and
bladder catheters.
Asymptomatic Bacteriuria During
Pregnancy -
For pregnant women, the infection can cause serious problems like
pyelonephritis that is an inflammation of the kidney.
Problems like acute cystitis
and acute urethritis may also arise due to the infection. It can also cause
complications like preterm labour (birth before the 37th week of pregnancy) and
low birth weight among newborn babies.
Who Are At
Risk Of Asymptotic Bacteriuria?
The following risk factors can increase the chances of infection –
- Diabetes
- Old age
- Pregnancy
- Receiving a kidney transplant
- Taking medicines that might suppress your immune system
- Diseases that affect the immune system like cancer, HIV and AIDS
- Kidney stones that might obstruct your urinary tract
- Urinary incontinence
- Injuries in the spinal cord
- Using urinary catheters
Treatment –
Normally unless one has
active urinary tract infection (UTI)
one does not need treatment for this condition. In acute UTI the doctor may
give you a short antibiotic course of about 5 t0 7 days by oral route.
For pregnant woman this
condition should be treated even if they have no symptoms because it can lead
to ac pylonephritis which sometimes can be fatal. Depending upon the urine
culture reports antibiotics are given for 7 to 10 days. After taking antibiotics,
a urine culture test is conducted for ensuring that the bacterias are killed.
Prevention -
The colonization of bacteria
can be prevented using the following steps –
· Drink plenty of water every
day to flush out the bacteria from the urinary tract. You can try drinking
cranberry juice to slow down the bacteria growth.
·
After sexual intercourse,
urinate as early as possible.
·
After a bowel movement, women
must wipe from front to back
Contact the
best gynecologist in Indore.
Asymptomatic Bacteriuria |
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