Overview of urinary tract infections (utis)

[Couch Potatoe]

In healthy people, urine in the bladder is sterile—no bacteria or other infectious organisms are present. The tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body (urethra) contains no bacteria or too few to cause an infection. However, any part of the urinary tract can become infected. An infection anywhere along the urinary tract is called a urinary tract infection (UTI).
UTIs are usually classified as upper or lower according to where they occur along the urinary tract, although it is sometimes difficult or impossible for doctors to make such a determination:

Lower UTIs: Infections of the bladder (cystitis)
Upper UTIs: Infections of the kidneys (pyelonephritis)

Some doctors also consider infections of the urethra (urethritis) and prostate (prostatitis) to be lower UTIs. In paired organs (such as the kidneys), infection can occur in one or both organs. UTIs can occur in children as well as in adults.