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If you’ve ever had a urinary tract infection (UTI), you’re not alone. An estimated 50 percent of women have had a UTI in their lifetime.
It’s also common for some women to experience UTIs that keep returning. Living with chronic UTI can be both painful and frustrating.
A new laboratory test available in the New York area can help women treat chronic UTI. Find out how a quick and efficient urine test can help women get relief.
How to Check For Chronic UTI in a Lab
The most common lab test for UTI is a urine culture. After urinating in a cup, the lab will examine the urine to see which bacteria grows in it. This test typically takes three days to get results.
This waiting period for a urine culture can be harmful for women with chronic UTI. Fortunately, molecular testing takes as little as five hours to get your results. The molecular test, Unyvero Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) panel, is available for women in New York City at OvaLab.
A culture lab test doesn’t identify all the organisms causing a UTI. Some organisms grow on a molecular test that don’t show up on a culture. This gives you a more specific diagnosis, which enables your doctor to recommend a more specific treatment rather than prescribing a broad spectrum antibiotic.
| Laboratory culture test | Unyvero molecular test |
|---|---|
| Results in 3 days | Results in 5 hours |
| Shows only the bacteria present that grows in the lab | Shows all pathogens in urine |
| Shows antibiotic resistance markers | |
| More targeted treatment plan | |
| Reduces likelihood of recurrence |
People with chronic UTI may be able to get relief sooner — and prevent infection from coming back. This prevents pain, discomfort and even serious illness and hospitalizations.
Molecular testing for UTIs is approved for use at only two labs in the state of New York, including OvaLab. Talk to your healthcare provider to find out if the Unyvero Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) panel is the right test for you.
What Is a UTI?
A urinary tract infection occurs when germs enter the urinary system, which includes the kidneys, bladder, ureters and urethra. The urinary tract is sterile, so germs that collect in the area can cause infection.
Anyone can get a UTI, but women are more likely to get UTIs than men. This is because the urethra in females is shorter and closer to the anus. Common causes of UTIs include:
- Intercourse
- Constipation
- Underwear that traps moisture
- Feminine products that aren’t changed frequently enough
- Uncontrolled diabetes
- Menopause
UTIs typically result from E.coli in stool that enters the urethra.
The symptoms of a UTI include:
- Pain during urination
- Having to urinate frequently
- Lower belly pain
- Cloudy urine
- Red or pink-colored urine
Unlike other types of infections, UTIs don’t cause changes to vaginal discharge. The standard way of diagnosing a UTI is through a laboratory test called a urine culture.
Your doctor may also do a full body exam, including a pelvic exam, and ask you about your history. Urinary tract infections are treated with antibiotics.
What Causes Chronic UTI?
Many women get one-off UTIs that go away with antibiotics. They’re considered isolated infections if another infection doesn’t occur for at least six months.
If you have three or more UTIs in a year, you may be diagnosed with chronic UTI.
Chronic UTI is a difficult condition to manage and can lead to other health problems. Untreated UTIs can cause bladder infections or bloodstream infections. This can cause serious illness or death.
Certain health conditions put you at risk for chronic UTI, including:
- Diseases that cause muscle weakness
- Weakened immune system, or trouble fighting off infection
- Diabetes
- Kidney disease or history of kidney transplants
- Bladder disease
Elderly and post-menopausal women are at higher risk for chronic UTIs. As women age, their estrogen levels drop. Estrogen plays a role in creating an infection-free environment in the urinary and reproductive systems.
Living in poverty is a risk factor for chronic UTI. A study found a direct link between Medicaid use and multi-drug resistant (MDR) UTIs. MDR infections are difficult to manage because the germ does not respond to different types of antibiotics.
Why Treating Chronic UTI Is a Challenge
After you’re first tested for a UTI, your provider may start you on a general antibiotic. A broad-spectrum antibiotic treats a wide variety of germs.
Once your test results are back, you may be switched to a different antibiotic. The results from the urine culture determine which type of antibiotic you need. It takes up to three days to get the results from a urine culture.
During this time, many people take an antibiotic that isn’t treating their infection. Meanwhile, the antibiotics mask the symptoms of the UTI. This is how women develop chronic UTI.
An estimated 30-44 percent of UTIs come back within six months. They’re often caused by the same germ that caused the infection in the first place.
To properly treat a UTI, women need antibiotics that target the specific germ that caused the infection.
How to prevent and treat UTI
Women can prevent UTIs in the first place by practicing good hygiene and self-care at home like:
- Wiping from front to back
- Peeing after sex
- Wearing cotton underwear
- Drinking plenty of water
Some healthcare providers recommend drinking cranberry juice to relieve UTI symptoms. If you need more pain relief, talk to your doctor about taking over-the-counter pain medication.
Keep in mind that the best way to treat a UTI is by taking the right antibiotics. If you’re experiencing UTI symptoms, see a healthcare provider to begin treatment.
SOURCES:
- Al-Badr, A. & Al-Shaikh, G. (2013). Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections Management in Women. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 13(3). doi: 10.12816/0003256
- Kodner, C., & Gupton, E.K. (2010). Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in Women: Diagnosis and Management. Am Fam Physician,82(6), 638-643
- Rosenblum, N. (2020). Update in Female Hormonal Therapy: What the Urologist Should Know. Rev Urol, 22(4), 182–185
- Casey et al. (2021). Sociodemographic Inequalities in Urinary Tract Infection in 2 Large California Health Systems. Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 8(6). doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofab276
- Unyvero urinary tract infection (UTI) panel. Retrieved from https://www.opgen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/PN3676B-Unyvero-UTI-RUO-Flyer-Rev.B.pdf
