A COMMON INFECTION
THAT'S FREQUENTLY OVERLOOKED
Within 24 hours of having sex, an extreme burning pain takes Joanne Peacock of Whitby Ont. to the emergency room. It's been this way for 33 years, the pain so severe she always ends up at the hospital. Eventually, Peacock said she just became less interested in sex, stating a painful urinary tract infection was too high of a cost to pay.
On average, around 60 to 70 per cent of people will experience an acute UTI in their lifetime. For most, it will resolve with no further complications. But about 30 to 40 per cent of people will keep getting recurrent infections—mostly women, said Susan Yates.
Yates is the Founder of the Chronic Urinary Tract Infection Campaign Group (CUTIC), a global advocacy group based in the U.K. She said 36 per cent of younger women would report getting another UTI within a year, and nearly a quarter will get a recurrence within six months.
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PROBLEMS DIAGNOSING
“In many ways, its commonality is its own worst enemy because it's the second most common bacterial infection in the world.”
Yates said for a lot of people, it will go away. But for others- it hasn’t. Many continue to have symptoms, even after antibiotic treatment.
“At the cause of it is essentially a bacterial infection that's either not being properly treated because you haven't been given sufficient antibiotics, or it's not been diagnosed.”
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“But at the same time, within the medical profession,
if you've got someone in front of you presenting with
what seems to be a urinary tract infection, don't
dismiss them, you know, in many ways, the patient
knows best, they describe their symptoms best.”
-Susan Yates.
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She questions the conventional testing methods, saying the dipstick method, in particular, leaves many women without a proper diagnosis, and in pain.
Yates also said some doctors in the U.K. have cut down the number of days of antibiotic use in an attempt to reduce resistance. The problem is, for some women, it’s not long enough to get rid of the infection.
In addition, the symptoms of other illnesses like an STI, fungal infection, cancer, kidney stones can all present the same symptoms as a UTI.
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“But at the same time, within the medical profession, if you've got someone in front of you presenting with what seems to be a urinary tract infection, don't dismiss them, you know, in many ways, the patient knows best, they describe their symptoms best.”
She said advocate for yourself and push to see a specialist if you can. Work to rule out other possibilities so that you can be sure you’re getting the right treatment.
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But Peacock said she feels frustrated over continually advocating for her health and receiving similar physicians' responses.
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"Drink cranberry juice and wipe front to back, or don't wear a thong," she said. "I literally want to scream. None of that advice is correct," Peacock said.
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Yates has her own opinion of the old wives’ tale that cranberry juice is the UTI panacea.
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“It is a health care issue for women because a lot of male doctors kind of pat you on the head and say ‘there, there. It's just a UTI. Take some cranberry juice, you know, drink lots of water, and it will go away.’”
Eventually, Peacock’s doctor agreed to put her on Macrobid, an antibiotic used to treat UTIs and bladder infections, which she takes within two hours of sex.
Although Macrobid has helped, she said she still feels like she always has a low-grade infection and lives in constant fear of her body becoming resistant to the medication.
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THE IMPACT
The impact of chronic UTIs is far-reaching. The burning urgency to “go” doesn’t quite cover it. Peacock is only one of the many voices who live with daily complications of living with chronic UTI: working, relationships, child-bearing and beyond.
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It can manifest in several ways. A sufferer might go to the restroom up to 20 to 30 times an hour. They might not sleep at night, are in constant pain, some can’t walk properly, exercise, visit the grocery store and so on.
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“For many years, they were happy, they were
healthy, and suddenly they've lost all the
things that you and I take for granted.”
-Susan Yates.
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“Many people, unfortunately, aren't able to work full time. They have to give up jobs because they are in a lot of pain, they can't sit for long periods of time, or they need access to the restroom.”
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Relationships suffer. Physical intimacy can become impossible, as does conception.
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Treatments can create challenges for sufferers, as well. Yates said high-dose prescription painkillers that are often handed out to manage the pain of chronic UTI can make people feel spaced out and unwell.
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Yates said a multi-centred approach is often required to treat patients with chronic UTI. One with psychological treatments along with medication. Yates said many people develop anxiety and depression.
“For many years, they were happy, they were healthy, and suddenly they've lost all the things that you and I take for granted.”
“There's a whole host of severe symptoms that can manifest themselves. Now the issue is not everybody is going to have these symptoms. This is the thing, but it can leave people housebound and bed bound.”
