|
|
|
| | Ask the Doctor |
|
Free Medical Advice sponsored by
|
| |
|
|
Got an ache or pain? Have a question about a prescription or over-the-counter drug? Looking for some FREE medical advice?
|
|
|
|
Question:
|
|
|
| Over the last two weeks on three different occasions when I have peed it has smelled strongly of garlic, even though I had not eaten garlinc. What could this be?
|
|
|
Answer:
|
|
|
| Thank you for your inquiry. If you have noticed any pain / burning / irritation on passing urine as well as the smell, this would be a good indication that you have a urinary tract infection. Infection is caused by bacteria and can announce itself by this or one or more of the following symptoms: fever, pain in the back or lower abdomen, pain on passing urine, frequent urination, or blood in the urine. The most common cause is a bacteria called Escherichia Coli (E. coli) which normally lives in the bowel. Infection can occur at any age and in either sex, but affects women more often than men and adults more commonly than children. Because the urethra and anal areas are closer together in women, migration of the bacteria from one to the other as well as the shorter female urethra probably explain the increased incidence of urinary infections in females. Urinary tract infections are diagnosed by examining and culturing the urine, to determine what bacteria caused the infection and what antibiotics it is sensitive to. This usually takes two to three days, but your doctor will meanwhile start antibiotic therapy while awaiting the results. Antibiotic therapy is sufficient to treat most infections. It is important to drink sufficient fluids to flush the urinary tract regularly. Follow-up urine testing is recommended to ensure a complete cure. Chronic smoldering infection that persists for months can lead to permanent damage of the kidneys. There is no home treatment for urinary tract infections, but symptoms can be helped while medication is started by: * Drinking sufficient fluid to flush the urinary tract thoroughly. Take one liter every hour for at least three hours. * Taking one teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda in a glass of water three times a day (not for those with heart problems or children).
|
|
|
|
|
|
The virtual community for English-speaking expats and Russians
