The 7 Signs and Symptoms of a UTI at Midlife

(This is a sponsored post.)

One of the best parts of reaching midlife is that it seems like we’ve all grown more accepting of our bodies and all of the weird and horrifying things that they put us through. Hearing loss, painful sex, gray hair — we’re wonderfully open about these shared struggles.

Here’s a crazy statistic for you: A staggering one in five women will contract a urinary tract infection (UTI) at some point in her life. So why is no one talking about that?

Because of certain myths about urinary tract infections (namely that they’re related to promiscuity or poor hygiene, both of which are untrue – while there are certain steps you can take to help prevent UTIs, anyone can contract one!), the topic has become strangely taboo. That’s why URISTAT started a campaign to debunk the myths and increase our awareness about the link between menopause and UTIs.

By the time you hit your 55th birthday, your chances of developing a UTI will have shot up from 20% to over 50%. At those odds, it’s in your best interest to be prepared for the worst! But if you’ve never had to deal with UTIs, you might not immediately recognize the signs of an infection.

The most common symptoms of a UTI are:

1. Pain and/or burning sensation when you urinate
2. Feeling like you have to urinate often, even right after emptying your bladder
3. Only passing very small amounts of urine each time you try to urinate 
4. Cloudy or bloody (pink- or brown-colored) urine
5. Strong-smelling urine
6. Pelvic pain and/or pressure and cramping in the lower abdomen or back
7. Fever or chills

As many of us know, some of the above symptoms overlap with the common side effects of perimenopause/menopause: women who have previously never had problems with cramping might start feeling those annoying abdominal and back pains, and most of us start to become acquainted with a fun game called, “Am I having a hot flash or is this a fever???”

Usually, a UTI will distinguish itself from menopause symptoms through the painful, burning urination. However, if you start to see what you think might be the early signs of a UTI, you can swing by your local pharmacy and pick up an over-the-counter URISTAT® Relief Pak. The Pak’s test strip will let you know whether or not your pain is UTI-related, giving some peace of mind to those of us who suffer from Google-induced hypochondria!

The Pak also contains URISTAT® Pain Relief Tablets, which quickly provide relief from the pain, burning, and frequency of urination. However, even though the tablets will relieve your symptoms, you should to make sure to see your physician as soon as possible, especially if you have a fever.

Another “myth” about UTIs is that they’re no big deal, but that’s not true! UTIs can spread to your kidneys, where they can cause serious, and sometimes permanent damage, so you’ll still need to visit a doctor so they can properly treat the infection.

You can click here to read more information on the link between UTIs and menopause and redeem a $1 off coupon for URISTAT® products…just in case!