Painful peeing, the constant urge to go to the bathroom, sleepless nights from too many bathroom trips, lower abdomen discomfort, and feeling tired, overall. It’s the dreaded urinary tract infection (UTI), which some women notice seems to occur more frequently as they get older.
Some of my girlfriends, who are in their forties, told me they’ve been dealing with recurrent UTI episodes in recent years. And it’s not like they’ve been getting busy with their partners, so sexual intercourse is unlikely to be a factor. So, what gives?
Recurrent UTI is defined as having two acute infections in six months or three infections in a year, said Dr Beh Suan Tiong, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist of Beh Clinic for Women.
While experiences vary, older women are indeed more prone to recurrent urinary tract infections, he said.
Among Dr Beh’s patients, some have reported getting UTI several times a year, while others, who might have had sporadic UTI in their youth, have been experiencing it more frequently as they get older.
WHY WOMEN ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE THAN MEN
UTI is a bacterial infection affecting the urinary system, which comprises the bladder, kidneys, ureters and urethra. Common symptoms include a frequent urge to urinate, a burning sensation during urination, cloudy or bloody urine, and discomfort in the lower abdomen and/or fever.
The common organ affected is the bladder, but sometimes the infection may be more serious and can involve the kidneys.