How UTIs in women may damage kidneys

Dr Rachel Floyd: "UTIs are a growing and painful problem that affect many women around the world” A scientist from the Institute of Translational Medicine has been awarded a £190,000 Fellowship by Kidney Research UK to investigate how the E.coli bacteria which cause Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) move to the kidneys where they can cause considerable damage. UTIs currently affect around half of all women in the UK. A recent survey by the charity of over 1,000 women showed that over half had experienced one or more UTI during their lifetime. Of those women, 58% said they usually treat a UTI with antibiotics, and almost 30% said they usually treat a UTI with over the counter medication. Increasingly resistant E.coli , the bacteria which cause 85% of UTI's, are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics that are currently available, meaning they may not clear an infection. Equally worryingly, the 30% of women who are using over the counter medications to treat their UTI's are often unaware that these only mask the symptoms of the infection and do not cure it. If the untreated UTI spreads to the upper urinary tract it can cause kidney damage.
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