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Bladder HealthUrinary Tract InfectionThe urinary tract is composed of four parts -- the kidneys, the ureters (tubes connecting the kidneys to the bladder), the bladder, and the urethra (the tube through which the bladder empties). A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that occurs in one of these four parts, most often beginning in the urethra and moving up the urinary tract to the kidneys.A UTI occurs when microorganisms, usually bacteria from the digestive tract, cling to the opening of the urethra and begin to multiply. Most infections arise from one type of bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli), which normally live in the colon. In most cases, bacteria first begin growing in the urethra and often move on to the bladder, causing a bladder infection (cystitis). If the infection is not treated promptly, bacteria may then go up the ureters to infect the kidneys (pyelonephritis). Microorganisms called chlamydia and mycoplasma may also cause UTIs in both women and men, but these infections tend to remain limited to the urethra and reproductive system. Unlike E. coli, chlamydia and mycoplasma may be sexually transmitted, and infections require treatment of both partners.
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