A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that involved the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or urethra. These are all body parts in which urine passes through before exiting the body. Any or all of these parts can become infected, and the rule is that the farther up the urinary tract the infection is, the worse it is considered.

In your body the upper urinary tract is made up of the kidneys and the ureters. Infections of the upper urinary tract usually affect the kidneys and are referred to as pyelonephritis. Lower urinary tract is composed up of the bladder and urethra. Infection of the lower urinary tract that affects the urethra is known as urethritis and the bladder infection is referred to as cystitis.

Simple infections that occur in a healthy urinary tract do not usually spread to other areas of the body and can be treated easily. Those who have complications that are connected to a UTI can experience infection caused by anatomic abnormalities, spread to other areas of the body, or are resistant to the antibiotics available are more challenging to treat.

UTIS are quite common in America, accounting for more than seven million medical office and hospital visits each year. UTI is more common for adults but can affect about two percent of children. If your child does get a UTI they are treated as more serious than an adult's so seek medical attention as soon as possible if you think your child may have one.

It is good to know that children who have bedwetting problems are most likely to develop a UTI. When it comes to men and women under the age of fifty women are much more likely to develop a UTI. If your son develops a UTI it is likely going to be more serious than a girl's. It has been estimated that bout forty percent of women and twelve percent of men have experienced a UTI at some point in their life.

In a normal healthy body urine is sterile. When an infection occurs it is caused by bacteria that got into the urine and started to grow. The infection will generally start at the opening of the urethra and begins its upward journey through your urinary tract infecting everything it comes in contract with.

The most common cause of UTIS is Escherichia Coli (E coli) which is bacteria that usually lives in the colon. E coli make up for about ninety percent of uncomplicated infections. The bacteria can move from the anus area to the opening of the urethra due to poor hygiene or sexual intercourse. The emptying of the bladder is how you flush out these bacteria.

Article provided by Sven Ullmann, who runs Deserved Health - a site dedicated to different health related articles. Read more about Bladder Infections.