Type 1 Diabetes And Utis
WRITTEN BY: Georgina Cunningham It’s my second trip to the hospital in a month. I’ve already missed five days of work. I’ve been poked and prodded, I have no good veins left. I’m already covered in bruises from last time and I just don’t want to be here again. I’m putting on a brave face, but everything inside me is telling me to scream at the top of my lungs. I’m doubled over with back pain, a migraine, a horrible fever, tachycardia, and to top it off I have constant low blood sugar. “You again,” says the emergency department doctor. We both know the drill — fluids, intravenous antibiotics and a nice four-night stay in the Acute Ward. I would consider myself a healthy person. I eat a balanced diet, I walk everywhere and my blood sugar levels are even “better than a person not living with Type 1 diabetes” (according to my endocrinologist). I’m hygienic and I had never had a UTI up until this moment. So, to be honest, I couldn’t tell you how I got here. While a UTI might typically be something that is easily treated, it can become dangerous for someone with Type 1 diabetes. It can spread easily through your blood and your kidneys can become damaged. Our bodies can’t fight infections as well as they should, so it’s important to know the signs and make sure you advocate for your own body. Everyone’s bodies are different, even amongst the Type 1 community. When I had the initial infection my sugars were generally stable, so long as I ate. But as soon as the infection spread and I incorporated antibiotics, a small appetite and my normal insulin dosage, my sugars went spiraling down. I’d wake up sitting at 2.3, sometimes even 1.8, in the middle of the night. I’d be tired and grumpy and the last thing I want to do is down some Carbotest (a Continue reading >>
Can This Be Diabetes?
So since September I had off days where I would pee a lot. When I say a lot, I mean a lot like I had the urge to go every one hour and it was clear. The amount I urinated did not match with how much I drank. By late November and December it started to become a daily thing. The amount I urinated was not on par with how much I urinated in earlier months but I ended up having the urge every 2 hours and could only hold my pee up to 4 hours. I ended up going to my doctors because of this last week. Before I touch upon that date, I would like to also say that I have been experiencing excessive hunger (or what I think is excessive - I get hungery right after I eat meals - which may be normal really since I tend to not eat until the afternoon or even as late as evenings) and also an increase of pins and needles feeling in my legs and arms. Anyways, back to the doctor visit. During that visit I told them about what I have been experiencing and they ended up making me do a urine sample. My doctor said he couldn't find any traces of sugar (but will send it to the lab to make sure - I didn't get a call back so I assume it was negative) but they did find a trace of a uti. They prescribed me the medication that starts with a N (made me pee more than what was normal- I even had to wake up in the middle of the night which never happened). Now though I still experience hunger, and pins and needles (I cannot really say about my urination problems because I am still taking the medication). So I was wondering if I should go find another doctor and force them to do more tests on me? or is this all in my head? Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Urinary Tract Infections – Things You Need To Know
In this article we will cover everything you need to know about diabetes and your risk for Urinary Tract Infections. Do you have an increased risk of Urinary Tract Infections now that you have diabetes? We will cover what a Urinary Tract Infection is, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment guidelines, as well as why they are more common in people with diabetes. More importantly, we will discuss steps you can take to prevent them! What Is a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)? A urinary tract infection or UTI is an infection anywhere in your bladder, kidneys or in the urinary system. An infection of the upper urinary tract or the bladder is called a bladder infection or cystitis. An infection in the urethra is called urethritis. Women tend to be more at risk of these types of infections due to their anatomy; they have a much shorter area between the urethra and the opening to the urethra to the bladder. Urinary tract infections are rare in men under 50 due to their anatomy. A more serious infection of the lower urinary tract is an infection of the kidney and the ureters and is called pyelonephritis. This is a complication and occurs when the bladder infection progresses to the kidneys. I highly advise reading the following articles: According to the Stanford Medicine’s Michael Hsieh Lab, half of women and men will have experienced a urinary tract infection (UTI) during our lifetime at least once. They are the most common infection, and can lead to death in patients who are experiencing it severely. Antibiotics are the most effective therapy.The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases account 8.1 million visits to the clinic, hospitals for UTI purposes. For women, the risk of getting a UTI is 50 percent greater than a man. What Are The Symptoms of a UTI? L Continue reading >>
How Diabetes Affects Women: Symptoms, Risks, And More
Diabetes describes a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar due to problems processing or producing insulin. Diabetes can affect anyone, regardless of age, race, gender, or lifestyle. Between 1971 and 2000, the death rate for men with diabetes fell, according to a study in Annals of Internal Medicine. This was a major coup, reflecting the many advances in diabetes treatment. However, according to the study, the death rate for women with diabetes showed no signs of improvement. Additionally, the difference in death rates between women who had diabetes and those who didn’t more than doubled. This study of diabetes in men and women presented several possible reasons for the gender differences. Reasons included: Women often receive less aggressive treatment for cardiovascular risk factors and conditions related to diabetes. The complications of diabetes in women are more difficult to diagnose. Women often have different kinds of heart disease than men. Hormones and inflammation act differently in women. The findings emphasize how diabetes affects women and men differently. Although the death rate was higher among women previously, there has been a shift in gender distribution of type two diabetes showing higher rates among men. The most current reported stats (in 2012) found that 13.4 million women and 15.5 million men have been diagnosed with diabetes in the United States alone. According to the global reports from the World Health Organization from 2014, there was an estimated 422 million adults living with diabetes. This is up from 108 million that was reported in 1980. If you’re a woman with diabetes, you’ll experience many of the same symptoms as a man. However, some symptoms are unique to women. Understanding both will help you identi Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Urinary Tract Infections: What You Need To Know
The urgent need to go. The burning pain when you do. The cloudy, foul-smelling urine. If you've experienced a urinary tract or bladder infection, you'd probably prefer to avoid another one. Unfortunately, if you have diabetes, you are up to twice as likely as those without the disease to develop these often painful infections. They’re especially common among women. But there’s a lot you can do to avoid them and to ease your discomfort when they do strike. Making healthy lifestyle choices is key to managing type 2 diabetes, but it can be hard to stay on track. Dr. Anthony Cardillo explains that focusing on diet, exercise and stress reduction can help you maintain control of your diabetes. 2017 Healthgrades Operating Company, Inc. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced or reprinted without permission from Healthgrades Operating Company, Inc. Use of this information is governed by the Healthgrades User Agreement. Why Diabetes Poses a Risk Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, occur when bacteria or other bugs invade your body’s drainage system. Normally, your immune defenses banish these bugs before they can grow and multiply. But if you have diabetes, the following factors interfere: Diabetes impairs some parts of your immune response. You have fewer white blood cells and T cells to fight off invading bacteria, viruses, and fungi. For the same reason, diabetics often develop UTIs caused by less commonly encountered germs. Routine antibiotics may be ineffective. Nerve damage can keep your bladder from emptying, either by weakening muscles or scrambling the signals between your brain and urinary system. Urine that remains in your body too long poses a greater infection risk. Sugar in your blood and urine can also contribute to a greater risk for UTI. Besides pain and Continue reading >>
Uti And Diabetes: 4 Important Facts You Should Know
Diabetes is a complicated illness. And if you’re not careful enough, it can even lead to severe cases of UTI and cause other urinary-related complications. A urinary tract infection occurs when bacteria grow anywhere within the urinary tract—from the kidneys, ureters, the bladder, and the urethra. Most people quickly dismiss UTI as a common infection that can easily be treated. After all, it affects millions of patients all over the world. Antibiotics against UTI are also widely available and affordable, and they are proven to be effective. So at first glance, UTI seems simple and uncomplicated—but not if you’re diabetic. Diabetes is a disease in which the body can’t effectively produce or respond to the hormone insulin, which then results to abnormal carbohydrate metabolism and high levels of glucose in the blood and urine. It’s considered a serious, lifetime condition that requires continuous care, monitoring, and maintenance. If not managed properly, diabetes can cause life-threatening complications. And yes, it can also complicate UTIs. For patients with diabetes, therefore, guarding against UTI is of utmost importance. Here are four facts you need to know. Facts about UTI and Diabetes Fact #1. You’re twice as likely to have a UTI if you’re diabetic. For obvious reasons, this isn’t good news for patients with diabetes. A 2005 review found that around 50% of people with diabetes experience dysfunctions in their bladder. In addition, women with Type 1 diabetes are likelier than other demographics to contract a UTI. It’s also worrisome that people with diabetes tend to experience more severe UTI, and the treatment procedure in these cases can also be more complicated than normal. Some of the factors that can cause UTIs in people with diabetes are: Continue reading >>
Urinary Tract Infections (uti) In Diabetes Mellitus
Overview Predisposition to urinary tract infections (UTIs) in diabetes mellitus results from several factors. Susceptibility increases with longer duration and greater severity of diabetes. [1] High urine glucose content and defective host immune factors predispose to infection. Hyperglycemia causes neutrophil dysfunction by increasing intracellular calcium levels and interfering with actin and, thus, diapedesis and phagocytosis. Vaginal candidiasis and vascular disease also play a role in recurrent infections. Recently, the use of SGLT2 inhibitors, such as dapagliflozin, has produced concern about an increased risk of urinary tract infections in recipients of these medications. Levels of urinary glucose increased with greater doses of the medication; however, the incidence of urinary tract infections did not. Nonetheless, such patients do appear to be at a 3- to 5-fold increased risk of genital infections. [2, 3] Over time, patients with diabetes may develop cystopathy, nephropathy, and renal papillary necrosis, complications that predispose them to UTIs. Long-term effects of diabetic cystopathy include vesicourethral reflux and recurrent UTIs. In addition, as many as 30% of women with diabetes have some degree of cystocele, cystourethrocele, or rectocele. All of these may contribute to the frequency and severity of UTIs in female diabetics. Complicated UTIs in patients who have diabetes include renal and perirenal abscess, emphysematous pyelonephritis, emphysematous cystitis, fungal infections, xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis, and papillary necrosis. The current article focuses on emphysematous UTIs, with which diabetes is closely associated. Diabetes mellitus and obstruction of the urinary tract are the predominant risk factors for developing emphysematous UTIs. T Continue reading >>
What You Need To Know About Utis
Burning when you urinate. A frequent urge to urinate. Pain in your back or abdomen. Do any of these symptoms sound familiar? These are all symptoms of a urinary tract infection, or UTI, for short. Studies show that people with Type 2 diabetes have a greater risk of getting a UTI than people without diabetes. Despite the fact that UTIs are all too common and downright annoying, they can also lead to more serious situations if they’re not caught and treated. What is a UTI, anyway? A UTI is an infection in your urinary tract. Your urinary tract includes your kidneys, bladder, ureters, urethra, and, in men, prostate. Most UTIs occur in your bladder, the organ that stores your urine. What causes a UTI? A UTI is caused by bacteria, usually from the bowels. Normally, the urinary tract system has safeguards to protect against infection. For example, the ureters, which are the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder, have one-way valves to prevent urine from backing up into the kidneys. The process of emptying your bladder (called urination) also helps to flush out bacteria and other microbes. And a healthy immune system helps protect against infection, as well. Why are UTIs more common in people with diabetes? UTIs are the second most common type of infection. Women are 10 times more likely to get a UTI than men because of their anatomy. In fact, more than 50% of women will have a UTI at some point in their lives. If you’re a woman with Type 2 diabetes, your risk may be even higher, according to two recent studies. In one study, 9% of the subjects with diabetes had UTIs compared with 6% of those without diabetes. And the second study showed that people with diabetes had a 60% higher risk of getting a UTI compared to those without diabetes. Why are people with Continue reading >>
Diabetes Symptoms & Diagnosis
Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism -- the way our bodies use digested food for growth and energy. There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. The warning signs of diabetes can be so mild that you don't notice them. That's especially true of type 2 diabetes. With type 1 diabetes, the symptoms usually happen quickly, in a matter of days or a few weeks. One of every four people with diabetes doesn't know they have it. See if your risk of having the disease is high. Diabetes and prediabetes are diagnosed with a fasting plasma glucose test, oral glucose tolerance test, or random plasma glucose test. Although doctors don't routinely use it anymore, the oral glucose tolerance test is the gold standard for diagnosing type 2 diabetes. It's still commonly used to diagnose gestational diabetes, a condition that a woman can get while pregnant. The hemoglobin A1c test, also called HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin test, or glycohemoglobin, is an important blood test that shows how well your diabetes is being controlled. Two simple tests that check your urine can help you and your doctor watch for kidney disease and severe high blood sugar. Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Urinary Tract Infections: The Case Against A Pre-emptive Strike
One of the most frustrating things about diabetes is the myriad of ways it can hurt you. Regular readers of this Viewpoint know that patients with diabetes are more prone to heart attacks, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease, as well as damage to the eyes, nerves, and kidney. As if this wasn’t enough, there is another common complication of diabetes that gets less attention, yet which affects thousands of patients every year. I’m talking about infections. Infections can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or other pathogens, and patients with diabetes are more prone to a whole slew of them. Some of these infections are rare and potentially lethal, like mucormycosis, which almost never affects people without diabetes. Others are more common, like athlete’s foot, pneumonia, and urinary tract infections. While anyone can come down with these conditions, folks with diabetes are more likely than those with normal blood sugar to be affected. Furthermore, the complications of those infections can be much more severe in people with diabetes, and can be more difficult to treat. Take urinary tract infections, for example. Women with diabetes are about two to three times more likely to have bacteria in their bladders than women without diabetes (interestingly, the same does not appear to be true for men). There also seems to be an increased risk of the infection spreading upwards into the kidneys in diabetic patients, and diabetic women with urinary tract infections are also more likely to require hospitalization than non-diabetic women. Why is this the case? Well, diabetes affects many systems that protect against infection in general, and against urinary tract infections specifically. Poor circulation in diabetes reduces the ability of infection-fighting white blood Continue reading >>
Sex, Urinary, And Bladder Problems Of Diabetes
What sexual problems can occur in men with diabetes? Erectile Dysfunction Erectile dysfunction is a consistent inability to have an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. The condition includes the total inability to have an erection and the inability to sustain an erection. Estimates of the prevalence of erectile dysfunction in men with diabetes vary widely, ranging from 20 to 75 percent. Men who have diabetes are two to three times more likely to have erectile dysfunction than men who do not have diabetes. Among men with erectile dysfunction, those with diabetes may experience the problem as much as 10 to 15 years earlier than men without diabetes. Research suggests that erectile dysfunction may be an early marker of diabetes, particularly in men ages 45 and younger. In addition to diabetes, other major causes of erectile dysfunction include high blood pressure, kidney disease, alcohol abuse, and blood vessel disease. Erectile dysfunction may also occur because of the side effects of medications, psychological factors, smoking, and hormonal deficiencies. Men who experience erectile dysfunction should consider talking with a health care provider. The health care provider may ask about the patient's medical history, the type and frequency of sexual problems, medications, smoking and drinking habits, and other health conditions. A physical exam and laboratory tests may help pinpoint causes of sexual problems. The health care provider will check blood glucose control and hormone levels and may ask the patient to do a test at home that checks for erections that occur during sleep. The health care provider may also ask whether the patient is depressed or has recently experienced upsetting changes in his life. Treatments for erectile dysfunction caused by nerve damage, Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Urinary Tract Infections
People whose diabetes is not properly controlled have twice the risk of developing infections. In addition to diabetes, you could be more susceptible to urinary tract infections if: Your blood glucose (sugar) levels are not properly controlled. Sugar in the urine promotes bacterial growth. Your nervous system is already affected by diabetes (neuropathy). You could have a “lazy bladder” that does not empty completely. You are a woman. Certain anatomical traits, such as having a shorter urethra, increase the risk of bacterial contamination. You already have diabetes complications in your kidneys or blood vessels. This could be a sign that your diabetes is not properly controlled. You have had a urinary tract infection within the last year. People who have had infections within the last year are more at risk of a recurrence. When to consult? To avoid urinary tract infections, consult your doctor if one or more of these symptoms occur: Fever More frequent urination Burning sensation when urinating Urine has an unpleasant odour False urge to urinate Blood in the urine Abdominal pain when urinating Prevention As is the case for all types of infections if you have diabetes, it is crucial that you maintain your blood glucose (sugar) levels within the target range. Wash your hands often. Do not ignore the urge to urinate. Be sure to stay well hydrated. Quit smoking if you are a smoker. What about cranberry juice? Although studies on cranberry juice seem promising, none has clearly shown that cranberry juice can be used to treat or prevent urinary tract infections. If you nevertheless decide to drink cranberry juice, be aware of the amount of sugar in the juice or cocktail, especially if you are diabetic. Research and text: Diabetes Québec Team of Health Care Professionals S Continue reading >>
Diabetes And The Risk Of Acute Urinary Tract Infection Among Postmenopausal Women
OBJECTIVE—To examine whether the presence of diabetes alters the risk of acute urinary tract infection (UTI) in postmenopausal women. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—A case-control study of the Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound (GHC), a staff-model nonprofit health maintenance organization in Washington State, was conducted. Subjects were women aged 55–75 years who had been members of GHC for at least 1 year and who had had an acute symptomatic UTI within the preceding month. Laboratory files were used to identify women with a urine culture that grew ≥105 colonies of a urinary pathogen. Medical records were reviewed to confirm the presence of acute, clinically symptomatic UTI. Control subjects were randomly selected from the GHC enrollment file, screened to remove women with recent UTI, and frequency matched to cases by age within 2 years. An interviewer ascertained self-reported clinician-diagnosed diabetes. Diagnosis of diabetes was confirmed by the GHC diabetes registry. A subsample of women underwent measurement of postvoid residual bladder volume (n = 748) and culture of vaginal flora (n = 454). RESULTS—Of the 901 case and 913 control subjects, diabetes was reported in 13.1 and 6.8%, respectively. The health plan diabetes registry confirmed the diagnosis in 92% of women who self-reported the condition. The age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) for UTI in relation to self-reported clinician-diagnosed diabetes was 2.2 (95% CI 1.6–3.0). Adjustment for frequency of sexual intercourse and history of UTI had little effect on this estimate. Compared with nondiabetic women, higher UTI odds were seen in subjects who used oral hypoglycemic agents (OR 2.9 [95% CI 1.7–5.1]) and insulin (2.6 [1.5–4.6]) but not in subjects with untreated diabetes or diabetes treated by Continue reading >>
Urinary Tract Infections In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Review Of Prevalence, Diagnosis, And Management
Go to: Introduction Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by variable degrees of insulin resistance, impaired insulin secretion, and increased glucose production. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are at increased risk of infections, with the urinary tract being the most frequent infection site.1–4 Various impairments in the immune system,5,6 in addition to poor metabolic control of diabetes,7,8 and incomplete bladder emptying due to autonomic neuropathy9,10 may all contribute in the pathogenesis of urinary tract infections (UTI) in diabetic patients. Factors that were found to enhance the risk for UTI in diabetics include age, metabolic control, and long term complications, primarily diabetic nephropathy and cystopathy.11 The spectrum of UTI in these patients ranges from asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) to lower UTI (cystitis), pyelonephritis, and severe urosepsis. Serious complications of UTI, such as emphysematous cystitis and pyelonephritis, renal abscesses and renal papillary necrosis, are all encountered more frequently in type 2 diabetes than in the general population.12,13 Type 2 diabetes is not only a risk factor for community-acquired UTI but also for health care-associated UTI,14 catheter-associated UTI,15 and post-renal transplant-recurrent UTI.16 In addition, these patients are more prone to have resistant pathogens as the cause of their UTI, including extended-spectrum β-lactamase-positive Enterobacteriaceae,17 fluoroquinolone-resistant uropathogens,18 carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae,19 and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci.20 Type 2 diabetes is also a risk factor for fungal UTI, mostly caused by Candida.21 Diabetes is also associated with worse outcomes of UTI, including longer hospitalizations and incre Continue reading >>
7 Warning Signs Of Type 2 Diabetes
1 / 8 What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes? More than 100 million American adults are living with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, according to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But the number of people who know they have the diseases — which can lead to life-threatening complications, like blindness and heart disease — is far lower. Data from the CDC suggests that of the estimated 30.3 million Americans with type 2 diabetes, 7.2 million, or 1 in 4 adults living with the disease, are not aware of it. And among those people living with prediabetes, only 11.6 percent are aware that they have the disease. Prediabetes is marked by higher than normal blood sugar levels — though not high enough to qualify as diabetes. The CDC notes that this condition often leads to full-blown type 2 diabetes within five years if it's left untreated through diet and lifestyle modifications. Type 2 diabetes, which is often diagnosed when a person has an A1C of at least 7 on two separate occasions, can lead to potentially serious issues, like neuropathy, or nerve damage; vision problems; an increased risk of heart disease; and other diabetes complications. A person’s A1C is the two- to three-month average of his or her blood sugar levels. According to the Mayo Clinic, doctors may use other tests to diagnose diabetes. For example, they may conduct a fasting blood glucose test, which is a blood glucose test done after a night of fasting. While a fasting blood sugar level of less than 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) is normal, one that is between 100 to 125 mg/dL signals prediabetes, and a reading that reaches 126 mg/dL on two separate occasions means you have diabetes. People with full-blown type 2 diabetes are not able to use the h Continue reading >>
