The Parish Magazine September 2021

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30 The Parish Magazine - September 2021 Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisements The Window Cleaner • Interior & exterior • All windows, frames, sills & doors • Conservatory cleaning • Fully insured Ever wondered why Mrs Miggins cat needed sleeping pills? We provide a reliable, professional service, ensuring that your home will sparkle. For a free quote call or email 07967 004426 thewindowcleaner1@googlemail.com 24 hours service | Private client parking | Private chapel of rest Free home visits | Pre-paid funeral plans | Full written estimate Woodland funerals | Religious and non-religious services Are you a naturally curious, compassionate, caring person who wants to be part of the solution? Tel: 01491 573370 www.tomalins.co.uk tomalin@btconnect.com Anderson House, 38 Reading Road, Henley-On-Thames, RG9 1AG A Family Run Independent Funeral Service We’re hiring exceptional home care assistants. Contracts for anything from a couple of hours per week to a full structured career path in care. Call us if you want the answer...! 0118 9323 865 www.q1care.co.uk/careers Unit 7, The Old Mill Trading Estate Pangbourne, Berkshire, RG8 7HY
HEALTH — 1 Dr Simon Ruffle writes . . . Let’s talk about waterworks! A common presentation to GPs, that causes patients a lot of symptoms and distress are UTIs. Classically urinary tract infections present with stinging or burning on passing urine. It will also make the person feel a need to pass urine more often, but when they ‘go,’ they may only pass small amounts. Urine can be discoloured or cloudy; looking like wheat beer rather than clear lager, and have the colour of an Oloroso rather than a Manzanilla. Urine often smells; after years practising medicine it becomes familiar and we do not need further investigations! However, sometimes there are no symptoms whatsoever. In the elderly this is often seen with a change in cognition, for example becoming confused, angry or disinhibited. Often these infections stay in the bladder — cystitis — or affect the urethra which is the tube from the bladder to the outside world. The urinary tract is described as the kidney, the ureter —the tube between the kidney and the bladder — the bladder, and the urethra. We will confine ourselves to this area, however we should bear in mind that sexually transmitted diseases can also cause urinary infections rather than just genital infections. PYELONEPHRITIS If the infection is in the kidney it is called pyelonephritis. The symptoms of pyelonephritis are over and above that of simple cystitis. Back or flank pain, shaking with fever — rigors — abdominal pain, blood in the urine, nausea and vomiting are symptoms. This requires more urgent treatment with antibiotics and it can lead to sepsis which requires admission to hospital. TREATMENT Simple cystitis often does not need treatment other than drinking lots of fluid and avoiding things that acidify the urine, such as, white wine, fruit juices, fruits, caffeinecontaining drinks and for the Sonning luminaries, champagne. If symptoms go on for more than 72 hours a short course — 3 days — of oral antibiotics can also clear the infection. However, if there are any complicating factors, such as, blood in the urine, then a sample should be taken to be sent to the laboratory; and a 7 day course of antibiotics is more likely to be prescribed. Bacteria and yeasts found in the gut can cause urethritis and infection. It is more likely that women get urinary tract infections than men through the simple fact that the tube from the bladder to the outside world is longer in most men. Unfortunately again ladies, after the menopause, are more likely to get urinary tract infections due to the lack of oestrogen which normally keeps the urethra healthy. The good news for women is that they do not have a prostate; some urinary tract infections in men cause a very nasty painful inflammation of the prostate which can lead to a total blockage and retention of urine requiring an emergency catheter. The risk factors of developing an infection are diabetes, a reduced immune system, kidney stones, or people who have recently had surgery or bladder inspections. In children normal growth means their urinary tracts are shaped oddly. This can lead to infection. Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwe side The Parish Magazine - September 2021 31 Unfortunately, girls, I have to inform you of more bad news. Sexual intercourse can lead to cystitis, especially if you are having sexual relationships after a break — known as honeymoon cystitis — and is common when first 'enjoying' sex. Certain contraceptive devices such as diaphragms, spermicide and some lubricants on condoms can also increase the risk of cystitis, as can 'moon cups'. Fortunately prompt action, treatment and some simple measures to prevent recurrence in prone patients means that urinary tract infections rarely cause major long-term consequences. One for the boys! Regular untreated urinary tract infections in men can cause strictures that require treatment; I am not going to go into it but to help, and prevent this happening, I suggest you look up the procedure ‘urethrotomy’ on Google. Other search engines are available. We classify recurrent infections as women who have experienced two or more urinary tract infections in 6 months or four or more in a year. In men we investigate secondary causes of urinary tract infection because they are rarer. It is important to note that if men or women see blood in the urine that this can be a sign of other issues and therefore should always speak to a doctor about this. PREVENTION Simon Ruffle The urinary tract clears waste from the body that has been filtered by the kidney. The kidney’s job is to retain water when it is hot as we may dehydrate but to get rid of water when we are hydrated. Thus drinking plenty of fluids — water — increases urine output and prevents urinary tract infections. A popular myth is that drinking cranberry juice can help. This is very unlikely, although it will do no harm, but drinking it while you have a urinary tract infection may increase symptoms as it slightly acidifies urine. A more effective way of acidifying urine to prevent infection is to take regular vitamin C, and indeed, we use this in people who are catheterised to try to prevent build-up of calcium and debris on the catheters. General hygiene helps — wiping from front to back for women and doing this after urinating and having bowels open. For men it is making sure there is no build-up of debris under the foreskin. It is important for both sexes to urinate after intercourse. If cystitis is commonly occurring after intercourse in women it is also advisable to think about which contraception is being used. turn to page 33
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