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The strange relationship between bacteria and urine: Why do some people have bacteria in their urine but have no symptoms?
In the medical field, bacteriuria refers to the presence of bacteria in the urine. When bacteriuria is accompanied by symptoms, it is usually diagnosed as a urinary tract infection; when there are no symptoms, it is called asymptomatic bacteriuria. This phenomenon is not uncommon in many healthy people, but it deserves more attention and discussion.
Asymptomatic bacteriuria is more common in the elderly, women, and long-term residents. In fact, in the absence of symptoms, many people may not need to be tested at all.
Prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria
About 3% of healthy middle-aged women will develop asymptomatic bacteriuria, and in nursing homes, the incidence can be as high as 50% of women and 40% of men. For patients who use urinary catheters for a long time, this proportion even reaches 100%. This makes people wonder, among so many asymptomatic patients, why are some able to remain healthy and unaffected?
Sources and types of bacteria
The most common bacterium that causes bacteriuria is Escherichia coli, but other bacteria such as Klebsiella spp. and Group B Streptococci can also cause the condition. Asymptomatic bacteriuria is often associated with factors such as pregnancy, diabetes, bladder catheter placement, and spinal cord injury.
Clinical impact of asymptomatic bacteriuria
Although asymptomatic bacteriuria does not require treatment in most cases, special attention should be paid to certain circumstances, such as pregnancy, recent kidney transplantation, and young children with significant reflux. Additionally, bacteriuria in pregnant women may be associated with low birth weight, prematurity, and even neonatal infections.
During pregnancy, physiological changes increase the risk of bacteriuria, so regular urine testing is very important for pregnant women.
Diagnostic methods
Diagnosis of bacteriuria is usually done by urinalysis or urine culture. Testing is generally not recommended for asymptomatic patients, but certain groups of people, such as the elderly, need to pay attention to non-specific symptoms. For healthy people, when the concentration of the same bacteria in urine exceeds 100,000 formation units, it can be considered a diagnostic indicator.
Treatment specifications
In most cases, asymptomatic bacteriuria does not require medical treatment, but in patients who are about to undergo urinary tract surgery, antibiotics may be needed to prevent infection. Symptomatic patients usually need to be treated with antibiotics.
Conclusion
For many people, asymptomatic bacteriuria may be a health condition that is not taken seriously in life. In fact, it reflects the relationship between the complex microbial ecology and human health. Does this mean our definition of “health” needs to be rethought?
