Bacteria in the blood
June 5, 2018 Source: Internal - Afnan C, Other Source: https://www.mayoclinic.org
Many species of bacteria have co-evolved with humans throughout the years to live in harmony. There are almost ten times as many bacterial cells than human cells in our bodies! Bacteria can be both beneficial and detrimental for our bodies. The beneficial bacteria can help break down and digest some substances that the human body cannot like some carbohydrates or small chain fatty acids. However, bacterial infections can cause pain or discomfort in humans as well. For example, urinary tract infections (UTI) are most commonly caused by Escherichia Coli. UTI's are infections for any part of the urinary tract system which is composed of the bladder, kidneys, ureters and urethra. Infections of the lower parts of the urinary tract are more common than infections of the upper tract. Symptoms for UTI's may include: a strong urge to urinate, burning sensation when urinating, discoloured urine or pelvic pain in women.
Typically, these infections are treated by antibiotics. Nevertheless, one must be very careful when generally using antibiotics and why completing the full dose is highly recommended. Although you might feel better after a few days, by prematurely stopping your antibiotics, you may not kill all the bacteria. Over time, these bacteria can begin to develop a resistance to the medicine so when the UTI resurfaces, the same medicine will not be effective. However, there is a fine line between the overuse and premature termination of antibiotics. Constant use of antibiotics can potentially kill good gut bacteria as well leading to development of other issues in the body.
