UTI and urinary incontinence are separate problems but maybe interrelated. UTI can cause incontinence and vice versa. Urinary incontinence is a very distressing symptom which increases the morbidity of life and can be a cause of social embarrassment. It is important to diagnose the type of incontinence to correctly treat the same. For this careful analysis of symptoms is very important.
History and examination is done and incontinence demonstrated by coughing or straining.
Urinalysis is done to detect infection in urine as sometimes infection presents with incontinence.

Other investigations done-
 Record maintenance- How much you drink, when do you urinate, amount of urine produced. This is all relevant information for incontinence diagnosis and treatment
 Post void residual urine is measured. Sometimes bladder is not completely empty after voiding and may cause incontinence
 Uroflowmetry may be done. It tells all about the flow and speed of urine
 Bladder training can be done.
 Fluid and diet management. This includes avoiding certain food groups like alcohol, caffeine. Fluid intake is reduced more near bedtime.
 Losing weight can solve major issues
 Physical activity
 Going to toilet every 2-4 hours rather than waiting for urge
 Pelvic floor muscle exercise. Also called as kegel’s exercise which if practiced regularly and according to instructions, improves both urge and stress incontinence
 Electrical stimulation of the pelvic floor muscles by electric stimulation can be helpful for pelvic floor strengthening

Medication
Medication to calm down an overactive bladder maybe helpful. There are drugs which increase the amount of urine that the bladder can hold.
Topical estrogen in form of vaginal cream can help by rejuvenating the tissues on the urethra and vaginal areas.
Devices can be inserted in the vagina to prevent leak like urethral insert or vaginal pessary.

Surgery
 Botox injections
 Nerve stimulation
 Sling procedures
 Bladder neck suspension
 Prolapse surgery
 Artificial urinary sphincters
These surgeries can help according to the diagnosis

General measures-
To reduce the discomfort and inconvenience
 Pads
 Protective garments
 Intermittent catheterisation
 Skin care- Clean skin properly. Allow it to air dry. You can use creams like petroleum jelly or any other good moisturiser to protect the skin from urine.
 Avoid frequent washing and douching
Some people avoid going out and limit their social life because of embarrassment. But treatment is available, all you need to visit a urologist or a urogynaecologist.

UTI-
It is a type of infection of the urinary tract i.e. the urethra, bladder, ureters or kidneys. Women are more prone to it because of the short length of the urethra. Incidence of UTI can increase in the following circumstances
 Sexual intercourse
 Diabetes
 Pregnancy
 Poor personal hygiene
 Kidney stones
 Decreased immunity

Symptoms
 Strong and frequent urge to urinate
 Pain while urination
 Cloudy, bloody or foul smelling urine
 Pain abdomen
 Nausea, vomiting
 Fever
 Malaise
Diagnosis is made by urine test and culture of urine.

Treatment
 Antibiotics according to the culture report should be taken and full therapy should be completed
 Plenty of fluids
 Pain medication
 Cranberry juice
 Hygiene
 Cleaning from front to back and not the vice versa
 Urination and cleaning after sexual activity
 Cotton and loose fitting undergarments
This is a small information regarding the various urinary problems faced more by females and with a few precautions and preventive measures can be avoided and treated with ease.