Untreated UTIs in Seniors: Risks, Complications & Prevention

The urinary tract is responsible for filtering out toxins from the body. According to healthcentral.com, urinary tract infections (UTI) account for 8 to 10 million doctors' appointments each year. Seniors are particularly vulnerable to complications from an untreated UTI.

Risk Factors

• The elderly are more likely to develop UTIs from not completely emptying the bladder, which loses elasticity as we age, says the National Library of Medicine (NLM).

Recognition

• Symptoms of a UTI include pain when urinating, blood in the urine, and dark or cloudy urine. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), seniors are less likely to have obvious symptoms---and may be unable to communicate---so their infections may go untreated for long periods.

Mental Symptoms

• An untreated UTI can cause a kidney infection. In the elderly, mental confusion or personality changes are often the only symptoms of a UTI and/or a kidney infection.

Complications

• Untreated UTIs can cause sepsis---a serious, body-wide infection of the blood---as well as scarring and permanent damage to the kidneys, says the UMMC.

Prognosis

• The prognosis for a UTI is usually excellent. For an untreated UTI, the outlook can be fair to poor, depending on at what point the UTI was detected and how far it has spread into the kidneys.