Do older people with diabetes suffer with regular urine infections.?

Question

My Mum who is 83 keeps getting them and they are very bad she has asked her doctor but he says its just her age. She has got another one today but the doctors are shut until Monday and she wont call an out of hours doctor I would do it but we live miles away what can she do.

Answer 1

Diabetes do that a lot. For my Gran and urine infections (basically it was something chronic) helped Cranberries. Juice, Jam, berries itself... She had them every single day. They have that antiseptic effect.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

For the discomfort there are over the counter medications such as AZO, but theses only treat the pain, not the infection. Cranberry juice will help a bit with bacteria, but should not be treatment alone. These two things will hold her over until she can be seen by a doctor. In the future, try having her drink a glass or two of cranberry juice per day (they also come in capsules), make sure she is getting adequate fluid intake, and be mindful that in the elderly it becomes increasingly difficult to wipe front to back. If she is fequently incontinent, a toileting schedule would be a good idea for her. Hope this helps. Take care and good luck.

Answer 4

Not only elderly. I am a diabetic and have had very frequent UTIs. I found that I had an abscess in my kidney which was almost fatal and I lost the kidney. Many things cause frequent UTIs. Not drinking enough water. Not wiping the vaginal area correctly after urinating. At 83, I doubt this is a problem, but not urinating after sex to eliminate the bacteria. Macrobid is a daily antibiotic used to treat the UTIs, which does not cause yeast infections. I also read somebody's response to take baking soda with water; careful with this as drinking baking soda "cures" a lot of things (such as foot and leg cramps) but it does cause diarrhea.

Answer 5

As a healthcare provider I can tell you that elderly women do tend to get urinary tract infections frequently, particularly diabetic. There is alot of reasons for this. If it becomes frequent I put my elderly patients on MacroBid or Macrodantin regularly. Someitmes an evaluation by a urologist can help. Increasing water intake helps alot. Usually elderly women do not want to do this because they have to pee frequently anyway and usually have trouble holding thier urine. There is an over the counter medication that can help with the discomfort but you still need an antibiotic for the cure. I don't know where you live but here we have Urgent Care Centers (where I work) that will see people on quick notice and on weekends. Or there is the Emergency Room. At this elderly age urinary tract infections can take a big toll on women...make them confused....make them fall....which leads to much bigger issues. Please insist she get care for this problem. There is NO good medical reason to ignore ANY complaint and write it off 'to age'.

Answer 6

If she regularly suffers from UTI's, your mum may want drink a glass daily, however, for an infection, mix 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda with 8 oz. of water. Have her drink three to four glasses per day. The baking soda raises the PH in her urine, killing the bacteria causing the infection.

Answer 7

Elderly females get more UTIs and diabetes increases the risk of all infections, bugs like sugar.

She should not leave her infection over the weekend. If she rings the out of hours service they will arrange a prescription.

Answer 8

It happens to diabetics of any age.Some diabetic medication can cause problems with your kidneys making you more prone to uti's

Answer 9

She should go to an urgent care center or the emergency room.

Answer 10

my 85 year old gran seems to keep getting them too and she is diabetic