A popular myth is that urinary tract infections burn and because of this a person who is deeply forgetful can tell you they have a UTI. This is not true.
By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room
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| E Coli Bacteria |
Yes, there is such a thing as a silent urinary tract infection. Silent means no clear cut sign of physical pain, no burning sensation, and no discernible odor.
This explain in part why a person who is deeply forgetful cannot tell you they have a urinary tract infection. On the other hand, most of the women I know that get a UTI can tell you what is wrong before they go to the doctor.
There are discernible symptoms of a UTI in the deeply forgetful, but the symptoms are rarely connected to UTI by caregivers. This is especially true of "new" or "less experienced" dementia caregivers.
