65-year-old actress Tanya Roberts has died of a urinary tract an infection that induced sepsis

Photo credit: Dr. Billy Ingram – Getty Images

From women’s health

• 65-year-old actress Tanya Roberts passed away on Monday January 4th.

• The deaths of Charlie’s Angels and That ’70s Show Star came after they collapsed on Christmas Eve.

• Her official cause of death was a urinary tract infection that developed into sepsis, according to NBC News.

65-year-old actress Tanya Roberts passed away on Monday January 4th. The death of star Charlie’s Angels and That ’70s Show came after she collapsed on Christmas Eve and made headlines when her publicist announced ahead of time that she had passed away on Sunday, January 3rd.

Her official cause of death was a urinary tract infection that developed into sepsis, according to NBC News. Tanya’s longtime partner and spokesman announced that the sepsis had spread to her kidneys and gallbladder.

A urinary tract infection is a bacterial infection that can build up in your urethra, bladder, or kidneys and cause uncomfortable symptoms such as frequent urination, a burning sensation when peeing, pelvic pain, and more. And, according to the National Kidney Foundation, one in five women will develop a urinary tract infection in their lifetime. And unfortunately, once you get one, you’re more prone to having it again in the future. 20 to 30 percent of women have repeated infections.

Unfortunately, a urinary tract infection can lead to sepsis, a life-threatening condition in which the body actually injures its own tissues and organs. In the United States, more than 1.5 million people develop sepsis each year, and at least 250,000 Americans die from sepsis annually, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report.

When sepsis occurs, “the body reacts aggressively and can damage the brain, kidneys and lungs,” said Dr. Christopher Seymour, Sepsis Specialist and Associate Professor of Intensive Care Medicine in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, told NBC News. “When the immune system responds, it can trigger a cascade of proteins that affect blood vessels and tissues.”

The story goes on

Sepsis can be very difficult to diagnose. “The long and short of it is that no single sign or symptom says septic like chest pain can indicate a heart attack,” Seymour said. “That’s why we often see people presenting late and succumbing to an otherwise treatable infection.”

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