What are the symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI)?

You could have a urinary tract infection if you experience a frequent urge to urinate, and a painful, burning feeling while you are doing so. Read this article to help you decide and for tips on what to do about it.

Although you could have a urinary tract infection and experience no symptoms at all, most people do not fall into this category. Common symptoms include a frequent urge to urinate, a burning feeling in your bladder or urethra during urination, and sometimes, a generally "tired or listless" feeling. Women often report feeling discomfort and pressure above the pubic bone, and men sometimes report a pressure or fullness in their rectum.

Very often it is only possible to pass a small amount of urine despite the frequent urge to urinate. When urine is passed it may have a milky, cloudy, or even reddish color. If these symptoms are accompanied by a fever, pain in the back, sides, or below the ribs, or nausea/vomiting, then it is likely that the infection has spread to the kidneys as well.

Any of these symptoms require a trip to the doctor's office for a diagnosis. Your doctor will need you to provide a urine sample which will be tested for the presence of blood, pus, and bacteria. If a URI is found, you will be prescribed antibacterial drugs. It is important to follow the prescription's instructions exactly and to not stop taking the drugs before you have used them all, or in accordance with your doctor's instructions.

If the urinary tract infection has not spread to the kidneys, the symptoms may be gone within 24 to 48 hours after treatment begins. Just because the symptoms have abated the infection may still be present. This is why your doctor will usually order that you stay on treatment for at least two weeks or more.

A UTI that has spread to the kidneys could require a stay in the hospital and more extensive treatment. This is one reason why you should see a doctor the moment that you develop any symptoms of a UTI. If a kidney infection is left untreated it could become fatal.

There are some simple steps you can take to reduce the changes of your incurring a UTI.

  • Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily.
  • Don't hold your urine in; urinate when you have the urge.
  • Females should wipe front to back to prevent bacteria found around the anus from entering the urethra or vagina.
  • Alternate between taking showers and baths.
  • Wash your genital area before and after intercourse.
  • Drink one glass of cranberry juice daily.

Most of the time a urinary tract infection is a temporary inconvenience. However, if you ignore the symptoms hoping that it will "go away by itself", you are making a big mistake. See you doctor early and you'll prevent a whole lot of unnecessary misery and health risk.