UTI Diagnosis If you have symptoms of a UTI, one or more of the following tests may be performed to help in diagnosing urinary tract infection: Urine Sample — A lab analysis may be used to examine white or red blood cells, or bacteria.
Bacteria Sample — Growing a sample of your urinary bacteria to help determine which bacteria are present and which medications will be effective. Imaging — If you experience frequent urinary tract infections, an ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI may be used to help determine the cause. Cystoscopy — If you experience recurring UTIs, your doctor may use a narrow scope to examine the inside your urethra and bladder. Treatment The drug prescribed by your doctor and length of UTI treatment depend on your health and the kind of bacteria identified in your urine.
One of the following common antibiotics is used to treat simple urinary tract infections. One dose of antibiotic — after sexual intercourse if infections are related to intercourse. Vaginal estrogen therapy — for postmenopausal women. This is called asymptomatic bacteriuria. Asymptomatic bacteriuria may lead to infections that cause symptoms, but in many cases it does not.
It usually goes away without treatment. Several other conditions, such as vaginal infections or irritable bladder, cause symptoms similar to those of a UTI. Your doctor may evaluate your health for one or more of these if you have urinary symptoms, depending on your medical history and how well you respond to treatment for a UTI. Urinary tract infections UTIs typically occur when bacteria from the rectal area enter through the urethra and travel up the urinary tract to the bladder or kidneys.
Typically, UTIs cause urinary symptoms, such as pain or burning during urination. Some mild bladder infections may go away on their own within a couple of days. Most UTIs clear up quickly with antibiotics. The amount of time required to cure the infection and the need for urine tests will vary with the location bladder or kidneys , frequency, and seriousness of the infection.
Kidney infections and UTIs that are complicated by other factors require longer treatment. Complications of UTIs are not common but do occur. Serious complications can include permanent kidney damage and widespread infection sepsis , which can be life-threatening. The risk is greater if the infection is not treated or if the infection does not respond to antibiotics.
Some people have many UTIs. They are often new infections recurrent UTIs , but they can also be the same infection coming back a relapse. A rapid relapse usually means that treatment failed or there is another problem affecting the urinary tract not just the infection. UTIs are most common in young to middle-aged women.
They occur more often in women than in men because:. Some women have an ongoing problem with UTIs. If a woman has more than two bladder infections in 6 months or more than three infections in a year, she is said to have recurrent UTIs. Recurrent UTIs usually get better with extended antibiotic treatment. But infection may recur as soon as the woman stops taking antibiotics. For this reason, doctors usually recommend preventive antibiotics.
Most urinary tract infections in men are caused by bacteria. UTIs in older men are more often related to prostate problems. This can make them more difficult to treat. Having an enlarged prostate , which is common in older men, can limit the body's ability to pass urine. Repeated UTIs may indicate prostatitis , epididymitis , or another urinary tract problem.
Urinary tract infections UTIs are most common in young to middle-aged sexually active women. Things that increase a woman's risk of getting UTIs include:. Things that increase a man's risk of UTIs include:. Certain risk factors apply to both women and men. These include:. Call your doctor immediately if painful urination or other symptoms of a urinary tract infection UTI occur with:. Call your doctor immediately if you are pregnant and have symptoms of a UTI listed above.
Watchful waiting is a wait-and-see approach. If you get better on your own, you won't need treatment. If you get worse, you and your doctor will decide what to do next.
In adults, home treatment often resolves symptoms. Home treatment includes drinking plenty of water and urinating often, emptying the bladder each time. Your family doctor , general practitioner , or nurse practitioner can diagnose and treat urinary tract infections. You may be referred to a specialist, such as a urologist or gynecologist.
If you have symptoms of a urinary tract infection UTI , your first evaluation by a doctor will likely include:. Your doctor may order a urine culture to confirm the diagnosis of a suspected UTI. But if your doctor thinks you have a UTI, he or she may have you start taking antibiotics right away without waiting for the results of your test.
If the infection does not respond to treatment with antibiotics or recurs rapidly, if the infection may be complicated by other factors , or, in some cases, if the kidneys are infected, your doctor may order other tests to:.
If you get UTIs often, your doctor may write you a standing prescription for antibiotics that you can fill without a doctor's appointment. Then when you first have symptoms of a UTI, you can start taking medicine right away. Antibiotics can treat most urinary tract infections UTIs successfully.
The goals of treatment for UTIs are to relieve symptoms, eliminate the infection and prevent recurrence, and prevent unlikely but serious complications such as kidney damage and sepsis. In pregnant women, treatment protects the woman and the fetus.
Treatment for bladder infections is usually a combination of antibiotics and home treatment. Home treatment includes drinking a lot of water and fluids and urinating frequently, emptying your bladder each time, and avoiding the use of spermicides. More testing is not needed if your symptoms improve. Oral antibiotics usually can treat kidney infections pyelonephritis. But you may need a brief hospital stay and a short course of intravenous IV antibiotics if you are too ill or nauseated to take medicine by mouth oral medicine.
Kidney infections tend to make people more severely ill than bladder infections. You may need more tests before and after treatment if you:. If you have a severe kidney infection, or if a bladder or kidney infection is complicated by other factors , you may need hospital care.
If your urinary tract infection UTI does not improve after treatment with antibiotics, you will need further evaluation and additional antibiotic treatment. If the infection spreads and affects your kidney function or causes widespread infection sepsis , you will need hospital care.
Infection may occur in the kidneys, bladder or urethra. Read more on SA Health website. A comprehensive guide to urinary tract infections. Everything you should know about UTIs including causes, symptoms, management and treatment. Read more on Jean Hailes for Women's Health website.
A urinary tract infection UTI is the most common bacterial infection women get in pregnancy, but there are ways to lower the risk of developing one. Read more on Sydney Children's Hospitals Network website. Do you have a urinary tract infection UTI?
Read more on Kidney Health Australia website. Urinary tract infection is the infection of one or more parts of the urinary tract UT including the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra.
Urinary tract infections UTI are the most common hospital-acquired infection. Read more on Ausmed Education website. Paediatric urinary incontinence is separated into two distinct categories: diurnal incontinence day wetting occurs during the day, which is not diagnosed until the age of 5 or 6; and enuresis bed-wetting occurs at night. Nocturnal nighttime incontinence can be diagnosed by the age of 7. Read more on Cochrane Australasian Centre website. It generally presents as a state of confusion, loss of memory or attentiveness, trouble understanding or making sense, difficulty recognising people, places or things, or changes to mood.
Urinary incontinence, both in the day and at night, is common in school-aged children and can be very distressing for children and their families.
Read more on Australian Prescriber website. An year-old woman presented for investigation of generalised weakness, collapse, bradycardia and delirium. Infections of the kidneys or ureters tubes connecting the kidneys to the bladder are known as upper UTIs. These can cause the above symptoms and also:. Lower UTIs are common and aren't usually a cause for major concern. Upper UTIs can be serious if left untreated, as they could damage the kidneys or spread to the bloodstream.
Your GP can rule out other possible causes of your symptoms by testing a sample of your urine and can prescribe antibiotics if you do have an infection. Antibiotics are usually recommended because untreated UTIs can potentially cause serious problems if they're allowed to spread. Most women are given a three-day course of antibiotic capsules or tablets. Men, pregnant women and people with more serious symptoms may need a slightly longer course. Your symptoms will normally pass within three to five days of starting treatment.
But make sure you complete the whole course of antibiotics that you've been prescribed, even if you're feeling better. Over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol can help with any pain. Drinking plenty of fluids may also help you feel better.
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