UTI - Health Library - Qoctor your quick online doctor https://www.qoctor.com.au Your Quick Online Doctor Tue, 11 Jun 2024 03:56:27 +0000 en-AU hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.8.1 How to get rid of a UTI https://www.qoctor.com.au/how-to-get-rid-of-a-uti/ Thu, 02 Dec 2021 09:57:57 +0000 https://www.qoctor.com.au/?p=196563 How to get rid of a UTI What is a UTI? UTI stands for Urinary Tract Infection (also referred to as a bladder infection or cystitis). UTIs are common, particularly in women. Up to 50% of women will experience 1 or more UTI in their life. UTIs are much [...]

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How to get rid of a UTI

Authored by Dr AIFRIC BOYLAN on 02.12.2021
Medically Reviewed by Dr Davinder Nagah
Last updated on 11.06.2024

What is a UTI?

  • UTI stands for Urinary Tract Infection (also referred to as a bladder infection or cystitis).
  • UTIs are common, particularly in women.
  • Up to 50% of women will experience 1 or more UTI in their life. UTIs are much less common in men.
  • Most UTIs are caused by bacteria that live harmlessly in your gut but cause inflammation if they get into your urinary tract. It often stings as urine passes the inflamed area.
  • It is important to treat UTI quickly, as the infection can sometimes spread from the bladder to the kidneys (causing a kidney infection, also known as “pyelnonephritis”), which can make you extremely unwell.

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What are the symptoms of a UTI?

  • Burning or stinging when you pass urine (dysuria)
  • Passing urine more frequently (frequency) or urgently (urgency) than normal
  • Cloudy or smelly urine
  • The feeling that the bladder is still full after urinating

To make the diagnosis, a doctor will usually ask questions about your current symptoms and your medical history. Sometimes a person might think they have a UTI but in fact something else is going on.

What are the signs that something more serious may be going on?

  • Pain in your tummy (abdomen) or low back (loins/flanks)
  • A fever (high temperature) or chills (rigors)
  • Passing larger amounts of urine than normal (polyuria) & excessive thirst (polydipsia)
  • Blood in the urine (haematuria)
  • Headache/vomiting/flu-like symptoms
  • Offensive vaginal discharge

… these indicate that you should see a doctor urgently in person today.

Are there other signs I need to see a doctor?

Sometimes the symptoms of a UTI can be similar to other conditions, such as

  • A sexually transmitted infection, eg. Chlamydia
  • Diabetes (passing larger amounts of urine than normal & excessive thirst)
  • Kidney stones (spasms of pain in the back or groin)
  • Kidney infection (fever/chills, flu-like-symptoms, tummy pain, back pain)
  • Thrush (itchy vulva, sometimes a discharge or odour)
  • Recurrent UTI (3 or more UTIs in 1 year).

…if you’re worried it could be any of these things, it is best to see a doctor in person.

What is the treatment for a UTI?

For a straightforward UTI, usually an antibiotic will be prescribed by your doctor (subject to an appropriate assessment).  It is also advisable to take plenty of fluids. If symptoms aren’t improving within 2 days of starting treatment, it is important to see a doctor in person, to see if a different antibiotic may be needed, and to get checked for any other conditions or underlying causes. 

What if the antibiotic is not working?

If the antibiotic is not leading to improvement within 2 days, there could be a number of explanations:

  • most commonly, it means the bacteria causing the infection are resistant to the first antibiotic- an different antibiotic may be needed, Your doctor may need to send a urine sample to the lab, to get tested.
  • something else may be going on- such as an STI (sexually transmitted infection), thrush, kidney stones – your doctor will need to examine you and may need to arrange some further tests.

How do I reduce the chances of getting another UTI?

Women may be able to reduce the chances of getting further UTIs by:

  • Always wiping front to back after passing urine
  • Passing urine immediately after having sex
  • Avoiding vaginal deodorant sprays
  • Wearing cotton underwear
  • Drinking plenty of water
symptoms of a UTI
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]]> What are the symptoms of a UTI? https://www.qoctor.com.au/symptoms-uti/ Tue, 25 Sep 2018 00:16:39 +0000 https://www.qoctor.com.au/?p=38549 What are the symptoms of a UTI? What is a UTI? A burning sensation when you pee? Peeing more often than usual? Blood in the urine or smelly urine? Tummy or back pain and fever? These are some of the symptoms of a UTI or Urinary Tract Infection. A [...]

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What are the symptoms of a UTI?

Authored by Dr AIFRIC BOYLAN on 25.09.2018
Medically Reviewed by Dr
Last updated on 11.06.2024

What is a UTI?

A burning sensation when you pee? Peeing more often than usual? Blood in the urine or smelly urine? Tummy or back pain and fever? These are some of the symptoms of a UTI or Urinary Tract Infection. A UTI occurs when germs (usually bacteria) infect the urinary tract.

The urinary tract includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. The symptoms you get depend on which part of the urinary tract is affected- if the kidneys are involved it can make a person feel very unwell. Men can get UTIs too, though much less often than women. UTIs in babies and children can have different symptoms- see our separate article on UTI in kids. Symptoms of a UTI vary from person to person, but here are the most common issues:

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Dysuria

This means it burns or stings in the urethra (the tube that allows urine to flow out of the bladder) when you pee. In many cases dysuria is mild, but it can get quite severe.

Frequency

This means you pee more often than usual. Sometimes it’s so bad that minutes after going to the toilet you feel you need to go again! It’s commonly associated with dysuria (see above). Passing more urine than usual can also be associated with diabetes, and other medical conditions- if you’re not certain it feels like a UTI (for example, if you do not have the other typical signs of a UTI), it is best to see a doctor for examination.

A sense of incomplete emptying

You may feel your bladder still contains urine and you need to pee, even though you’ve just been to the toilet.

Haematuria

This means blood in your urine. Sometimes it’s obvious there is blood in the urine- the urine may have a pink or reddish colour. Occasionally women may even pass a clot in their urine. However, when a person has symptoms of a UTI, the urine may appear normal, but when the doctor checks it with a dipstick, there is blood in it (this is known as microscopic haematuria)

Incontinence

Some people may accidentally pass urine when they have a UTI- though this is more common in the elderly or in children.

Fever

As a UTI gets worse, a person gets more unwell- with fevers, chills and sweats. This is often a sign that the infection is spreading to the kidneys and/or into the blood stream. Pain in the kidneys and vomiting may also develop. It is very important to see a doctor as soon as possible if you develop a fever with other symptoms of a UTI.

Pain

Aside from burning or discomfort when passing urine, a person with a UTI may get an ache in their bladder (a pain very low down in the tummy). If the infection involves the kidneys (pyelonephritis), there may be a pain or ache in the kidney area. The kidneys are located in the back, just behind the lower ribs. Pain in the kidneys (also known as “renal angle pain”) should be assessed urgently by a doctor as antibiotics may be needed, sometimes via a drip.

If you have symptoms of a UTI you should see a doctor as soon as possible. If you have a UTI, an antibiotic is usually needed to treat it.

If you have symptoms of a UTI you should see a doctor as soon as possible. If you have a UTI, an antibiotic is needed as they do not get better by themselves.

What else could it be?

Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may ask you questions and do tests to rule out other conditions such as sexually transmitted infections, thrush and kidney stones. Peeing too often can also be a sign of diabetes, but there would generally be no burning or pain in this case.

What tests are needed?

If you have symptoms of a UTI, your doctor may perform a dipstick test on your urine. The urine sample may also be sent to the lab, to see if any bacteria are present. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may also recommend an STI test. In some cases, a scan of the urinary tract may be advised.

What’s the treatment for a UTI?

Treatment is usually with oral antibiotics, but for more severe infections hospital admission and an antibiotic drip may be needed.

If you are worried about symptoms of a UTI, see your doctor.

Further Patient Resources

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI): including symptoms, treatment and prevention. sahealth.sa.gov.au

Article Resources

Barclay J, Veeratterapillay R, Harding C. (2017). Non- antiobiotic options for recurrent urinary tract infections in women

Jepson RG et al. (2012). Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections

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