• UTI stands for Urinary Tract Infection (also referred to as a bladder infection or cystitis).
• UTIs are common, particularly in women.
• 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.

Up to 50% of women will experience 1 or more UTIs in their life. However, UTIs are much less common in men. Any woman who gets recurring or repeated UTIs within a few months of each other (eg, 3 or more in a 12 month period), should be assessed by a doctor as this may mean there is an underlying cause. All men presenting with UTI symptoms need to be assessed as soon as possible, and will usually need further tests such as urine tests, blood tests and an ultrasound scan of the abdomen/urinary tract.

Symptoms of a UTI usually include

• 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

However, elderly people may not have typical symptoms- and may just present with fatigue, fever, confusion or general unwellness. Similarly, symptoms in infants and children may be less typical.

Certain symptoms may indicate the presence of a more serious infection, including:

• 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

Anyone experiencing the above symptoms should see a doctor in person, as soon as possible.

A UTI is usually treated with oral antibiotics. There are several antibiotics commonly used- the one chosen by the doctor will depend on local factors (such as bacterial resistance to certain antibiotics in your area), your medical history, and whether you have any allergies to medications. If there is no improvement of your symptoms within 2 days of starting an antibiotic, you should speak to your doctor as soon as possible- as it may be necessary to change to a different antibiotic, and/or to have further tests.

Sometimes the symptoms of a UTI can be similar to other conditions, for example:

• 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)
• Thrush (itchy vulva, sometimes a discharge or odour)Recurrent UTI (3 or more UTIs in 1 year).

A kidney infection is more serious than an uncomplicated UTI, and may present with fever/chills, flu-like-symptoms, tummy pain, back pain.

And anyone experiencing 3 or more UTIs in a 12 month period, will need to have further tests, as it may indicate an underlying cause.

If you’re worried about any of the above issues, it is best to see a doctor in person.