Urinary Tract Infections

A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection of your urinary system. Your urinary system makes and stores pee (urine). UTIs can involve the main parts of the urinary system, like your:

• Urethra (urethritis)
• Kidneys (pyelonephritis)
• Bladder (cystitis)

UTIs are very common, especially if you’re female. More than half of all females will have a UTI at some point during their lives. Males and children can also get UTIs, but it’s not as common. Healthcare providers treat over 8 million people each year for UTIs.

Symptoms of urinary tract infection

Inflammation in your urinary system may cause symptoms like:

• Pain in your flank, abdomen, pelvic area or lower back
• Pressure in the lower part of your pelvis
• Cloudy, smelly pee
• Urinary incontinence
• Peeing more than usual
• Sudden, uncontrollable urges to pee
• Pain or burning when you pee
• Blood in your pee

Other UTI-associated symptoms may include:

• Fatigue
• Fever
• Chills
• Nausea and vomiting
• Mental changes or confusion

What is the main cause?

Microorganisms — usually bacteria — cause UTIs. E. coli causes most infections.

Other less common causes may include:

• Pneumonia
• Saprophyticus
• Faecalis
• Group B Streptococcus
• Mirabilis
• Aeruginosa
• Aureus

The microorganisms usually enter your body through your urethra. They may infect your bladder. The infection can also travel up from your bladder through your ureters. In some cases, it can eventually infect your kidneys.

Risk factors

Anyone of any age can get a UTI. But you’re more likely to get one if you have a vagina. That’s because your urethra is shorter and closer to your anus, where E. coli are common.

You also may be more likely to get a UTI if you:

• Have a history of getting UTIs
• Recently had sexual intercourse or engaged in other sexual activity, including fingering (digital penetration) or masturbation
• Are pregnant
• Have diabetes
• Have a weakened immune system
• Use a urinary catheter

Complications

Without treatment, urinary tract infections may cause:

• Kidney damage
• Scarring in your urethra
• Pregnancy complications, including preterm birth and low birthrate
• Sepsis

How doctors diagnose a UTI

A healthcare provider will review your medical history, ask questions about your symptoms and perform a physical exam. If they think you have a UTI, they may recommend that you provide a urine sample so they can do tests like:

• Urinalysis to look for signs of UTIs
• Urine culture to grow and identify any bacteria

How do I know if it’s just a UTI?

If it doesn’t respond to treatment, your healthcare provider may recommend more tests to check your urinary system for a disease or injury. These may include:

• Imaging tests, including an ultrasound or CT scan
• Cystoscopy to look inside your bladder through your urethra

If you get UTIs a lot, your provider may check for other health issues that may cause an infection. These include diabetes or an abnormal urinary system, like an enlarged prostate.

How do I get rid of a UTI ASAP?

You need oral antibiotics to treat it. Your healthcare provider will select one that works best against the microorganism. It’s very important that you follow your provider’s directions. Be sure to take the full course of antibiotics, even if you start feeling better. If you don’t finish all of your antibiotics, the infection can come back and be more challenging to treat.

If you get UTIs often, your provider may recommend that you take low-dose antibiotics:

• Every day
• Every other day
• After sex
• At the first sign of symptoms

Every time you use antibiotics, the infection can adapt and become harder to fight. To prevent this, your provider may suggest other UTI treatments. These may include:

• Watch and wait: You’ll keep an eye on your symptoms and reach out to your provider if they get very bad. During this time, it’s a good idea to drink plenty of water to help flush out your urinary system.
• Intravenous (IV) treatment: If the infection is resistant to oral antibiotics or if it moves to your kidneys, your provider may need to give you medicine directly into a vein.

What antibiotics should I take?

Healthcare providers commonly prescribe the following to treat UTIs:

• Nitrofurantoin
• Sulfa drugs, such as sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim
• Amoxicillin
• Cephalosporins, such as cephalexin
• Doxycycline
• Fosfomycin
• Quinolones, like ciprofloxacin or levofloxacin

Recovery time

Most people feel better within a few days after starting antibiotics to treat a UTI. If you don’t, reach out to your healthcare provider. They may recommend extra tests to check for other conditions that may cause similar symptoms.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

Schedule an appointment with a healthcare provider if you have symptoms of a UTI. Contact them again if they diagnose you with a UTI and your symptoms get worse. You may need a different treatment.

Go to the emergency room (ER) if you have a UTI and develop:

• Fever
• Back pain
• Vomiting

What can I expect if I have a urinary tract infection?

The outlook is good. Most UTIs usually respond very well to treatment. They may be uncomfortable or annoying before you start treatment. But once your healthcare provider prescribes the proper antibiotic, your symptoms should improve quickly.

Can UTIs be prevented?

You can help prevent them by:

• Wiping from front to back after pooping
• Regularly changing pads, tampons or other period products when you’re having your period
• Drinking extra fluids, especially water
• Peeing more frequently, especially before and after sex and other sexual activities
• Using a water-based lube during sex
• Wearing loose-fitting clothing and cotton underwear to prevent a moist environment around your urethra, which promotes bacterial growth
• Taking cranberry extract supplements, probiotics or methenamine hippurate
• Changing your birth control if you use a diaphragm
• Using vaginal creams that contain estrogen to help change the pH of your vagina