- The most often described symptom of a UTI is a burning sensation when urinating. Along with this is the sensation of urgency--the woman senses pressure, pain and/or spasms in the bladder and believes she needs to urinate often. Dark-colored urine (often signifying blood in the urine) or urine that appears cloudy are also symptoms of a UTI. Some people experience incontinence (the inability to hold their urine), as well. Less common symptoms include vomiting, fever, nausea or pain in the side. Those symptoms could signal that the infection has traveled from the bladder to the kidneys--a serious problem that requires immediate medical attention.
- Urinary tract infections are most often caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli). Normal urine is sterile, but when bacteria such as E. coli enter the urethra, the bacteria grow and invade the bladder. This bacteria is commonly found in the intestine. If women are not careful when cleaning themselves after a bowel movement (remember to wipe "front to back"), the bacteria from the feces can enter the urethra. Frequent sexual activity, pregnancy, old age and failure to hydrate the body properly can also make women more vulnerable to UTIs.
- Most often referred to as a "urinary tract infection" or "UTI," this malady is also sometimes called a "bladder infection," "cystitis," or the "honeymoon disease" (since frequent sexual intercourse can lead to a UTI).
- If a patient suspects she has a UTI, her doctor likely will order a urine test. She will be asked to urinate into a sterile cup and the urine will be examined under a microscope or tested with special, sensitive paper strips. The doctor looks for signs of white blood cells, bacterial wastes (nitrites) and blood. Sometimes, the urine will be sent to a lab where it will be cultured in a petri dish to discover what type of bacteria is causing the infection. The doctor can then decide which medicine will be most effective.
- Urinary tract infections are most often treated with antibiotics for three to seven days. If the patient has severe bladder pain or spasms, she may also be given "pyridium," an anti-spasmodic. For resistant infections, the doctor may ask the patient to continue the antibiotics for several more days beyond the initial seven. Patients who have four or more recurrences of a UTI in one year may need to take low doses of antibiotics for an extended period of time.
