Burning when you pee and needing to go all the time are classic signs of a UTI. What causes them, how they’re treated, how to prevent them and the signs of a kidney infection.
What is a UTI?
A urinary tract infection happens when bacteria – most often E. coli from the bowel – get into the urinary tract. Most UTIs are bladder infections (cystitis). They're far more common in women, because the tube that carries urine out of the body (the urethra) is shorter. If an infection spreads up to the kidneys, it becomes more serious.
Symptoms
Bladder infection:
- Burning or pain when you urinate
- Needing to urinate often or urgently, but passing only a little
- Cloudy, dark or strong-smelling urine
- Blood in the urine (pink, red or cola-colored)
- Pressure or cramping in the lower belly
Older adults may not have the usual symptoms and instead become confused or unusually tired.
Kidney infection – see a doctor the same day:
- Fever and chills
- Pain in your back or side, just below the ribs
- Nausea or vomiting
What makes a UTI more likely
- Sex, especially with a new partner
- Diaphragms and spermicides
- Menopause, as lower estrogen changes the tissues
- Holding in urine for a long time
- Kidney stones, an enlarged prostate or anything else that blocks the flow of urine
- A urinary catheter
- Diabetes and pregnancy
How UTIs are treated
A UTI is treated with a prescription antibiotic. Your doctor may test a urine sample to confirm the infection and choose the right medicine.
- For a simple bladder infection in women, common first choices include nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and fosfomycin.
- Fluoroquinolones such as ciprofloxacin are usually kept for when these aren't suitable, because of their risk of side effects.
- Symptoms often improve within a day or two. Finish the full course anyway, so the infection doesn't come back.
Drink plenty of water, and use acetaminophen or ibuprofen for discomfort. Over-the-counter urinary pain relievers (phenazopyridine, which turns urine orange) ease burning for a day or two, but they don't cure the infection. Home test strips can suggest a UTI, but they don't replace a doctor's diagnosis.
UTIs in men, pregnant women and children always need a doctor, as do infections that keep coming back.
PharmacyFarm dispenses prescription antibiotics only after our pharmacist has verified your prescription. Our guide to common antibiotics explains how they differ.
How to prevent UTIs
- Drink enough fluids that your urine is pale.
- Urinate soon after sex.
- Wipe from front to back after using the toilet.
- Don't hold in urine for long periods.
- If you get UTIs often, avoid spermicides and ask your doctor about other birth control.
- After menopause, vaginal estrogen prescribed by your doctor can lower the risk of repeat infections.
- Cranberry products may lower the chance of repeat UTIs for some women, but they don't treat an infection that has already started.
When to see a doctor
See a doctor if you have UTI symptoms – especially if you're pregnant, a man, have diabetes or a weakened immune system, your symptoms don't improve within 2 days of starting antibiotics, or you get UTIs often (2 or more in 6 months).
Get urgent care for a high fever with shaking chills, pain in your back or side, vomiting, or confusion. A kidney infection can spread to the blood and needs treatment quickly.