Urinary Tract Infection

What is a UTI?

A UTI is a bacterial infection affecting any part of your urinary tract. The urinary tract includes:

Bladder

Your bladder stores urine so you can excrete it later. 

Kidneys

Your kidneys are two small organs that process waste and to make urine. 

Ureters

Your ureters are the tubes that move your urine between your kidneys and bladder.

Urethra

Your urethra is the tube that passes urine out of your bladder when you urinate.

By far, the most common UTIs affect your urethra (urethritis) and your bladder (cystitis). When urethritis or cystitis isn't treated, the bacteria triggering the UTI could expand and travel up the urinary tract, eventually evolving into a serious kidney infection (pyelonephritis).

What are the signs that I have a UTI?

UTI symptoms are usually obvious because they can make you feel awful. Common symptoms include:

• Burning sensation when urinating
• Pain when urinating
• Increased urge to urinate
• Pain or pressure in your pelvic area
• Smelly urine
• Cloudy urine
• Hematuria (blood in your urine)

A UTI could also cause symptoms all over your body. For example, some UTI sufferers develop a fever and back pain, particularly when the infection reaches the kidneys. Some kidney infections can cause such severe pain that it leads to nausea and vomiting.

What is the treatment for a UTI?

Usually, the first line of treatment for UTI is antibiotics. The length of antibiotic treatment is dependent on the type and location of the infection.

Typically, antibiotics help you feel better fast, but don't quit taking the antibiotics once your symptoms dissipate. You must take the entire course of antibiotics to fully treat your UTI.  

If you're suffering from a kidney infection, you might need stronger antibiotics, possibly via IV in a hospital setting. 

After that, you'll likely need oral antibiotics for up to a couple of weeks. If you have chronic UTIs, your urologist might prescribe low-dose antibiotics for six months or longer.

Your Arizona Urology specialist can also recommend some lifestyle changes to help you avoid recurring UTIs, such as increasing your water intake. 

If you reach out for UTI help now, you could feel better within as little as a day. Call Arizona Urology to book your appointment with an experienced urology specialist now.