In men, UTIs also can spread to the prostate and cause prostatitis - which also often requires a longer course of antibiotics to treat. They can range from hospitalization to even permanent kidney damage or a life-threatening bloodstream infection in some cases. These infections also require a longer course of antibiotics.'Īnd the more serious the kidney infection, the greater the risk of complications. 'Even a mild kidney infection can come with fairly debilitating symptoms, including fever, vomiting and intense pain. 'Early and effective UTI treatment helps ensure that the infection is dealt with while it's easiest to treat and before it progresses to the kidneys,' says Dr. Your symptoms don't improve after a few days.Your symptoms are severe or getting worse.When to see a doctor about a UTIĪs mentioned, antibiotics are typically needed to treat a UTI, so it's important to seek prompt care if you notice the signs of one. For instance, drinking cranberry juice hasn't been shown to help relieve a UTI (although it's not likely to cause harm, either). In the meantime, drinking plenty of fluids may help flush out the infection-causing bacteria and over-the-counter medications can help ease discomfort and pain.īut don't put too much stock in common UTI home remedies. 'After initiation of antibiotics, UTI symptoms usually begin to resolve as early as the next day.' 'A very mild UTI might resolve on its own in a few days, but more often than not a short course of antibiotics is needed to treat a UTI,' says Dr. He or she can determine if your symptoms are truly indicative of a UTI and run the tests needed to appropriately diagnose and treat your infection. This is one reason why it's so important to consult your doctor about UTI symptoms. 'Some of these symptoms, such as a burning sensation during urination, can overlap with the symptoms of other vaginal infections, such as yeast infections - which are treated very differently from UTIs,' says Dr. Having urine that is strong-smelled, cloudy or discolored (red, pink or brown tint).Feeling as if you are unable to empty completely while urinating.Burning sensation, or even pain, while urinating.If you have a UTI, you almost always feel it. To help prevent a UTI, always be sure to wipe from front to back - never the other way around - while using the restroom. UTIs are more common in women than in men because a woman's urethra is much shorter - making it easier for bacteria to not only become relocated there but to move through and into the bladder as well. coli, a bacterium that normally resides in the gut but can get displaced from the rectum to the urethra after a bowel movement.Īnd after an infection takes hold in the urinary tract, it can then progress to the bladder and even the kidneys. 'And knowing when to see a doctor is important since, left untreated, a UTI can spread beyond the lower urinary tract and into the kidneys, which is a more serious infection that can be harder to treat.' What causes a UTI?Ī UTI occurs when bacteria infect the urinary tract, causing irritation and inflammation. Chris Kannady, a urologist at Houston Methodist.

'UTIs are a very common type of infection that can occur in both women and men,' says Dr. A urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of those health issues that's almost impossible to ignore.įortunately, though, it's also one that's fairly easily managed - if you know the signs to be on the lookout for and what to do when you think you have one.

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