A urinary tract infection or UTI happens when damaging bacteria enter and thrives inside your urinary tract, including your urethra, bladder, ureters, and kidneys. UTI warnings signs could vary widely from one person to another, and it’s common for some people not to show any signs of UTI at all. For many people, however, a urinary tract infection could be extremely painful and debilitating.
Common Warning Signs of Urinary Tract Infection
Although some people won’t feel any symptoms when they have a UTI, the majority of them would most likely feel at least one of these warning signs:
- A burning sensation of pain when urinating
- A frequent and strong urge to urinate
- Cloudy urine
- More pronounced urine smell
- Urinating smaller amounts of urine
- Bed wetting in toilet-trained kids
- Pelvic pain in females
- Discharge that looks like pus or mucus in males
- Incontinence, especially among the elderly
- Pinkish or reddish urine
In the event that the infection has reached the kidneys, other symptoms such as chills, shaking, fever, vomiting, nausea, as well as the groin, side, and upper back pain might also be evident. Regardless of the severity of your symptoms, or lack thereof, if you suspect you have UTI, it’s best that you go to your local urgent care facility in Pleasant View to get proper diagnosis and treatment.
Symptoms in Adults and Smaller Children Differ
Urinary tract infection symptoms in newborns usually include lethargy, poor feeding, vomiting, fever, mild jaundice, and diarrhea. Older babies under the age of two, on the other hand, might have similar warnings signs, in addition to foul smelling urine. Conversely, older kids generally have the same symptoms as most adults, which includes pain when urinating, incontinence, and, urgency.
Urinary Tract Infection Treatment
The good news is that it’s fairly easy to urinary tract infections with the use of certain antibiotics. Although most UTI cases are deemed uncomplicated and simple infections, the particulars concerning what antibiotics will be prescribed and the duration of treatment would be dependent on certain factors like your overall health, age, and the specific bacteria type found in your urine. In addition, in the event that you have been previously treated for a urinary tract infection, your doctor might prescribe you a different antibiotic. The reason for this is that some bacteria types that cause urinary tract infections have become resistant to specific kinds of antibiotics.
The Dangers of Delaying Treatment
Most cases of UTIs don’t really cause lasting damage, considering that they’re treated promptly. Left unaddressed, however, they could cause serious complications such as permanent kidney damage, recurring infections, and in males, urethral stricture. There’s also the danger of developing sepsis, a potentially fatal infection, particularly when the kidneys are also infected.
In addition, while most urinary tract infections go away following a treatment, if you have chronic UTI, it will either recur or won’t go away even after treatment. If this applies to you, your urinary tract might need to be examined by your doctor to see if there are any obstructions or abnormalities.
