What are the Symptoms of a Urinary Tract Infection?

Urinary tract infection is a highly common infection in the United States. Each year, the United States records millions of cases of urinary tract infections as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The data points have been suggesting that women are more vulnerable to developing urinary tract infections, as compared to men. Their physical anatomy is one of the biggest causes, And healthcare experts around the world recommend special care to prevent UTIs.

Learning about the basics of any disease can help you prevent it in the first place, and the same goes for urinary tract infections.

We are here to help you understand the symptoms of a urinary tract infection and how you can prevent it or get treatment after the infection. Today, we have a lot of things to discuss.

Also Read: What is Urinary Tract Infection?

The Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infection

The urinary system of a human has four different body parts, which include the kidneys, urethra, bladder, and ureters. 

The infection might appear in any of the above-given parts, and there is a high probability that a person is going to have different symptoms depending on the infected body part.

There are several factors that may influence the common symptoms of urinary tract infection. Still, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released their list of common symptoms of UTI, which may appear soon after the infection.

Common Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infection Might Include:

• Pressure in the lower pelvis
• Urgent need to urinate at night
• Abnormal urine color
• Foul-smelling urine
• Pain in the side of the abdomen and pelvic area
• Frequent urination
• Pain while urination
• Nausea and vomiting

These are some of the most common symptoms of urinary tract infection. As we have already discussed, different factors may influence the common list of symptoms. 

Also Read: What is the Cause of Urinary Tract Infection?

What are the Urinary Tract Infections Home Remedies?

Factors That May Influence Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infection

Multiple factors may influence the intensity and the type of symptoms when it comes to urinary tract infections.

Things that influence the type and intensity of symptoms may include:

• Infected body part
• Age of the patient
• Medical history of the patient
• Underlying medical conditions.

We highly recommend everyone take a deep look at the below-given list of symptoms according to the body part. As you are already aware, there are different body parts in the urinary system, and all can get infected.

The symptoms of infection in different parts might include:

Kidney

• High fever
• Shaking
• Chills
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Backend side pain

Bladder

• Pelvic pressure 
• blood in urine
• Frequent urination
• Painful urination
• Lower belly discomfort

Urethra

• unwanted discharge 
• burning with urination

These are some of the most common symptoms of urinary tract infection. We highly recommend you consult it with your healthcare provider as all these symptoms are also associated with several other medical conditions.

Self-diagnosis is not possible with urinary tract infections.

Also Read: What is the Best Antibiotic for Urinary Tract Infection?

What is the Difference Between Urinary Tract Infection and Bladder Infection?

There is a huge difference between urinary tract infections and bladder infections. Not all urinary tract infections are going to be bladder infections, while all bladder infections are urinary tract infections.

A bladder infection is a type of urinary tract infection. It occurs when the bacteria enter the bladder and start infecting it. Bladder infections are one of the most common types of urinary tract infections.

Apart from a bladder infection, there are different types of urinary tract infections which include kidney infections and urethra infections. The symptoms of bladder infection are going to be somewhat similar to urinary tract infections.

Also Read: How Does a Woman Get a Urinary Tract Infection?

What are the Major Causes of Urinary Tract Infections?

Along with symptoms, it’s also important to learn about the major causes of human tract infection to prevent the condition in the first place and ensure your safety.

Healthcare experts around the world have divided the causes of urinary tract infections into two different sections. 

The first section Is going to focus on the causes of urinary tract infections in women, while the other group is going to focus on the causes of UTIs in men.

Common Causes of UTI in Women

Women are more vulnerable to developing urinary tract infections as compared to men. The annual number of urinary tract infection patients is also suggesting the same story, as around 70% of the patients are women.

There are multiple factors behind women getting more urinary tract infections than men. We will talk about those as well in the below-given sections.

• Female anatomy is one of the biggest causes of urinary tract infections in women. Women have a shorter urethra than men, which allows bacteria to travel easily inside the body.
• Sexual activities may also increase the risk of bacterial infection in your Urethra. Women must take full precautions before performing sexual activities to prevent the infection in the first place. 
• Different kinds of birth control options may also increase the risk of urinary tract infection. Birth controls such as diaphragms and spermicides may increase the risk of infection.
• Hormonal changes during menopause, menstrual cycle, and pregnancy may also increase the risk of urinary tract infections.

These are some of the most common causes of urinary tract infections in women. For more information, we highly recommend you consult with your healthcare provider.

Different medicine and medical conditions may also increase the risk of different kinds of infection, including urinary tract infections. Women who are already struggling with chronic conditions should consult about the probability of urinary tract infections with their healthcare provider.

Common Causes of UTI in Men

Men are less vulnerable to developing urinary tract infections, but we cannot rule out the probability. Keeping that in mind, we are here to discuss some of the most common causes of urinary tract infections in men.

• Men who indulge in anal intercourse are more vulnerable to developing urinary tract infections than others.
• Intercourse with an infected woman may also increase the chances of urinary tract infection in men.
• The prostate gland in older men is also known to cause different complications, including urinary tract infections.
• Kidney stones are known to obstruct urine flow, which may increase the risk of urinary tract infection.

These are some of the most common causes of urinary tract infections and men. Apart from people with the prostate gland, men who are underage in same-gender intercourse are more vulnerable to developing different kinds of infection, including urinary tract infections.

You must be very careful and consult all probabilities with your healthcare provider.

Also Read: Urinary Tract Infection Urinating after Sexual Intercourse

What is the Diagnosis and Treatment of Urinary Tract Infection?

Before we wrap up our session, let’s take a quick look at the diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infections.

As we have already discussed, along with bacteria, different kinds of viruses and fungi may also cause urinary tract infections. Keeping that in mind, it’s highly important for you to discuss the diagnosis of UTI with your healthcare provider.

There is a probability that you will miss diagnosing yourself if you opt for self-diagnosis.

• Urinalysis is one of the most common types of tests to diagnose urinary tract infections in everyone. A healthcare expert will take a sample of your urine to find any irregularities in your Urine, including the levels of red and white blood cells.
• Once your healthcare expert is sure about your urinary tract infection, they can also suggest you go for a Urine culture which will help your healthcare expert find the right bacteria which might be causing the infection.

After that, your healthcare expert will suggest a treatment that will help you get better within a few days. Treatment of urinary tract infections is going to be very hard without an accurate diagnosis.

Also Read: Upper Respiratory Infection

Treatment of UTI

The treatment of urinary tract infections is going to include the combination of different medicine and some home remedies.

• Your healthcare expert will suggest you take antibacterial, antiviral, or fungus Medicine to clear out the infection. 
• Later, your healthcare expert will also suggest you opt for different home remedies, including drinking plenty of water to flush out the bacteria.
• You can also avoid different irritants, including coffee, alcohol, and soft drinks which contain citrus juices.
• You can also apply a heating pad to get relief from conditions like stomach pain.

These are the most common treatment options for urinary tract infections. For more information, we highly recommend everyone consult with the healthcare provider.

You can start home remedies on your own, but you should never consume any medicine without consulting it with your healthcare provider.