Symptoms:
Urinary tract infections do not always have symptoms but some may include:
The urge to urinate
A burning sensation upon urination
small amounts of urine
Urine that looks cloudy
red, bright pink or cola-colored — might be blood in the urine
abnormal odor in urine
Pain in pelvic, in females — center of the pelvis and area surrounding the pubic bone
Types of UTI
Kidneys (acute pyelonephritis)
Upper back and side pain
High fever
Shaking and chills
Nausea
Vomit
Bladder (cystitis)
Pelvic pressure
Lower abdomen discomfort
Frequent, painful urination
Blood in urine
Urethra (urethritis)
Burning upon urination
Discharge
Description:
UTI’s typically happens when a bacteria enters the urinary tract through the urethra, and it spreads. When this occurs, bacteria may grow and develop into an infection in the urinary tract.
UTI’s are more common in women.
Infection of the bladder is commonly caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli), which is more likely found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, there may be other bacteria also responsible. Sexual intercourse may also cause cystitis.
Infection of the urethra happens when GI bacteria spread from the anus to the urethra. The female urethra is close to the vagina which causes sexually transmitted infections.
Treatment:
Antibiotics are the first line treatment for UTI. The drugs prescribed and for how long depends on your health condition and which type of bacteria is found in your urine.
Medicines commonly recommended for simple UTIs include:
Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra, others)
Fosfomycin (Monurol)
Nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin, Macrobid)
Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
Levofloxacin (Levaquin)
Cephalexin (Keflex)
Ceftriaxone (Rocephin)
Azithromycin (Zithromax, Zmax)
Doxycycline (Monodox, Vibramycin, others)
Commonly symptoms clear up within a few days of treatment. However, you may need to continue antibiotics until the antibiotics are gone.
