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This Week - U : Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) affect your urinary tract, including your bladder (cystitis), urethra (urethritis) or kidneys (kidney infection). UTIs may be treated with antibiotics, but they're not always needed.

Check if it's a urinary tract infection (UTI)

Symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI) may include:

• pain or a burning sensation when peeing (dysuria)
• needing to pee more often than usual
• needing to pee more often than usual during the night (nocturia)
• needing to pee suddenly or more urgently than usual
• pee that looks cloudy
• blood in your pee
• lower tummy pain or pain in your back, just under the ribs
• a high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery
• a very low temperature below 36C

Your pee may also be dark or smell. If this is your only symptom, it might be because you've not been drinking enough water.

Older, frail people or people with a urinary catheter

In older, frail people who have problems with memory, learning and concentration (such as dementia), and people with a urinary catheter, symptoms of a UTI may also include:

• changes in behaviour, such as acting agitated or confused (delirium)
• wetting themselves (incontinence) that is worse than usual
• new shivering or shaking (rigors)

See a GP if:

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:

Treatment from a GP

If a GP thinks you may have a urinary tract infection (UTI), they may do a urine test, although this is not always needed.

A GP may also:

• offer self-care advice and recommend taking a painkiller
• give you a prescription for a short course of antibiotics
• give you a prescription for antibiotics, but suggest you wait for 48 hours before taking them in case your symptoms go away on their own

It's important to take all the medicine you're prescribed, even if you start to feel better.

Treatment for UTIs that keep coming back (recurrent UTIs)

If your UTI comes back after treatment, or you have 2 UTIs in 6 months, a GP may:

• prescribe a different antibiotic or prescribe a low-dose antibiotic to take for up to 6 months
• refer you to a specialist for further tests and treatments

Chronic UTIs

In some people UTI symptoms do not go away. Short-term antibiotics do not work and urine tests do not show an infection.

This might mean you have a chronic (long-term) UTI. This can be caused by bacteria entering the lining of the bladder.

Because urine tests do not always pick up the infection and the symptoms can be similar to other conditions, chronic UTIs can be hard to diagnose.

Chronic UTIs might be treated with antibiotics that you take for a long time.

Chronic UTIs can have a big impact on your quality of life. If you have been treated for a UTI but you still have symptoms, speak to your GP about chronic UTIs and ask to be referred to a specialist.

Things you can do yourself

To help ease symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI):

• take paracetamol up to 4 times a day to reduce pain and a high temperature
• rest and drink enough fluids so you pass pale urine regularly during the day
• avoid having sex

Some people take cystitis sachets or cranberry drinks and products every day to prevent UTIs from happening, which may help. But there's no evidence they help ease symptoms or treat a UTI if the infection has already started.

A pharmacist can help with UTIs

You can ask a pharmacist about treatments for a UTI.

A pharmacist can:

• offer advice on things that can help you get better
• suggest the best painkiller to take
• provide the same treatment as a GP, if it's suitable for you
• tell you if you need to see a GP about your symptoms

Find a pharmacy

Causes of urinary tract infections (UTIs)

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are usually caused by bacteria from poo entering the urinary tract.

The bacteria enter through the tube that carries pee out of the body (urethra).

Things that increase the risk of bacteria getting into the bladder include:

• having sex
• conditions that block the urinary tract - such as kidney stones
• conditions that make it difficult to fully empty the bladder - such as an enlarged prostate gland in men
• urinary catheters (a tube in your bladder used to drain urine)
• having a weakened immune system - for example, people with diabetes or people having chemotherapy
• not drinking enough fluids
• not keeping the genital area clean and dry

How to prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs)

There are some things you can try to help prevent a urinary tract infection (UTI) happening or prevent it returning.

If you want to find out more about this week's subject you can visit the Original article on the NHS website. If you are worried by any aspect of your health make sure you go and see your doctor or book an appointment at your local clinic.