Urinary tract infections are infections that start in your body's urinary system. It can be a very painful infection and tends to attack women more often than men. More than half of all women will develop a UTI sometime in their life. UTIs are easy to treat with antibiotics and treated early they leave no long-term complications. They are easy to treat early on so that's why knowing urinary tract infection symptoms is so important.
Key Points
- Women are more likely to experience urinary tract infections than men.
- Four major symptoms are a strong need to urinate, a burning sensation while urinating, frequent urination, and cloudy or strong-smelling urine.
- Symptoms of a kidney-based UTI include back and side pain, chills, nausea, vomiting, and a high fever.
- If not treated, UTIs can cause permanent damage to the kidney and its role in the body
There are four major urinary tract infection symptoms that stay the same across all three types of urinary tract infections. They are a persistent and strong need to urinate, a burning feeling when you urinate, frequently urinating only small amounts, and urine that is bloody, cloudy, or with a very strong smell. The three types of urinary infections have their unique symptoms.
The urinary tract infection symptoms that accompany a kidney-based UTI are upper back and side pain, high fever, chills, vomiting, and nausea. These occur as the UTI spreads into the kidneys. An infection of the bladder has its own additional urinary tract infection symptoms. The inflammation of the bladder can result in excessive pelvic pressure and lower abdominal discomfort. The symptoms that surround an infection of the urethra lead to an extreme burning sensation when urinating. In men, there may be discharge before or after urinating.
Urinary tract infections can lead to complications such as chronic kidney infections that permanently damage the kidney and its vital role in the body. When you find that you have urinary tract infection symptoms, it is so important to seek treatment quickly so you can avoid the pain and discomfort.
The content of this article should not be considered professional medical advice. Exercise due diligence when seeking relevant health information. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any medical decisions.