Urinary Tract Infection (UTI): Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

The surface of your body is exposed to bacteria constantly and usually that is not a problem. But when bacteria enter your urinary tract through the urethra, overwhelm your body's natural defenses and start to multiply, you have developed a urinary tract infection.

Symptoms

• Itching and burning during urination and the frequent urge to urinate are the most common symptoms of a urinary tract infection. Bloating, abdominal pain and foul-smelling urine are also symptoms.

Diagnosis

• Doctors diagnose a urinary tract infection by performing a urinalysis and urine culture. The urinalysis will show signs of an infection and the culture will confirm the findings.

Treatment

• Your doctor will prescribe a brief course of antibiotics to treat the urinary tract infection. It is important that you take all of the antibiotics on schedule.

Prevention

• One recommendation for preventing a urinary tract infection is to drink cranberry juice or to take a supplement made from cranberries. Other possible preventative measures are taking probiotics, drinking plenty of water and practicing good hygiene.

Complications

• Usually a brief course of antibiotics will easily treat an infection, but a urinary tract infection can become complicated and lead to widespread infection or permanent kidney damage.