Talk to a doctor online about a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
Having a urinary tract infection (UTI) is a terrible—and literally painful—experience. Unfortunately, 1 in every 2 women and 1 in every 20 men will experience a UTI at least once in their life, which makes it far more common than we’d like! The pain from a UTI can make it difficult to get around your life, and even disrupt your sleep. In a situation like this, the last thing you want is to be squirming around in discomfort in the waiting room of your GP!
Luckily, with Prime Medic, you don’t have to. Talk to a doctor online about your symptoms, and our AHPRA registered, highly-experienced doctors will help you ease them. But what is a UTI and how do you detect one? Read on to find out:
What is a UTI?
A Urinary Tract Infection, as the name suggests is a bacterial infection of the urinary system, and can affect the bladder, urethra, kidney or ureters. The most common bacteria to cause a UTI is E.Coli. Due to their much shorter urethra, women are more at risk of contracting a UTI because the shorter path allows the bacteria to make its way to the bladder faster. If left untreated, a UTI can lead to a kidney infection, which can be very dangerous.
Risk factors of UTIs:
The major risk factors of UTIs in women include:
- Female anatomy - Improper wiping - Introduction of fecal matter to the urinary tract - Sexual activity - Pregnancy - Menopause - Certain kinds of birth control, like diaphragms and spermicides - Urinary tract abnormalities - Obstructions in the urinary tract - Certain autoimmune diseases, including diabetes - Catheter use - Recent urinary procedure.For men, the risk factors include:
- Kidney stones - Urinary tract abnormalities - Certain autoimmune diseases, including diabetes - An enlarged prostate gland - Catheter use - Recent urinary procedure - Unprotected anal intercourse - Being uncircumcised.Both women and men over the age of 50 are more at risk of getting frequent UTIs. In women, this is because menopause causes estrogen levels to drop, making menopausal women more prone to infection.
Symptoms of UTIs:
People with UTIs may report the following symptoms:
- Pain or a burning sensation when urinating - Dark, cloudy urine; may appear pinkish or reddish due to the presence of blood - Feeling an urgent and frequent need to urinate, but not being able to release the pressure more than a few drops at a time - Foul-smelling urine - Pain in the pelvis, lower abdomen, upper back or sides - Feelings of having a full bladder, even after urinating - IncontinenceIf the infection has reached the upper urinary tract, all of these symptoms may also be accompanied by a fever, chills or nausea, which could also indicate a kidney infection. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, get in touch with your nearest emergency care clinic.
Diagnosing a UTI:
Because the tell-tale symptoms of a UTI in women are so obvious, your doctor may start your treatment even before your urine test results are back. In most cases, a urine test may not even be required. If your doctor suspects that you have an upper tract infection, you may also need to do a complete blood count (CBC) test in addition to the urine test. In rare cases, a urinary tract infection may be caused by a virus, which your doctor can immediately detect by looking at your test results.
Treating a UTI:
Bacterial UTIs are most commonly treated using antibiotics. Lower tract UTIs are commonly treated using oral antibiotics, while upper tract UTIs require intravenous antibiotics. Viral UTIs are treated using antiviral medication.
Unfortunately, in all states except Queensland, you cannot get antibiotics for UTIs at a pharmacy without a prescription, which is where Prime Medic can help. By booking a quick online consultation with a registered GP, you can bypass all the travel time, waiting and discomfort associated with making doctor visits and get your prescription emailed or faxed to your nearest pharmacy for you to pick up whenever convenient.
Preventing a UTI:
Take the following steps to prevent UTIs:
- Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water per day - Don’t hold urine in; the more often you urinate, the more often bacteria are flushed out of your urinary tract - If you are using spermicides or a diaphragm as contraception, consider switching to a different form - Urinate immediately after sexual intercourse - Wipe from front to back - Avoid using irritating feminine products such as douches, deodorant sprays or powders in the genital area.If you are experiencing UTIs frequently, don’t forget to mention this when you talk to a doctor online. Your diagnosis and treatment might change with this information, and your doctor may recommend a few in-depth tests to determine the reason behind your recurrent UTIs. Having a full picture of your condition and the severity of your symptoms will help your doctor come up with a more effective treatment plan.
For more information about the conditions we can help with, check out our health library.