En Español (Spanish Version)
by Carson-DeWitt R
Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
Symptoms of a urinary tract infection include the following:
- Increased frequency of urination
- Feeling of urgency to urinate
- Burning or pain while urinating
- Itching in the genital area
- Urinating only small amounts of urine at a time
- Pain over the area of the bladder (the pubic area or lower abdomen) or in the lower back
- Pain along the sides under the ribs (back and flank pain)
- Blood in the urine, or on the tissue after wiping
following urination in women
- Cloudy looking urine, possibly with pus
- Unpleasant smell to urine
- New onset of incontinence (inability to hold the urine during the day or night)
The following symptoms suggest that the infection has gone up into the kidneys, a more serious problem:
- Fever, chills
- Severe pain in the lower back
Children (babies in particular) may have less common symptoms of UTI, such as:
Older people may have more vague symptoms of a UTI, such as fatigue, confusion, loss of appetite, or trouble walking.
References
American Foundation for Urologic Disease. Urinary tract infections in adults. American Urological Association Foundation website. Available at:
http://www.urologyhealth.org/
. Accessed July 31, 2010.
Griffith’s 5-Minute Clinical Consult.
2001 ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2001.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Urinary tract infections in adults. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases website. Available at:
http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/utiadult/
. Published December 2005. Accessed July 31, 2010.