En Español (Spanish Version)
by Carson-DeWitt R
Talking to Your Doctor About Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
You have a unique medical history. Therefore, it is essential to talk with your doctor about your personal risk factors and/or experience with urinary tract infections. By talking openly and regularly with your doctor, you can take an active role in your care.
Here are some tips that will make it easier for you to talk to your doctor:
- Bring someone else with you. It helps to have another person hear what is said and think of questions to ask.
- Write out your questions ahead of time, so you do not forget them.
- Write down the answers you get, and make sure you understand what you are hearing. Ask for clarification, if necessary.
- Do not be afraid to ask your questions or ask about where you can find more information about what you are discussing. You have a right to know.
- Do my symptoms sound like a urinary tract infection?
- How might I have contracted this infection?
- Is there any chance that this is a more serious kidney infection?
- Do I have any risk factors for urinary tract infections?
- I am a man. Might I have some underlying problem that caused me to develop a urinary tract infection?
- My child has a urinary tract infection. Might he or she have anatomical defects in the urinary system?
(In young children, anatomical defects are a common cause of UTIs in both sexes. In older children, this changes with more girls having UTIs by virtue of being female.)
- What kind of treatment do you recommend?
- Are there any self-care treatments I can practice?
- What can I do to relieve my discomfort?
- How will I know if the infection is gone?
- How much water do you recommend that I drink?
- Do you recommend cranberry juice? How much?
- I get a lot of infections just after I have sexual intercourse. What can I do to prevent this?
- Can I use my hot tub?
- How will I know if the infection is progressing or becoming complicated?
- What symptoms would warn me that the infection is moving up and affecting my kidneys?
- I am pregnant. Do I need to worry about any complications for the baby or me?
- What preventive measures for UTIs would you recommend in the future?
- Might I benefit from prophylactic antibiotics?
References
American Urological Association Foundation website. Available at:
http://www.urologyhealth.org
.
Griffith’s 5-Minute Clinical Consult.
2001 ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2001.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
website. Available at:
http://www2.niddk.nih.gov/
.