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Urinary Tract Infection

Wellington Physicians Urgent Care, located in Wellington, Florida, can help relieve symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI), prevent UTIs and help you start feeling better, sooner.

What Is a UTI?

A UTI happens when any part of your urinary system becomes infected. This includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra.

Urinary tract infections usually occur when bacteria enter the urine or urinary tract through the urethra and begin to multiply inside the bladder. Although the urinary system is designed to keep such microscopic invaders out, these defenses can fail. When that happens, bacteria can take over and grow into a full-blown infection inside of the urinary tract.

The urinary tract is the body’s drainage system for removing urine. In order for normal urination to occur, all body parts in the urinary tract need to work together in the correct order to function properly. This is why it’s important to get treatment from a UTI when symptoms start to occur.

A majority of these infections involve the lower urinary tract, the bladder and the urethra. Women are at greater risk than men for developing a UTI. It is important to keep genital area clean to help prevent UTIs in general.

Types of UTIs and Symptoms

Urinary tract infections are relatively common and treatable, but it is important to know what type of UTI is present in order to provide accurate treatment. Remember, no matter the type of UTI, it is important to increase water intake to help flush away bacteria that may have entered the urethra.

Simple UTIs

A simple UTI (also referred to as acute cystitis or bladder infection) is a common infection that occurs more frequently in women than in men due to the short distance from the urethra to the anus and the urethral opening leading to the bladder.

This type of urinary tract infection is typically caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli), a bacteria frequently found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Sexual intercourse may lead to cystitis, but you can still develop cystitis even if you are not sexually active.

The symptoms that are most common include frequency (going all the time), urgency (the need to go), urine that appears cloudy, burning, urine with a strong or foul odor, urine that appears red, bright pink or cola-colored which is a sign of blood in the urine, rectal pain, in men, pelvic pain, in women.

Urethritis

An infection of the urethra is known as urethritis. A UTI of this type can happen when GI bacteria spread from the anus to the urethra. Additionally, because the female urethra is close to the vagina, urethritis can be caused by sexually transmitted infections, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea and herpes.

Pyelonephritis

Pyelonephritis is a type of UTI affecting one or both kidneys. It is caused by a bacterium or virus infecting the kidneys. Although many different types of bacteria and viruses can cause pyelonephritis, the E. coli bacterium is often the cause. Viruses and bacteria can maneuver to the kidneys from the bladder or can move through the bloodstream from other parts of the body. Pyelonephritis symptoms can include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, side, back, groin pain, and frequent or painful urination. Pyelonephritis may require hospitalization.

Diagnosing UTIs

To confirm the diagnosis of any urinary tract infection (UTI), a urinalysis will be done. A urine culture can determine what type of bacteria is responsible for the infection and guide treatment by antibiotics. In most cases, simple UTI’s will resolve with 3-5 days of antibiotics.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, which antibiotic you take is based on the type of bacteria causing your infection and any allergies you may have to antibiotics.

The length of treatment depends on:

  • How severe the infection is
  • Whether your symptoms and infection go away
  • Whether you have repeated infections
  • Whether you have problems with your urinary tract

Bacteria can hide deep inside prostate tissue. Recurrent UTIs might mean a more serious issue is going on. It is important that you finish the entire course of antibiotics when they are prescribed to limit the long-term effects of UTIs. UTIs that are left untreated to cause blood to go into the bloodstream, in addition to causing a kidney infection.

Urgent Care for Urinary Tract Infection

A trip to urgent care for urinary tract infection treatment can help relieve symptoms and provide you with the right antibiotics or instructions to treat UTIs.

Some will tell you “drink plenty of water” as a solution to a UTI, but untreated UTIs can continue to get worse.While fluid intake is important, diagnosing the root of the problem is the top priority. If you are experiencing symptoms of a UTI, schedule your trip to our urgent care center located in Wellington, Florida, today.

Contact Us Today

Wellington Physicians Urgent Care, located in Wellington, Florida, is open seven days a week with convenient daytime and evening hours for patients needing urgent care treatment. Wellington Physicians Urgent Care’s team of medical professionals are here to help with your Urinary Tract Infection.

Walk-in or make a reservation online.