Having a urinary tract infection is a common problem. Luckily, there are steps you can take to ease the symptoms and prevent them from occurring. In fact, 12% of men will develop a UTI at some point during their lives. If left untreated, the infection can become serious and even lead to kidney infection.
It is important to follow the directions of your health care provider, and to keep in contact with him or her. Your doctor may recommend a urine test to help diagnose your infection. You may also be prescribed an antibiotic to treat your infection. If you are pregnant, you should tell your doctor before you start taking the antibiotics.
Urinary tract infections are often caused by bacteria in the urethra. These bacteria enter the urine when a person urinates, and can cause pain, burning, and other symptoms. They are also often accompanied by a cloudy or bloody urine. If you are experiencing pain when urinating, contact your health care provider right away. Your doctor can prescribe an antibiotic to relieve the pain, and can also perform other tests to determine the cause of the infection.
Some of the symptoms of a UTI include pain while urinating, a feeling of not being able to empty the bladder, and cramping. Typically, the pain will go away after a few doses of the antibiotic, and the symptoms will subside within a couple of days. Taking antibiotics is an effective way to prevent or eliminate a urinary tract infection. However, antibiotics are not without side effects, and the treatment should not be stopped because of these side effects.
It is best to follow the doctor’s instructions, and to take the full course of antibiotics, if possible. If you experience nausea or diarrhea, try taking the antibiotics with food to lessen the effects.
It is also a good idea to drink plenty of fluids. The more you drink, the more bacteria will be flushed out of the urinary tract. Your health care provider may also suggest you swab the urethra to test for bacteria. You can also use a heating pad on the pelvic area to help relieve the pain. You should drink at least 48 to 64 fl oz of water per day to hydrate your bladder and prevent UTIs.
If you have frequent UTIs, your health care provider may suggest a low dose antibiotic. You may need to take the antibiotics for several months. However, if you do not start the antibiotics early, your UTI can come back, or it may be harder to treat. You should also follow your health care provider’s instructions if you have kidney disease, or are pregnant or nursing.
If your health care provider recommends that you take antibiotics, tell them if you have any other medical conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes. You may also need to tell your doctor if you have had surgery, or if you have been in a hospital or nursing home in the past month.