How can I test for a urinary tract infection?



 UTIs (Urinary Tract Infections) are bacterial infections of the urinary tract (urethra, ureters, bladder and kidneys). A UTI is characterised by painful urination, a burning sensation when peeing, a frequent need to urinate, the sense that the bladder has not been emptied despite urinating, stomach pain, cloudy urine, and blood in the urine. In certain cases, a doctor can reliably diagnose you with a UTI just based on these symptoms. However, in order to establish the existence of an infection and choose the best course of treatment, doctors frequently also recommend a urinary tract infection test! 1

 

Urine routine testing and urine culture testing are the two most popular tests for UTI. By looking for white blood cells, blood, pus, urine acidity, and other things, the normal urine test can determine whether you have an infection. You normally won't discover them in significant amounts in your urine in the absence of an infection. The culture test determines if the infection is antibiotic-resistant. The findings of the culture test will enable the doctor to prescribe an antibiotic that will really respond to the bacteria causing the infection if the results of the urine routine test revealed the existence of an infection. Antibiotics should not be taken before providing a urine sample for these two tests, since this will render the tests ineffective.

 

Because women's urinary openings are smaller than men's, they are more prone to UTIs. Furthermore, the urethra and anus are located closer to one another because of how the female anatomy is structured. This makes a woman's bladder and urethra the most likely body parts to contract an infection. The majority of UTIs are caused by a kind of bacteria called Escherichia coli, or simply E coli. It is most frequently discovered in organic matter and faeces. This bacteria is present in our intestines forever, however, that is not a concern. It's concerning when it manages to exit the intestine and enter the urinary tract. The bacteria then grow into a true, full-blown infection as a result of this. Cystitis, a bladder infection, is typically caused by E coli bacteria.

 

UTIs occasionally may not completely go away or they may return to infect you. If you get three or more UTIs within a year, you may have a recurring UTI. Depending on your doctor's opinion, recurrent UTIs require a somewhat different approach to treatment. They can suggest a continuous course of antibiotics or decide to treat you with some behavioural changes as and when you relapse.

 

In theory, it takes 24 to 48 hours for UTI medicines to start working. However, there is a possibility that occasionally the bacteria causing the UTI will not respond to the antibiotics or other therapies your doctor may have advised for you. This can indicate a complicated UTI or an underlying disease. Your age, anatomy, having a weakened immune system, or being pregnant are some risk factors for complicated UTIs. One of the causes might also be diseases like cancer, diabetes, a history of infections like kidney infections or any other infections, urologic issues, etc. To check for blockages in the urinary tract, your doctor could do a CT scan. Broad-spectrum antibiotics, a lengthier course of treatment, hospitalisation, and intravenous antibiotic administration may be necessary for the treatment of complicated UTIs.

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