Urinary tract infections (UTIs) occur due to bacteria, fungi, or viruses anywhere in the urinary tract. It can be in the kidneys, the ureters, bladder, or urethra, though the latter two are more commonly affected. Upper UTIs in kidneys/ureters are rare but typically more severe. Since the region affected is the same, UTIs all have some characteristic symptoms and are diagnosed similarly.

Symptoms of urinary tract infections
Symptoms of UTIs differ depending on what part of the urinary tract is affected.

1. Lower tract UTIs
Naturally, there will be problems with urination. Burning sensation while passing urine is quite common. An abnormal increase in urine frequency, unmanageably close together without passing much urine, is also possible. The urgency might also be more than usual. The urine itself could be abnormal – bloody, cloudy, tea-colored, or even excessively pungent. Also, some symptoms are gender-dependent. While women can experience pelvic pain, there is typically pain in the rectum in men.

2. Upper tract urinary infection
Of the ureters and kidneys, problems with the kidney are more common and can be potentially dangerous as well. If the infection in the kidneys spreads to the blood, a condition called urosepsis, low blood pressure, and shock are probable. The symptoms of upper tract UTIs are not urine-related. However, they can cause chills, fever, nausea, and vomiting. The infection of the kidneys can cause pain and tenderness in the sides and lower back, where the organs are.

UTI diagnosis
If the symptoms mentioned above seem familiar, you may have to visit a doctor. However, diagnoses are often scary, so knowing what you can expect if you suspect a urinary tract infection is good.

1. Physical examination
After discussing with you your worries, your doctor will perform a physical examination to confirm and review the symptoms. Doctors do this not because they do not trust you. It is because describing the symptoms is difficult for laypeople, and hence to ascertain the nature of the symptoms and their severity, a doctor will perform a physical examination.

2. Urine sample
When the name of the disease is “Urinary Tract Infection,” it is natural to involve urine samples. A doctor might ask for a “clean catch.” This is medical jargon referring to a urine sample collected in the middle of your urinary stream. This way, the sample is not contaminated by bacteria and yeast on the skin but is relatively pure from your urinary tract.

3. Urine cultures
Urine culture is a test for UTI. Your doctor will send the urine sample you provide to a clinical lab, where a technician looks for an abnormally large number of white blood cells and particular bacteria and fungi to check for the presence of urinary tract infection. The type of infection determines the course of treatment, so this is a vital step. If a virus is suspected to be the cause of the disease, doctors might prescribe further specialized tests. These, however, are an exception and not common.

While talking about and dealing with micturition can seem embarrassing, it is important not to dismiss a urinary tract infection. Remember not to trade your comfort zone for health.