Two of the common symptoms of a UTI are bloody urine and pelvic pain; however, it's hard to detect blood in urine during a menstrual cycle, and pelvic pain can be confused as period cramps.
Abdominal cramping and pain are other symptoms of a UTI. However, a lot of women mistake them for PMS cramps, low-back issues, or even muscle soreness from overdoing deadlifts at the gym, Ross says. Don't fall for it!
However, symptoms that many people are shocked to discover when they get a UTI is spotting and/or blood in their urine. Spotting is when you notice a small amount of blood in your underwear or when you wipe, while you are not on your period.
The irritation can cause pain in your lower abdomen or pelvic area and even lower back, and will usually make you feel like urinating more often. Burning or pain when urinating is the most common symptom. You may even feel a strong urge or need to urinate but only get a few drops.
Symptoms of UTIs
Pain or burning while peeing. Frequent or intense need to urinate although little comes out when you do. Foul-smelling, cloudy, or bloody urine. Pain or pressure in your lower abdomen, just above where your bladder is located.
“It's estimated 50 percent of UTIs can be treated by drinking a significant amount of fluid alone," says Felecia Fick, a Mayo Clinic urogynecology physician assistant who was not involved in the study. "The extra you're drinking is flushing out the bacteria that are present in the urinary tract."
Both vaginal yeast infections and UTIs may cause pain when urinating or discomfort in the genital area; however, generally other symptoms and treatment differ. Seek professional advice from a health care provider if you think you may have either a yeast infection or UTI.
Bladder infections are a type of UTI, but not all urinary tract infections are bladder infections. A UTI is defined as an infection in one or more places in the urinary tract—the ureters, kidneys, urethra, and/or bladder. A bladder infection is a UTI that's only located in the bladder.
Bleeding from the rectum or blood in the urine may be mistaken for vaginal bleeding. To know for certain, insert a tampon into the vagina and check for bleeding. Keep a record of your symptoms and bring these notes to your doctor.
UTIs can cause bleeding that makes urine look red, pink or brown. With a UTI , you also may have a strong urge to pee that lasts a long time. You may have pain and burning while peeing. Your urine may have a very strong smell too.
Though blood in urine can be harmless, it may signal potentially serious conditions such as a UTI, kidney infection, and more. Sometimes red-colored urine can be caused by foods, drugs, or exercise. Blood clots in urine aren't commonly present and are a special type of hematuria.
Uncomplicated UTIs can go away in about a week. It's possible to try some home remedies to get relief during the recovery, but make sure to seek medical assistance if the signs of your UTI is going away fail to show. After all, you don't want a lower tract UTI to turn into an upper tract one.
People who have had such spasms describe them as a cramping pain and sometimes as a burning sensation. Some women with severe bladder spasms compared the muscle contractions to severe menstrual cramps and even labor pains experienced during childbirth.
UTIs typically cause bladder-specific symptoms like cloudy urine or pain when you urinate. However, the bacteria causing the infection can also affect your abdomen, specifically your lower abdomen. You may experience a lot of pressure and pain, and bloating can occur.
Typically, you only need to take them for 3 to 7 days, and most people start to feel relief within the first few days.
How long will a UTI last without antibiotics? Many times a UTI will go away on its own. In fact, in several studies of women with UTI symptoms, 25% to 50% got better within a week — without antibiotics.
If your UTI goes untreated, it may progress into a more serious infection. “An untreated bladder infection can become a kidney or prostate infection. These infections are more serious, because they can travel through the blood stream causing sepsis. Sepsis makes people very ill and can even be critical,” Dr.
UTIs in Women
Bacteria are the most common cause of UTIs, although fungi rarely can also infect the urinary tract. E. coli bacteria, which live in the bowel, cause most UTIs.
Of course, make sure your bladder is completely empty before going to bed. You might also consider setting alarms during the night so that you can wake up and use the bathroom. Tools like a hot water bottle, heating pad, or even over-the-counter pain relievers can all help you with nighttime discomfort, too.
You can buy a home urinary tract infection (UTI) test kit. They are available without a prescription at a drugstore or online. The home test kit contains specially treated test strips. You hold them in your urine stream or dip them in a sample of your urine.
One of the first things to do when you have a urinary tract infection is drink plenty of water. That's because drinking water can help flush away the bacteria that's causing your infection, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
Painful Bladder Syndrome (PBS)
PBS is not caused by an infection, but it can feel like a urinary tract infection or UTI. Painful bladder syndrome is also referred to as bladder pain syndrome and interstitial cystitis.
Pain or pressure in the lower area of the abdomen or even pain in the back can also be a sign that you have a urinary tract infection. Some of the other symptoms of a UTI include bad-smelling urine, cloudy urine, and even urine that contains blood.