A bladder infection (cystitis) typically causes pain or burning during urination, a frequent and intense urge to pee, and discomfort in the lower abdomen, especially above the pubic bone, often feeling like pressure or cramping. You might also feel generally unwell, tired, or have strong-smelling, cloudy, or bloody urine. If the infection spreads to the kidneys, pain can occur in the back or side, often with fever and chills, requiring urgent medical attention.
What are the symptoms of a bladder infection? Bladder infection symptoms may include pain or discomfort in the lower abdomen.
The 5 key warning signs of a bladder infection (Urinary Tract Infection or UTI) are: pain/burning during urination, frequent/urgent need to pee (even with little output), cloudy/bloody/strong-smelling urine, lower belly/pelvic pressure, and feeling like your bladder isn't empty, with fever or back pain signaling a more serious kidney infection, requiring immediate medical attention.
Certain STIs, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, can mimic UTI symptoms. Burning during urination and pelvic pain are common to both conditions. However, STIs often include additional symptoms like unusual vaginal or penile discharge, itching, or sores.
It's rare, but UTIs — and the antibiotics used to treat them — can lead to diarrhea.
UTIs can cause sudden confusion (also known as delirium) in older people and people with dementia. If the person has a sudden and unexplained change in their behaviour, such as increased confusion, agitation, or withdrawal, this may be because of a UTI.
What are the signs your UTI is getting worse? A UTI may be getting worse if you have a fever, chills, back or side pain, nausea, or vomiting. Confusion can also be a warning sign, especially in older adults. These symptoms may mean the infection has reached your kidneys or entered your bloodstream.
Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and trichomoniasis may all cause burning when urinating and increased frequency. Unlike UTIs, STIs might also cause unusual discharge, itching, or pain during sexual activity. Because the symptoms overlap, it's easy to confuse one for the other.
Symptoms of a kidney infection
a high temperature. feeling or being sick. pain in your lower back or side. diarrhoea.
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.
your symptoms get worse quickly, or do not improve within 48 hours (2 days) of starting treatment or treating it yourself. you keep getting UTIs (2 within 6 months, or 3 within 12 months) you use a catheter. you're pregnant.
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. The strips check for nitrites and leukocytes produced by most UTIs.
Symptoms of cystitis in adults include:
Symptoms of bladder pain syndrome can include: Pain or discomfort in the lower abdomen. Pain may get worse as the bladder fills up. Your pain may go away for a short time when you urinate and empty the bladder.
There's no single "best" antibiotic for a UTI; the choice depends on the person and bacteria, but first-line options for uncomplicated UTIs often include nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim), or fosfomycin, while cephalexin (Keflex) and others are used for specific cases like pregnancy or children. Fluoroquinolones (like Cipro) are usually reserved for complicated infections due to side effects, and a doctor always determines the right antibiotic after a urinalysis and culture to check local resistance patterns, notes National Institutes of Health (NIH) | (.gov) and Mayo Clinic.
Cystitis signs and symptoms may include:
Where do I feel kidney pain? You feel kidney pain near the middle of your back, just under your ribcage, on each side of your spine where your kidneys are. Your kidneys are part of the urinary tract, the organs that make and remove urine from the body.
Symptoms of a kidney infection might include:
Kidney stones form in the kidneys. Symptoms may start as stones move into the ureters. The ureters are thin tubes that let urine pass from the kidneys to the bladder. Symptoms of kidney stones can include serious pain, upset stomach, vomiting, fever, chills and blood in the urine.
“A bladder infection can get better on its own. If your symptoms are minor, it's reasonable to try extra fluids and cranberry products to see if your symptoms resolve over the course of a day. If they don't, work with your doctor to get a urine test or visit urgent care.
Larger ovarian cysts can press against the bladder, causing urinary symptoms like frequent urination or feeling as if you can't fully empty your bladder. These symptoms often overlap with urinary tract infections (UTIs), so it's essential to distinguish between the two.
You might return a negative culture if: Your urine became contaminated during the collection process. The pathogens get missed if the bacteria adhered to your bladder and are no longer floating in your urine. You have a different pathogen, undetectable by standard UTI cultures.
Common symptoms of urinary tract infection include: A burning feeling when urinating. A strong urge to urinate that doesn't go away. Urinating often and passing small amounts of urine.
A UTI causes inflammation in the lining of your urinary tract. The inflammation may cause the following problems: Pain in your flank, abdomen, pelvic area or lower back. Pressure in the lower part of your pelvis.
Symptoms of sepsis may include: