Do you have strong, frequent urges to urinate or experience painful urination? If so, you might have a urinary tract infection (UTI). At Infectious Disease Associates & Travel Medicine in Gainesville, Florida, physician Wendy Garlington, MD, and her skilled team treat UTIs. They offer symptom relief and help you avoid severe complications. Call the office to learn about UTI treatments or use the online booking feature today.

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What are urinary tract infections (UTIs)?

A UTI is an infection in part of your urinary tract, which includes your urethra, bladder, ureters, and kidneys. UTIs can cause troublesome symptoms and be dangerous when left untreated.

Adopting healthy habits reduces your chance of UTIs, but you can’t always prevent them. See the Infectious Disease Associates & Travel Medicine team at the first sign of an infection.

Infectious Disease Associates & Travel Medicine providers specialize in difficult-to-treat, antibiotic-resistant, and chronic (ongoing) UTIs.

What are the symptoms of UTIs?

The symptoms associated with UTIs include:

  • Burning with urination
  • Cloudy urine
  • Persistent urges to urinate
  • Red, pink, or brown urine
  • Foul-smelling urine
  • Pelvic pain or pressure
  • Unusual discharge

You might also have a high fever, nausea, chills, and back or side pain. Your symptoms could be mild and go away on their own or severe and need medical attention.

Complications that can develop due to untreated UTIs include recurrent infections, pregnancy problems in women, urethra narrowing in men, and infections that spread to your kidneys.

What are the risk factors for UTIs?

Anyone can develop a UTI, but the following things increase your risk of having one:

  • Being a woman
  • Menopause in women
  • Some types of birth control
  • Being sexually active
  • Using a catheter
  • Weakened immune system
  • Urinary tract blockages or abnormalities
  • Certain urinary medical procedures

Drinking lots of water or cranberry juice, avoiding irritating feminine products, and wiping from front to back reduce your chance of having a UTI. You should also empty your bladder promptly after having sexual intercourse.

How are UTIs diagnosed?

Your doctor diagnoses a UTI using various methods. They ask about your symptoms, lifestyle, medications, birth control (if you use it), and medical history. They also check your vital signs and complete a physical exam.

Your Infectious Disease Associates & Travel Medicine specialist might order a urine test, as well as a CT scan, MRI, ultrasound, or cystoscopy that uses a thin, lighted tube with a camera to view the inside of your urinary tract.

How are UTIs treated?

Antibiotics are a standard UTI treatment that you can take orally or receive intravenously. Drink a lot of water, avoid drinks that irritate your bladder, and use a heating pad when needed. Vaginal estrogen therapy helps postmenopausal women reduce UTIs.

Call the Infectious Disease Associates & Travel Medicine office or use the online scheduler today to be screened or treated for UTIs.