Dr. Esteban Kosak 
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common ailment in the general population although even more for females. Find out if your painful urination is likely to be because of this infection.
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common infectious disease that affects the urinary system. It can affect the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or urethra.
Furthermore, this infection is classified by what organ they are acting on. They can be upper UTI (affecting the kidney) or lower UTI (affecting the bladder). Besides, they can be complicated (structural or functional abnormality) or uncomplicated (no abnormality).
The cause of urinary tract infections is that harmful microorganisms invade the urinary tract. This happens mostly with bacteria, but fungi and (rarely) viruses, can cause UTI too. The most common cause for bacterial UTI is the bacterium Escherichia coli, present in human feces.
Importantly, urinary tract infections are the most common infectious disease in women. In fact, around 40% to 60% of women will get a UTI at some point in life.
There are many risks factors to getting urinary tract infections. The most common include:
- Sexual activity.
- Being a woman.
- Suffering from kidney stones or other urinary conditions.
- Having urinary catheters.
Consequently, If you are a woman, you are very likely to develop a UTI at least once in your lifetime. This happens because women have a shorter urethra than men, and bacteria can invade their urinary system easily. Also, systemic diseases like diabetes or autoimmune diseases can make you prone to develop UTIs.
The urinary tract infection symptoms are very characteristic and very easy to notice. The most common symptoms of UTI are:
- Dysuria (painful or burning sensation while peeing).
- Fever.
- Sudden urgency to pee.
- Intense color or smell of urine.
Moreover, patients can experience blood in their urine, lower back or abdominal pain, and nausea or vomiting. The symptoms may vary if the UTI is upper or lower. However, the severity of the symptoms can vary depending upon if it’s complicated or uncomplicated.
The tool is a UTI symptom checker. Therefore, it gathers the most common and important risk factors and symptoms for this infection.
Any doctor can diagnose a urinary tract infection. The symptoms, as well as the physical examination, are very suggestive. Therefore, when doctors suspect a UTI, they will indicate a urinalysis to confirm the diagnosis. This test consists of getting a urine sample for it to be studied. This can confirm the presence of bacteria or red and white blood cells in the sample.
Furthermore, a urine culture may be useful to identify the bacteria causing the infection. Other helpful studies include imaging studies like ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRIs. They help doctors detect possible abnormalities in the urinary tract that may cause infections.
The treatment for urinary tract infections is primarily antibiotics. Still, the chosen antibiotics will depend on each individual patient and the bacteria causing the infection. Keep in mind that a doctor can only indicate the treatment.
This tool is designed to tell you how likely it is that you have a UTI. It is based on your symptoms and the risk factors for this infection.
Remember that, to get a correct diagnosis, you should go to the doctor. This tool is not designed to be a substitute for medical diagnosis in any way. Its only purpose is to estimate how likely you are to get a urinary tract infection.
Go ahead and use this tool to know if you have risk factors or compatible symptoms of UTI. It only takes a few minutes to complete, and it’s free of charge.
- Question of
Are you a female?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Have you had a urinary infection diagnosis before? (or cystitis)
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Are you experiencing a white or green fetid discharge through your genital orifice?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you currently or in the past have used a urinary catheter?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you are over 65 years?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have been diagnosed with a vaginal infection in the past month?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you tend to withhold from urinating during the day?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have a fever? (preferably use a thermometer which needs to shows more than 101,3 °F or touch your forehead and determine if the temperature is increased)
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you are having an increase in how many times per day you urinate?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you are having pain while urinating?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have a frequently urgent need to urinate?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have pain in the lower back?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have nausea or vomits?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have diarrhea (loose stools)?
- Yes
- No
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