For women, urinary tract infections (UTI) are an all too common ailment. Experts rank your chances of getting one in your lifetime as being 1 in 2. And that’s not taking into account repeat infections, which are even more likely if you’ve caught the bug once already. Obviously, if you think you have one, you want to get out in front of it as fast as possible. If you’re interested in the telltale signs of urinary tract infection in Albany GA, they are as follows.
#1. Urination problems
The clearest sign that you have a urinary tract infection is a constant, intense need to urinate. Even when very little comes out when you actually make it to the bathroom, you still feel like your bladder is about to explode from the pressure. You may also experience a burning sensation in your genital area during urination. If you are experiencing either or both of these sensations, then you definitely have a UTI.
#2. Problems with the urine
Another good sign that you have a UTI is that your urine will have taken on a dark, cloudy coloration, or there may be blood in the urine. The urine will also have a strange, pungent odor to it.
#3. Lower body pain
There’s two types of pain that comes with a urinary tract infection. The first is a guaranteed symptom: you’ll start to feel tired and shaky. The UTI is driving you to urinate more than you normally do, which causes you to feel incredibly drowsy and sluggish. The second is less common, but will happen if you don’t get the UTI treated quickly. At some point, the infection will reach your kidneys and start infecting them as well. This, in turn, causes a high fever or intense chills. If you start feeling either of these, then you need to see a doctor about this immediately.
#4. Treatment
A good thing about an infection being so common is that antibiotics to combat it are equally common. After giving your doctor a urine sample, he will prescribe you antibiotics meant to kill the intruding infection. It’s imperative that you take every pill when it tells you to, even after you start to feel better. This will keep the infection from coming back.
Urinary tract infections are a nasty subject, but thankfully it is very easy to tell when you have one, so treatment can begin quickly. If you notice even one of the above signs, call your doctor and set up an appointment.
