Urinary tract infection
Effective diagnosis and treatment of your urinary tract infection by a urologist
How does a urinary tract infection progress?
Normally, the urine in a healthy person’s bladder is sterile, i.e. it does not contain any bacteria or other pathogens.
This also applies to the urethra, through which urine is passed from the bladder to the outside.
An infection can occur in any part of the urinary tract, but often begins as an ascending infection: the pathogens enter the bladder from the urethra and thus initially affect the lower urinary tract.
In this case, we speak of cystitis.
People who have had a urinary tract infection once are often susceptible to recurrent infections.
If these occur several times a year, they are referred to as chronic urinary tract infections.
This particularly affects young women and women going through the menopause.
What are the symptoms of a urinary tract infection?
Typical signs of a urinary tract infection are frequent, painful urination accompanied by a burning sensation.
Those affected often feel a constant urge to urinate, although only small amounts of urine are excreted.
Sometimes blood appears in the urine and the color of the urine may appear cloudy or dark.
If other symptoms such as fever, chills, pain in the flanks or nausea and vomiting occur, this could indicate that the infection has already reached the kidneys.
In such cases, immediate medical treatment is required.
A urine sample is usually analyzed to diagnose a urinary tract infection.
The urologist can then identify the specific pathogen and initiate the appropriate treatment.
Treatment is usually with antibiotics, which should be taken exactly as prescribed by the doctor to prevent relapses.
When should you see a urologist?
If the symptoms persist for more than a few days or you notice fever, severe pain or blood in your urine, a medical examination is urgently required. Your urologist can initiate the appropriate treatment and prevent further complications.