Urine Infection Symptoms and Clinical Features

Urine Infection is a type of infection that affects any part in the urinary system, including the kidneys, bladder, ureters or urethra. These infections are quite much common amongst all the ages and in both genders. There are two types of urine infection.

1. The Lower Urinary Tract Infection: It affects both the urethra and the urinary bladder.

2. The Upper Urinary Tract Infection: It affects only the kidneys.

These infections are generally caused by the growth of the harmful microorganisms or pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The symptoms generally vary with the kinds of urine infections and a part of the urinary system that is infected. In this article, we will learn about the urine infection symptoms or the UTI symptoms in detail. We will study about the symptoms of urinary tract infection in men, the urinary tract infection symptoms in women, and the UTI in babies signs and symptoms.

Signs and Symptoms of UTI

Let us take a look at what are the signs and symptoms of urinary tract infection.

The symptoms of a UTI vary on what part of the urinary tract is actually infected. The lower tract UTIs affect the urethra and the bladder. The symptoms of the lower tract UTI include the following:

1. increased frequency of urination without actually passing much urine

2. Feeling an increased urgency of urination

3. burning sensation with urination

4. Blood in urine

5. cloudy urine

6. urine that has a strong odour

7. urine that looks like cola or tea

8. pelvic pain in women

9. rectal pain in men

The upper tract UTIs affect only the kidneys. These can be potentially life threatening when the bacteria move from the infected kidney into the bloodstream. This condition, which is called urosepsis, can cause dangerously lower blood pressure, shock, and even death.

The symptoms of the upper tract UTI include:

1. The feeling of pain and tenderness in the upper back and the sides

2. fever

3. chills

4. nausea

5. vomiting

Urine Infection Symptoms in Men

Let us learn about the signs of urine infection in men.

The symptoms of the upper tract urinary infection in men are quite similar to those seen in women. Symptoms of the lower tract urinary infection in men sometimes may include rectal pain in addition to the much common symptoms that are shared by both the men and the women.

Urine Infection Symptoms in Women

Let us now take a look at the urine infection symptoms in female. The UTI symptoms female include:

Women with the lower tract urinary infection might experience pelvic pain. This is in addition to the other much more common symptoms. Symptoms of the upper tract infections amongst both the men and the women are quite similar.

Types of Urinary Tract Infection

An infection happens in several different parts of your urinary tract. Each kind of infection has a different name, depending on where it is found.

1. Cystitis in Bladder: You might get this feeling like you need to pee a lot, or it might even hurt when you are peeing. You might also have a lower belly pain and notice cloudy or bloody urine.

2. Pyelonephritis in Kidneys: This might cause high fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, and even pain in the upper back or the side.

3. Urethritis in Urethra: This might cause a discharge and a burning sensation when you pee.

Causes of UTI

Urinary tract infections generally occur when the bacteria enter the urinary tract via the urethra and start to multiply in the bladder. Although the urinary system is designed in a way to keep out such microscopic invaders, these defenses can sometimes fail as well. When this happens, bacteria might take hold and develop into a full-blown infection in the urinary tract.

The most common UTIs happen mainly amongst the women and affect the bladder and the urethra.

1. An Infection of the Bladder or Cystitis: This type of the UTI is generally caused by the Escherichia coli or E. coli, which is a type of bacteria that is much commonly found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, sometimes several other bacteria are also responsible.

Sexual intercourse might lead to cystitis, but there is no need for you to be sexually active to develop it. All the women are at risk of cystitis due to their anatomy, specifically, the shorter distance which is there from the urethra to the anus and the smaller urethral opening to the bladder.

2. An Infection of the Urethra or Urethritis: This kind of the UTI might occur when the GI bacteria spread from the anus to the urethra. Also, since the female urethra is much closer to the vagina, the sexually transmitted infections, like herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and mycoplasma, might cause urethritis.