If you’ve had a urinary tract infection (UTI), you know how uncomfortable it can be. While UTIs sometimes clear up on their own, they can lead to more serious infections if left untreated. A urine analysis test can help you investigate symptoms, so you can seek appropriate treatment before complications have a chance to develop.
Seven common UTI symptoms:
- Frequent urination: You may feel that you constantly have to pee, even when your bladder isn’t full.
- Lower volume: When you have a urinary tract infection, it’s common to pass smaller amounts of urine despite many trips to the restroom.
- Burning sensation during urination: A painful, burning feeling when you pee called dysuria can occur with a UTI. This sensation is often worse toward the end of urination.
- Urgent need to urinate: You may feel a sudden, intense urge to pee right away.
- Cloudy, bloody or foul-smelling urine: Healthy urine is clear and pale yellow. With a UTI, your urine may look cloudy, reddish or have a stronger odor.
- Pressure or pain in your lower abdomen: Some people experience a feeling of pressure in the bladder area.
- Fever, chills and fatigue: More severe UTIs may also cause flu-like symptoms, such as a mild fever, chills and tiredness. UTI symptoms including fever, chills, nausea, vomiting and/or back pain are concerning for a more serious infection that has spread beyond the bladder and requires urgent evaluation with a medical provider.
Should I get checked for a UTI?
It’s always a good idea to get checked out if you suspect a urinary tract infection since prompt treatment can prevent an infection from getting worse. Without treatment, the infection can spread to your kidneys, leading to more severe illness.
A simple urine test can help you determine if you have a UTI by evaluating for the presence of nitrites, leukocyte esterase, blood and other potential signs of infection. When there are signs of possible infection, additional testing can be done.
What does a UTI test involve?
A urine analysis is the standard test used to diagnose a UTI. The test includes providing a small urine sample that is sent to a lab for analysis. Often, a clean-catch urine sample is requested, with instructions to wipe the genital area with an antiseptic pad before providing the urine sample. A midstream urine sample also results in a better-quality urine sample for testing because the urine at the beginning and end of urination is more likely to be contaminated.
In addition to detecting a UTI, a urine test can provide some valuable information about your overall health. Your urine contains waste products that have the potential to provide clues about how some of your major organs are functioning. So, abnormal urinalysis findings such as elevated protein, glucose or bilirubin, may point to health issues such as kidney disease, diabetes or liver disease that would warrant further evaluation with your healthcare provider.
How are UTIs treated?
Healthcare providers typically prescribe a 3–7 day course of antibiotics to treat an uncomplicated UTI. Even though symptoms typically improve within a few days, it’s important to finish the entire antibiotic treatment course to prevent the infection from recurring. There are over-the-counter pain relievers available that can help ease burning and discomfort until the antibiotics kick in.
Most uncomplicated UTIs clear up within a few days with proper treatment.
Buy a UTI test online
Don’t ignore possible UTI symptoms. Getting tested promptly and treated if needed can prevent complications. A simple urine analysis can provide valuable insights about your urinary tract health and overall wellbeing. Purchase a Labcorp OnDemand Urine Analysis Test from Labcorp OnDemand today.
Note: This urine analysis is not a drug test or pregnancy test. While those tests may also involve urine samples, they look for different substances that are not included in a routine urinalysis.
