Dealing with a painful urinary tract infection

If you find yourself laid low with a painful urinary tract infection (UTI) after business hours, it can be hard to know the best course of the action. UTIs are usually accompanied by painful burning when urinating and can cause other unpleasant symptoms including high fevers and pain in the kidneys. Here are some things you can do if you find yourself with a suspected UTI. 

Keep drinking water

Even though you may not feel eager to go the toilet, it's important to keep drinking so that you don't place extra pressure on your already stressed urinary system. You can also try heading to the chemist and getting an over-the-counter solution of salts and minerals that can reduce the acidity of your urine, making it more comfortable to head to the loo. You can also try drinking other fluids, although water usually places the least stress on the urinary system so it tends to be recommended. 

Take some pain relief

If you are in pain or have a fever, it can be useful to take some pain medication such as ibuprofen or paracetamol which can help to both relieve your pain and control your temperature. This can make you more comfortable whilst your body attempts to fight the infection.

While you aren't infectious during this stage, it can be a good idea to get some more sleep and take care of yourself if you feel tired or run down.

Head to a doctor when possible

While rare, UTIs also share symptoms with some other less common but serious medical issues including kidney disease. It's a good idea to get a doctor to make a definite diagnosis and prescribe you some antibiotics if needed. In some cases, untreated UTIs can lead to other problems including kidney damage. They may culture your urine to determine the exact bacteria causing the infection in order to prescribe the best antibiotics to treat that bacteria. 

They can also give you some advice on how to prevent getting more UTIs going forward, which can include better wiping in the toilet (wiping front to back), heading to the toilets more often to empty the bladder and wearing cotton undies which tend to breathe more and lead to less bacteria growth. 

There is no reason to suffer in silence if you think you have a UTI. You can gain some temporary relief from a trip to the pharmacy and get the infection cured with antibiotics from your family doctor.