Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are widespread, affecting up to 10 in 25 women and 3 in 25 men. At Mederi Urgent Care in the Melrose Hill neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, the expert primary care team provides complete care for urinary tract infections. After an exam and lab testing, they develop a personalized treatment plan that clears the infection and keeps it from coming back. Call Mederi Urgent Care today to schedule UTI treatment, or book your appointment online.

What are urinary tract infections?

A urinary tract infection (UTI) is just that –– an infection of your urinary system. Depending on the cause, these infections can occur in your kidneys, ureters, bladder, or urethra.

Anyone can develop a UTI, but they’re most common in women. This is because of the female anatomy. Since the female urethra is near the anus, harmful bacteria can more easily enter the urinary tract.

What are the symptoms of urinary tract infections?

Urinary tract infection symptoms include:

• Persistent, strong urge to urinate
• Urine that looks cloudy
• Burning feeling when urinating
• Strong smelling urine
• Red, bright pink, or brown urine

Sometimes, UTIs cause pelvic pain. UTI-related pain is most common in women.

When should I see a doctor about a UTI?

Make an appointment at Mederi Urgent Care if you have any of these symptoms that last for more than a day or two. That’s especially true if your symptoms occur alongside a fever or chills. Without treatment, UTIs can cause more severe health problems, like sepsis, a potentially life-threatening complication.

How are urinary tract infections diagnosed?

Your Mederi Urgent Care provider reviews your medical records and asks about your symptoms, including when they started, what they feel like, and if they’ve gotten worse. Your provider completes a physical exam and orders a urinalysis. The urinalysis checks a urine sample for white blood cells, red blood cells, and bacteria.

If you regularly experience urinary tract infections, your provider might order additional testing, like a CT scan or an MRI. These imaging procedures help identify structural problems with your urinary tract that increase the risk of infection.

After confirming your diagnosis, your provider makes personalized treatment recommendations.

How are urinary tract infections treated?

Treating urinary tract infections depends on how severe and frequent they are. Most mild UTIs improve with oral antibiotics. Take your entire course of antibiotic medication, even if you start feeling better. If you don’t, the infection can become even worse.

The Mederi Urgent Care team might recommend a more intensive approach if you get frequent UTIs. This typically involves taking low-dose antibiotics for several months and taking single-dose antibiotics after sexual intercourse.

Call Mederi Urgent Care today to schedule urinary tract infection treatment, or book your appointment online.