Urinary tract infection (UTI): symptoms, treatment and how long it lasts

The NHS lists the symptoms below. It adds that your pee may also be dark or smell, but if that is your only symptom it might be because you have not been drinking enough water. NHS inform says lower UTIs, in the bladder or urethra, are common and are not usually a cause for major concern.

• Pain or a burning sensation when peeing.

• Needing to pee more often than usual, including at night, or suddenly and urgently.

• Pee that looks cloudy, or blood in your pee.

• Lower tummy pain, or pain in your back just under the ribs.

• A high temperature, or feeling hot, cold and shivery, or a very low temperature below 36C.

• Feeling tired or weak.

The NHS says children with a UTI may have a high temperature, appear generally unwell, babies and young children may be irritable and not feed, eat or drink properly, and they may wet the bed or wet themselves, or be sick.

In older, frail people who have problems with memory or concentration, such as dementia, and in people with a urinary catheter, the NHS says symptoms may also include changes in behaviour such as agitation or confusion (delirium), leaking pee that is worse than usual, and new shivering or shaking.

The NHS says that if a GP thinks you may have a UTI they may do a urine test, though this is not always needed, and may offer self-care advice and a painkiller, prescribe a short course of antibiotics, or ask you to wait 48 hours before getting antibiotics in case symptoms go away on their own. Take all the medicine you are prescribed even if you start to feel better.

NICE says pregnant women, men, and children and young people under 16 with cystitis should be offered antibiotics straight away. Women who are not pregnant may be offered a back-up prescription, to use if you do not start to feel better within 2 days or start to feel worse. NICE says using antibiotics when they are not needed means they may not work as well in the future.

NHS inform says most women are given a 3-day course; men, pregnant women and people with more serious symptoms may need a slightly longer course. It says symptoms normally pass within 3 to 5 days of starting treatment, and to return to your GP if they do not improve, get worse or come back.

The NHS suggests taking paracetamol up to 4 times a day to reduce pain and a high temperature (liquid paracetamol for children), resting, and drinking enough fluids so you pass pale urine regularly during the day. Avoid drinks that may irritate your bladder, such as fruit juices, coffee and alcohol.

The NHS says some people who are not pregnant take cystitis sachets or cranberry drinks and products to prevent UTIs, which may help, but there is no evidence they ease symptoms or treat an infection that has already started. NICE found no research on using cranberry or urine-alkalising products to treat UTI.

The NHS lists pregnancy as something that increases the risk of bacteria getting into the bladder, and says pregnant people who think they may have a UTI should ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111. NICE says pregnant women with cystitis should be offered antibiotics straight away. The NHS also advises speaking to your doctor before taking D-mannose or cranberry products in pregnancy.

The NHS says UTIs are usually caused by bacteria from poo entering the urinary tract through the urethra, and that women have a shorter urethra than men, so bacteria are more likely to reach the bladder or kidneys.

• Pregnancy.

• Wiping from back to front after going to the toilet.

• Conditions that block the urinary tract, such as kidney stones.

• Conditions that make it difficult to empty the bladder, such as an enlarged prostate in men or constipation in children.

• Urinary catheters.

• A weakened immune system, for example poorly controlled diabetes or chemotherapy.

• Having been through the menopause, using spermicide with contraception, and not drinking enough fluids.

The NHS says to see a GP if you have 2 UTIs in 6 months or 3 within 12 months. They may prescribe a different antibiotic or a low-dose antibiotic to take for up to 6 months, vaginal oestrogen if you are in perimenopause or have gone through the menopause, or refer you to a specialist.

The NHS and NHS inform both describe long-term (chronic) UTIs, where symptoms do not go away, short-term antibiotics do not work and urine tests may not show infection. If you have been treated but still have symptoms, speak to your GP and ask about referral to a specialist.

The NHS suggests the following. If you keep getting bladder infections, it says there is some evidence that D-mannose or daily cranberry products may help. Note that they can contain a lot of sugar, and people taking warfarin should avoid cranberry products.

• Wipe from front to back, keep the genital area clean and dry, and wear cotton underwear.

• Drink plenty of fluids, particularly water.

• Pee as soon as possible after sex, and wash the skin around the vagina with water before and after sex.

• Do not hold your pee in, and take time to empty your bladder fully.

• Avoid scented soap around the genital area and spermicide on condoms, diaphragms or caps.

On the NHS, uncomplicated UTIs in women aged 16 to 64 can often be managed through a community pharmacy; others are assessed by a GP or NHS 111. Some private clinics and online services offer urine testing and prescriptions. The same antibiotic stewardship principles apply, and any recurrent infection should be shared with your GP.