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Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
Revisado: 4 de octubre de 2026
Solo en inglés por ahoraA UTI can make it burn when you pee and make you need to go more often. Most clear up with antibiotics, but some signs mean you should get help the same day.
What a UTI is
Your urinary tract includes your kidneys and your bladder. It also includes the tubes that carry pee to the bladder and the tube that carries pee out of your body (urethra). A urinary tract infection (UTI) can affect any of these parts. An infection of the bladder is called cystitis. About four times as many women get UTIs as men. Diabetes, or needing a tube to drain the bladder (catheter), also raises the risk.
Common symptoms
Signs of a UTI include pain or burning when you pee, needing to pee more often than usual, and needing to go suddenly or urgently. Your pee may look cloudy, smell bad or have blood in it. You may feel pain or pressure in your lower tummy. Some people also feel tired or shaky. In older people, a UTI can sometimes cause confusion or agitation.
Signs of a kidney infection
A bladder infection can sometimes spread to the kidneys, which is more serious. Signs include a high temperature, feeling hot and cold or shivery, pain in your back or side just under the ribs, and feeling or being sick. A kidney infection needs treatment quickly. If it is not treated, it can lead to sepsis, a serious reaction to infection.
Treatment and self-care
A doctor or nurse can check for a UTI with a urine test. Treatment is usually a short course of antibiotics. Take all of the medicine, even if you start to feel better. In some places, a pharmacist can also assess and treat a UTI. While you recover, rest and drink enough to keep your pee pale. Paracetamol can ease pain. Fruit juice, coffee and alcohol may irritate your bladder, so you might want to avoid them for a while.
Lowering your chances
Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Wipe from front to back after using the toilet. Pee as soon as you can after sex, and do not hold your pee in when you need to go. Wearing cotton underwear may also help. If UTIs keep coming back, a doctor or nurse can talk with you about why and what else might help.
When to get help
Get help the same day if your symptoms get worse quickly or have not improved after 2 days, or if you are pregnant or aged 65 or over. Also get help the same day if there is blood in your pee, or you have a high temperature, shivers, or pain in your back or side. See a doctor or nurse if you keep getting UTIs (2 in 6 months, or 3 in 12 months). Get emergency help if someone with a UTI becomes confused, very drowsy or has trouble speaking.
This is general information, not a diagnosis. If you have a high temperature, back or side pain, or blood in your pee, or you are pregnant, get help the same day.