Urinary Tract Infections - Symptoms

The signs and symptoms depend upon the area of involvement in the urinary system, that is, kidney, bladder and/or urethra.

If the kidneys are involved, there may be:

• pain along the sides (flanks) and lower back
• nausea and vomiting
• fever with chills (shivering)

If the bladder is involved, there may be:

• constant urge to urinate
• urinary incontinence
• burning sensation while passing urine
• blood in urine

If the urethra is involved, there may be severe burning pains while passing urine.

Complications

• Chronic UTIs
• Nephrotic syndrome that involves loss of protein in the urine, resulting in fluid retention (swelling) of the body
• Hydronephrosis, or swelling of the kidneys due to an obstruction in any part of the urinary tract, commonly seen in kidney stones
• Permanent kidney damage, leading to scar formation, affecting kidney functioning and resulting in chronic and non-responding anaemia, high blood pressure and kidney failure
• Pre-term delivery, or delivery before the completion of nine months of pregnancy.
• Septicemia, or blood poisoning due to the spread of infection.