What is a Urinary Tract Infection?
A Urinary Tract Infection occurs when bacteria enter the urethra and multiply in the urinary tract, causing an infection. This infection may affect any part of the urinary tract, and the further up it spreads, the more dangerous it becomes. It even has the possibility of spreading and infecting your kidneys, which can lead to a fever and abdominal pain. Many symptoms of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) include: frequent bladder urges to use the restroom, burning sensations, pressure in the bladder and sometimes blood in the urine.
Various Methods We Use to Diagnose UTIs
Using a scope to see inside your bladder: A cystoscope, a long, thin tube with a camera lens, is passed through your urethra into your bladder to examine what could be causing the infection. This is typically done when a patient has recurring UTIs.
Growing the urinary tract bacteria in our lab: A urine culture test tells your doctor what bacteria are causing your infection. This allows your doctor to prescribe you the medications that will be the most effective in fighting your infection.
Analyzing a urine sample: Your doctor may ask for a urine analysis to look for white blood cells, red blood cells, or bacteria. To avoid potentially contaminating your sample, you will be instructed to wipe your genital area with an antiseptic wipe and collect the urine midstream.
Creating images of your urinary tract: If your doctor thinks your frequent infections may be caused by an abnormality in your urinary tract, you may need to have an ultrasound, a computerized tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Your doctor will use one or a combination of these methods to highlight problematic areas in your urinary tract.
One of the best treatments we have for this type of infection is antibiotics. The type of antibiotic our healthcare providers may prescribe is determined by the test results, which are also ordered by your provider. The sooner an infection is diagnosed by the advanced lab tests we offer, the sooner we can intervene and prevent it from spreading further up your urinary tract.
Schedule an appointment today with one of our experienced healthcare providers to request access to our advanced urine sample testing technology!