Urinary tract infection
Treatment for UTIs
UTIs are normally treated with a short course of antibiotics.
Most women are given a three-day course of antibiotic capsules or tablets. Men, pregnant women and people with more serious symptoms may need a slightly longer course.
Your symptoms will normally pass within three to five days of starting treatment. But make sure you complete the whole course of antibiotics that you've been prescribed, even if you're feeling better.
Over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol can help with any pain. Drinking plenty of fluids may also help you feel better.
Return to your GP if your symptoms don't improve, get worse or come back after treatment.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Find out about urinary tract infections (UTIs), including what the symptoms are, when to get medical advice and how they're treated.
Symptoms of UTIs
Infections of the bladder (cystitis) or urethra (tube that carries urine out of the body) are known as lower UTIs. These can cause: a need to pee more often than usual pain or
When to get medical advice
It's a good idea to see your GP if you think you might have a UTI, particularly if: you have symptoms of an upper UTI (see above) the symptoms are severe or getting worse the symptoms haven't
Treatment for UTIs
UTIs are normally treated with a short course of antibiotics. Most women are given a three-day course of antibiotic capsules or tablets. Men, pregnant women and people with more serious sym
Causes of UTIs
UTIs occur when the urinary tract becomes infected, usually by bacteria. In most cases, bacteria from the gut enter the urinary tract through the urethra. This may occur when wipi
Preventing UTIs
If you get UTIs frequently, there are some things you can try that may stop it coming back. However, it's not clear how effective most of these measures are. These measures include: avoiding p
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