Uti what kind of doctor should i see

Now, telemedicine services like MDLIVE allow you can talk to a doctor via phone or video—wherever you are—in an average of 10 minutes or less. And if you need a prescription, you can have it in your hands that same day. This makes telemedicine a more convenient and inexpensive way to get the treatment you need to minimize your discomfort and start feeling better, faster. According to Dr. Talbott, most patients with UTIs see improvement within a few days of beginning treatment.

Because urinary tract infections do tend to reoccur, it can be beneficial to take some steps to prevent them. Talbott recommends emptying your bladder immediately after sexual intercourse. You can also take cranberry tablets, which are not necessarily curative, but may have some benefit in preventing infection in the first place.

If you suffer from recurrent UTIs, you should speak with your physician, who might investigate further for other causes or contributors, including spermicidal agents and lower estrogen levels. When you hold your urine, you are allowing it to be still in your urinary tract, which can encourage bacteria growth.

Probiotics encourage a healthy immune system, which gives your body the ability to fight off bad bacteria. When you have a UTI, bad bacteria replace the good bacteria in your vagina known as Lactobacillus.

Probiotics restore the good bacteria that can help you fight off future UTIs. Increasing your Vitamin C intake may help you prevent a urinary tract infection. Vitamin C is known to generally strengthen the immune system, but it also may help acidify your urine, which can make it more difficult for bacteria to grow.

One or all of these homeopathic remedies may help you reduce your chances of a future UTI. Antibiotics are the only proven way to eliminate the bad bacteria in your urinary tract and prevent you from developing a serious, and possibly life-threatening, kidney infection.

Submissions are viewed by non-medical personnel for scheduling purposes. Please refrain from providing detailed medical information you would like kept confidential. Phone: Fax: Patient Portal. And for those with prior existing kidney problems, there is also a risk of kidney failure. A UTI can cause what is called urosepsis—sepsis of the urinary tract—which half the time occurs among older adults with a UTI.

While a family physician or other healthcare provider can treat most basic UTIs, there are important benefits in seeking out a urologist. Primarily, urologists are specially trained in all conditions affecting the urinary tract.

Recurring UTIs require further evaluation. A UTI can also be misdiagnosed as another condition such as cystitis , which can also be determined by a urologist. Urine analysis: A urine sample is evaluated in the lab to determine the presence of bacteria and white or red blood cells.

Goldberg tested Valerie's urine and performed an exam. She also looked inside Valerie's bladder with a tool urologists use called a cystoscope. Inside Valerie's bladder, Dr. Goldberg saw inflammation swelling and ulcers in the bladder wall. Her urologist diagnosed Valerie with a condition called interstitial cystitis IC , also known as painful bladder. IC is often mistaken for a UTI because the symptoms are similar but usually more severe.

Treatment for IC involves trying different ways to reduce inflammation in the bladder. Some drugs may help, as well as avoiding certain "bladder-irritating" foods, including spicy foods, chocolate, alcohol and caffeine.

Different foods may make IC worse for different people. Goldberg helped me figure out what worked best for me," said Valerie. I learned I could still have chocolate! And I'm glad working with Dr. Goldberg has helped me keep my symptoms under control, finally! I [have come] a long way since I first went to see my primary care doctor about my symptoms. I only wish I had gone to a urologist sooner! Like Valerie, many people are surprised to find that urology covers a wide range of conditions.

Urologists treat diseases and conditions in the kidneys, bladder, urinary tract and male reproductive system. Urology impacts men and women in all stages of life, from infancy to old age. We treat cancers like bladder, kidney and prostate cancers; bladder conditions like interstitial cystitis, bladder prolapse fallen bladder ; issues of urine leakage such as stress urinary incontinence and overactive bladder; kidney stones; bedwetting and abnormalities in children's urinary tracts; erectile dysfunction; and much more.

And we are surgeons.