Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), also called bladder infection, is a common condition caused by E. coli bacteria that reside in the colon and anus. This infection can occur in any part of your urinary tract – kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. However, major UTIs happen in the bladder and urethra. Women are more susceptible to this condition as their urethra is shorter and closer to the anus than men. Continue reading to know the early warning signs of UTI.

Foul-smelling urine
You can thank the bacteria causing the infection for producing strong-smelling urine. It’s the body’s unsubtle way of alerting you of a possible UTI. If your urine gives out a strong ammonia smell, a sweet scent, or an extremely unpleasant odor, it is an early warning sign of UTI infection.

Abdominal pain
Abdominal pain happens when the bacteria move from the rectum to the urethra, and up the bladder. If you feel pain, pressure, or tenderness in your pubic area or lower back, it could be an indication that the infection has spread to your kidneys. Slow immune system and overgrowth of E. Coli can trigger UTI.

Pain while urinating
When white blood cells or pyuria overdevelop, they cause inflammation in the bladder wall. This combined with infected urine is what causes pain while urinating. Another reason for pain could be dysuria, whose symptoms include stinging and sharp-burning pain as well. But dysuria affects approximately 3% of adults older than 40 years.

Frequent urination
You may have a strong urge to pee but when you do, you realize there isn’t much in there. This false urgency is a very common tell-tale sign of UTI. Frequent urination can also be an indication of interstitial cystitis (not caused by bacteria) through which bladder muscle layers may inflate, causing a strong urge to urinate often.

Cloudy or blood in the urine
The color of the urine usually varies from light-yellow to yellowish-brown depending on your hydration levels. But urine that appears light-pink to dark-red or cola-colored with clots (called haematuria or blood in urine) is a telling sign of UTI. It happens due to the leakage of red blood cells from your kidney to the urinary tract. If your urine is cloudy or murky, it is because of pus in the urinary tract. Pus contains dead skin cells, bacteria, and white blood cells escalating UTI.

Fever
This symptom is less than common and certainly not an indicator on its own. But if you have developed one or more of the above-mentioned symptoms and also have a fever, it is time to visit a doctor. If the UTI has traveled further up reaching the kidneys you may also experience symptoms such as chills, nausea, and vomiting.