Potential Complications and When to See a Doctor
- A burning feeling during urination
- Urinating often
- Cloudy urine
- Seeing blood in the urine, which can make it appear pink, red or brown like cola
- Urine with a strong odor
- Pelvic pain
In many cases you’ll need to send a urine sample for a bacteria culture before starting an antibiotic.
In some cases, if you’re young and healthy without a history of repeat UTIs you may be able to get a course of antibiotics prescribed without seeing a doctor in person for a physical exam, Kirby says. When you have telltale symptoms, they can prescribe antibiotics over the phone or via telehealth.
Anything that could make your case more complicated — like a history of frequent UTIs or kidney infections — means you should see your doctor in person and get examined when you get UTI symptoms, Kirby says.
You should also contact your doctor if your UTI symptoms don’t improve within 24 hours of starting antibiotics, Gersh says.
Kirby says there are certain symptoms of kidney infection that mean you should seek immediate medical attention, they include:
- Fever
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Lightheadedness
If nausea is your only concern, you should still seek emergency care because you might need to get intravenous antibiotics to clear up your infection.
The Takeaway
- There’s no reason for you to put all forms of sexual intimacy on hold while you’re waiting for all of your UTI symptoms to go away.
- Your best bet is to focus on sexual activity that avoids penetration or contact with your genitals.
- This can minimize the risk of spreading bacteria or making your infection worse.
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