Thursday, July 31, 2014

What Your Urine Says About Your Health

A discharge also can make urine cloudy, but our anatomy makes it tough to know if the source is the urethra or vagina.

When to be worried: If you have cloudy urine, burning or urgency, and are urinating frequently, you probably have a urinary tract infection (UTI), says Dr. Kavaler. In most cases, a UTI is very unpleasant but usually not dangerous if you get prompt treatment, Dr. Kavaler says. However, untreated UTIs can lead to severe or chronic kidney infections (pyelonephritis), which could permanently harm your kidneys.

A UTI, usually caused by bacteria, can involve inflammation anywhere along the urinary tract, from your urethra (the tube that carries urine to the outside of your body) to the kidneys.

One in five women will have a UTI in her lifetime, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). And once you have one, you're more likely to have another, says the NIDDK.

To find out if you have a UTI, see your doctor for a urinalysis. If you test positive, you'll probably be prescribed an antibiotic at the lowest effective dose, says Dr. Kavaler.

Need relief before you get to the doc? Dr. Kavaler suggests Cystex [methenamine], an over-the-counter medication that relieves burning and quells bacteria production.

If you test negative for a UTI but still have symptoms, see your gynecologist. You could have a vaginal yeast infection, which are more common than a UTI in women, says Dr. Silber. It can also be cured with antibiotics.