Diagnostic Workup To Rule Out Urinary Tract Infections
Posted on: 7 October 2022
If you develop frequent urinary symptoms, you may need to visit a urology health center to determine the cause. Frequent urinary symptoms are often the result of urinary tract infections, also known as bladder infections. They can also be related to dehydration, urinary retention, and pelvic floor dysfunction. Here are some things you can expect from your diagnostic workup at the urology health center.
Symptom Discussion
When you present to the urology health center with urinary symptoms, the healthcare provider will need to discuss them with you. Doing so can help them confirm or rule out a urinary tract infection diagnosis. For example, if your symptoms include burning sensations when urinating, frequent urges to pass urine, pelvic pain, blood in your urine, or fever and chills, the healthcare provider may suspect a urinary tract infection. Furthermore, if your symptoms include pain or tenderness in your side or back, the provider may suspect that you have a bladder infection that has spread to your kidneys.
Urinalysis
To further confirm or rule out a urinary tract infection, the urology health center physician may recommend a urinalysis. This test can reveal the presence of a number of components in your urine, including blood, white blood cells, glucose, and protein. If blood in your urine is accompanied by elevated white blood cells, you may have a urinary tract infection. The healthcare provider will also visually inspect your urine to assess it for cloudiness and sediment.
While cloudy urine can be caused by diabetes and certain sexually transmitted diseases, it is often the result of a urinary tract infection. Once the physician confirms the diagnosis of a urinary tract infection, they will recommend a treatment plan, which may include taking oral antibiotics, drinking more water, limiting your intake of caffeinated beverages, and taking over-the-counter pain medications to reduce pelvic and bladder pain.
If your urine test fails to reveal the presence of a urinary tract infection, the healthcare provider may recommend further testing such as a pelvic ultrasound so that the source of your symptoms can be identified.
If you develop any of the above signs and symptoms of a urinary tract infection, make an appointment with your primary care physician or visit a urology health center. When urinary tract infections are diagnosed and treated in their beginning stages, they may be less likely to spread to other parts of the body such as the kidneys.
Contact a urology center for more information.
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