Bladder Infection (Cystitis)

Diagnosis

Your doctor will ask you about symptoms that are typical for bladder infection, and also ask you if you have fevers, chills, nausea, vomiting, flank pain or other symptoms that may suggest a more serious infection. If you have had bladder infections before, your doctor may be able to diagnose the problem over the phone if you are not pregnant and do not have any vaginal discharge. If the symptoms are not exactly like those of prior bladder infections, you probably will need an office visit and possibly a urine analysis.

Women with first-time bladder infections, all men, children and people with any potentially complicated bladder infection will need to visit a doctor. Your doctor will examine you and request a urine sample. He or she will do a urine analysis in the office to look for signs of active infection. The urine sample also may be sent to a laboratory for culture to identify the exact type of bacteria. Usually special testing, called sensitivity testing, also is done to determine which antibiotics will effectively fight the infection. Before you provide a urine sample, you should clean your urethral opening with a sterile wipe. This sample must be collected midstream during urination to avoid contaminating the urine with bacteria that live around the urethra.

Expected Duration

Women with simple bladder infections often improve within hours of taking the first dose of antibiotic, and all symptoms should go away within three days. However, people with complicated infections, such as men with enlarged prostate glands, may have prolonged symptoms. If patients have indwelling catheters in place, it is difficult to clear the urinary system of bacteria unless the catheter is removed.