Explaining the symptoms of Urinary Tract Infections to the Doctor

All you know is that you’re suffering and you’ve been told that it’s not a urinary tract infection (UTI). Are you supposed to live like this forever?

For women in particular, one of the difficulties in getting to the cause of the problem is that we have difficulty explaining the symptoms to the doctor. That’s because everything “down there” is so interconnected. For example, pain in the pelvic area could be explained by an intestinal condition, a vaginal issue or a urinary tract problem.

So, the description to the doctor is vague: “pain down there”; “burning”; and the “feeling of needing to urinate frequently”.

Here’s a list of other medical problems that mimic the signs of a UTI:

1. Vaginal Infection: in addition to the typical yeast infection, other types of bacteria may cause a more serious and difficult to treat vaginal infection. This is typically seen in older women who are experiencing menopause. The lack of hormones leaves the vaginal canal open to an infection that can cause a similar burning sensation to that of a UTI.
2. Vulvodynia: This is defined as chronic pain in the vulva, the area on the outside of a woman’s genitals. It is usually described as a sensation of burning, stinging, itching, or rawness. It is also defined as pain that lasts more than three months and doesn’t have a clearly identifiable cause.
3. Overactive bladder (OAB): this condition causes a frequent and sudden urge to urinate that may be difficult to control. The patient may feel like they need to pass urine many times during the day and night, and may also experience unintentional loss of urine (urgency incontinence). Overactive bladder occurs because the muscles of the bladder start to contract involuntarily even when the volume of urine in their bladder is low. Conditions causing OAB include hormonal changes during menopause in women, an enlarged prostate in men, diabetes, and UTIs.
4. Interstitial cystitis (IC): is a chronic bladder health issue. It is a feeling of pain and pressure in the bladder area. Along with this pain are lower urinary tract symptoms which have lasted for more than 6 weeks, without having an infection or other clear causes.
5. Bladder Cancer: the most common symptom of bladder cancer is the presence of blood in the urine (hematuria). But several other symptoms are similar to those of a UTI:

• • • Pain or burning sensation during urination
    • Frequent urination
    • Feeling the need to urinate many times throughout the night
    • Feeling the need to urinate, but not being able to pass urine
    • Lower back pain on 1 side of the body

Because bladder cancer and UTIs appear similar, you should seek medical help if you have any concerning symptoms. If UTI symptoms persist after a course of antibiotics, return to the doctor and ask for a bladder cancer test. There are now tests that can detect the presence of cancer using a urine sample.

Treatment Tips for UTIs

If you continue to have chronic UTI-like symptoms, but urine test shows no bacteria, don’t give up. You can try the “Interstitial Cystitis Diet”, or you can apply estrogen creams and see what happens.

But if you’re looking for quick and permanent relief, then you can do what thousands of other women have done and try a natural supplement known as D-Mannose. Known primarily for healing E-Coli UTI’s, D-Mannose has also been documented as improving overall urinary tract health.

Sold under the brand name Goodbye UTI, this 100% pure D-Mannose powder when mixed with water goes right to your bladder to provide fast relief; and, if taken daily, will protect the urinary tract against recurring symptoms. Formulated under the strict supervision of a Doctor of Pharmacy in GA, you can trust the quality and safety of this product.