How do you know if you have a UTI? I think I may have one because I've been feeling like I have to pee ALL the time and there's been bleeding a bit.
What can you do if it's going to be a while before you can get to a doctor?

Drink lots of liquid - it helps pee it out. Also, if you need to pee, don't hold it in, go straight away - it makes it about a zillion times worse. Also pee before and after sex.

You can get some over the counter stuff for UTIs at any chemist.

I also drink cranberry juice. I've heard it helps with symptoms of UTI, and helps prevent severe cases. I'm not sure if thats 100% true, but it always seems to help me.

it hurt when i peed

You urine will smell really strong and bad. You will need to pee a lot. You will be confused and disorientated which is extreme. all depends on what sort of uti you have. You shoudl go to your doctors for a urine test and then they can give you a suitable anti-biotic.

The main symptoms of a UTI are frequent peeing, and a painful burning sensation every time you pee. I've had UTI's like five times. They really suck. Just go to the bathroom every time you have to go... don't hold it in. Make sure you always pee before and after sex. Refrain from sex while you have a UTI though. Drink lots of water and cranberry juice. That's all you can really do. Those things will probably not cure it though. You need antibiotics asap.

The main thing that has prevented them from recurring for me is always peeing before and after sex, religiously. It flushes out any bacteria.

you need to make time to go to the doctor asap. they get incredibley painful incredibley fast and you need to get on top of it asap! especially if there is already blood in your urine. it could also travel into your bladder and your kidneys, and you really don't want to end up with a kidney infection because you waited a couple of days to go to the doctor.

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Definitely listen to what petals said about going to the doctors straight away. If you can't - seriously, check out what the chemist offers. They're not too expensive from what I remember.

If its as severe as it sounds though, get it checked asap

I got a kidney infection once, and it was the most horrific experience of my life.

REALLY, make sure you go see your doctor ASAP. I have had two UTIs, both last year, and within 6/8 hours they have spread to my kidneys, which is a miserable hell you really don't want to go to (because it can also be fatal and you don't want to be the girl who died cause she didn't see her doctor about weird wee). If its cost you are worried about, remember it will be WAY more expensive if you wait til its spread to your kidneys before you get treatment.

Well I took the day off to go to the doctor's today and they gave me an antibiotic and said I should be fine. Thanks for the advice guys.

Hope you're feeling better, UTIs are viscious.
I've had a few aswell I think maybe once you start having them I think you just get them on and off forever? I make sure to drink plenty of water, don't use perfumed showergel or anything else like that down there and (I know it's a give anyway but - ) wash yourself properly after sex and when you have your period, don't hold in your pee especially before you go to bed - pee first. I drink lots of cranberry juice aswell when I have one because it's supposed to make your urinary tract slippy so the bacteria comes out but I was told by a doctor that it really isn't any better than water. If it gets sore I usually fill up a hot water bottle and cover it with something and either put it between my legs or on the very bottom of my belly and sometimes it dulls the pain a bit. Usually it will sting when you pee if you didn't have that you're lucky but the needing the pee all of the time is torture.
The antibiotics usually work within a few days though so hopefully you're grand by now

it's always been hard for me to find a really pure crannberry juice and it takes so much of it to make a difference. so i found a crannberry supplement called AZO or something like that and it helped me. supposedly taking it on a daily basis will keep your urinary tract in good shape.

i am 99% sure i have a UTI and i cannot go to the doctor so if i drink lots of water until i can get out to the store to get cranberry juice, will that be okay?
what happens if i dont take antibiotics? i want it gone quick, what can i do?

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No that won't be ok. You need antibiotics.

yep, you need antibiotics. they do not go away on their own, and cranberry juice doesn't cure them.

I used to get them all the time... just prone to them I guess, like some women are prone to yeast infections (which I've never had). The peeing before and after sex is crucial, as is making sure you wipe front to back instead of vice versa.

There is a medication to help with the pain - Uristat. it does not cure the infection, just helps to control the pain so you're not in misery til you see your doctor. saved my arse on more than one occasion. you gotta go to the doctor tho. it'll only get worse on it's own.

Uristat:

Uristat Tablets, New Urinary Pain Relief Now Available OTC

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but when i have had them before theyve just gone away

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Cystitis tends to go away on its won with plenty of fluids and cranberry juice.
I'm unsure about other UTIs.

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how would one know the difference?

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Cystitis doesn't make you bleed (in my experience). The doctor would be able to differentiate.

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i dont think ive bled at all, i'm on my period so it'd be hard to say but i know there hasnt been blood in my urine

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Any infection will bring up your WBC and give you a fever. That should be an indicator.

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