Urgent Care Support Options For Bladder Infection Symptoms

Bladder infection (urinary tract infection) symptoms may include urinary urgency, burning, and only voiding small amounts of urine. Urine that is cloudy, has a strong odor, or contains blood may also indicate a bladder infection. Other symptoms may include fever, lower back pain, nausea, and fatigue, While these signs and symptoms may be present if you have a bladder infection, other causes need to be ruled out. Here are some things you can expect from your urgent care visit if you have bladder infection symptoms. 

Urine Dipstick Test

After the urgent care staff has taken your vital signs and assessed your general state of health, they will ask you for a urine sample. A test strip will be dipped into the specimen to evaluate the urine for blood, bacteria, white blood cells, protein, albumin, and other urine components.

If any component is elevated, a bladder infection diagnosis may be confirmed. If, however, your urine dipstick test is negative, the urgent care physician may recommend further testing to determine the source of your signs and symptoms. While further testing can be performed at the urgent care center, the physician may refer you to your primary care doctor for further diagnostic tests and recommended treatment.

Prescription And Discharge Instructions

If you had a positive dipstick test that revealed a bacterial bladder infection, the clinic healthcare provider may prescribe antibiotics. Further, before the provider discharges you to go home, they will give you an instruction sheet. The sheet may list certain interventions such as drinking plenty of water to help flush out toxins so that your bladder infection clears faster. While some people experience symptomatic relief from drinking cranberry juice, others may not notice any improvement in their symptoms from this remedy.

Your instructions may also advise you to contact your primary care physician if your symptoms get worse or if you experience side effects from your antibiotics. Certain antibiotics can upset your stomach or cause diarrhea. Your doctor may advise you to eat a couple of tablespoons of yogurt an hour or so prior to taking your antibiotics because yogurt contains beneficial live cultures that can help prevent antibiotic-related gastrointestinal symptoms.

If you develop any of the above signs or symptoms of a urinary tract infection, seek urgent care services. When bladder infections are diagnosed and treated while in their early stages, they may be less likely to worsen or spread to your kidneys.

For more information, visit an urgent care clinic.