1. Take the UTI Quiz
2. Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Slideshow Pictures
3. Urinary Incontinence in Women Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Siamak T. Nabili, MD, MPH

Siamak T. Nabili, MD, MPH

Dr. Nabili received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), majoring in chemistry and biochemistry. He then completed his graduate degree at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His graduate training included a specialized fellowship in public health where his research focused on environmental health and health-care delivery and management.

View Full Profile

Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

View Full Profile

In this Article

• What is a bladder infection?
• What causes bladder infections?
• What are some risk factors for bladder infection?
• What are the signs and symptoms of a bladder infection in women?
• What are the signs and symptoms of a bladder infection in men?
• What are the signs and symptoms of a bladder infection in children?
• How is a bladder infection diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for a bladder infection?
• Are home remedies effective for a bladder infection?
• How is a bladder infection during pregnancy treated?
• What are potential complications of a bladder infection?
• Can bladder infections be prevented?
• What is the prognosis for a bladder infection?
• Patient Comments: Bladder Infection - Children
• Patient Comments: Bladder Infection - Symptoms
• Find a local Doctor in your town
• Bladder Infection Index

Bladder infection can be treated and cured by appropriate use of antibiotics. The selection and duration of antibiotic treatment depends on severity of the infection, previous history of similar infection, and patient factors (age, gender, allergies, other medications, other medical problems). The treating physician generally decides what antibiotics would work best for each individual patient by thoroughly examining the patient and considering the aforementioned factors.

Self-medication for bladder infection is occasionally an option in patients with mild, recurrent infections. In reliable and compliant individuals who are familiar with the symptoms of frequent bladder infections, appropriate bladder infection antibiotics can be prescribed to them in advance by their treating physicians. The bladder infection medication may then be started by the patient on their own at the onset of their symptoms.

Bladder muscle spasm and bladder inflammation are responsible for some of the symptoms associated with bladder infection such as, bladder pain and dysuria. Pyridium (phenazopyridine) is a medication often used to treat symptoms of painful urination due to bladder infection.

Cranberry products have been known to prevent bladder infections to some degree, although it is not advised to use them in lieu of antibiotics for treating an infection.

Adhering to the prescribed antibiotic regimen and staying well hydrated are essential components of home remedy for bladder infection.