Urinary tract infections are common as well as painful, and the first time you have one, you may not know that a UTI is what you have. This article will tell you some of the key telltale symptoms of a UTI.

The most significant urinary tract infection symptom is a sharp pain before, during, and after urination. The pain is perhaps best described with the word “excruciating”. In reality, it is a severe tingling, burning sensation. The urine coming out seems warmer than usual, and you may feel like that it’s cutting you as it leaves your body. This is a very crude description of what an actual case of UTI feels like, and its intensity varies on a case by case basis. The pain might temporarily ease up right after urination, but will come back soon after.

You feel the need to urinate every few minutes, but little or even no urine actually comes out. And you might feel that you haven’t expelled all the urine in the bladder. Sometimes the urgency is so great that you lose control of the bladder. In severe cases, your urine may contain blood. And the worst part is that even when you are not urinating, the pain does not go away. UTI’s are typically accompanied by other persistent symptoms, including lower abdomen pain and fever, not to mention the lingering pain in the urinary region.

These symptoms are enough to keep many patients permanently on the toilet. I practically lived in my bathroom on the day I first got a UTI and had no idea what I did to deserve it. Even sitting down or lying down to rest did not help. I was a freshman in college at the time, and missed school for two days. Those are the two longest days of my life. Many others report similar experiences.

You should see a health professional immediately if you think you might have a urinary tract infection, because if it is left untreated, the infection can progress to your kidneys. Kidney infections are much more serious, can cause permanent damage, and even be fatal.