The bladder is a common site of bacterial infection of the urinary tract. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases reports that urinary tract infections prompt roughly 8.3 million doctor visits annually in the U.S. Adult women are more commonly affected than any other group, although urinary tract infections can occur in both males and females of any age. Although it is often impossible to localize the site of a urinary tract infection without extensive invasive testing, a presumptive diagnosis of bladder infection (also known as cystitis) is routinely made based on the history of the illness and the presenting symptoms.
Urinary Frequency
Bladder infections irritate the lining of the bladder, which causes an increased frequency in the urge to urinate. Because the urge to go is being triggered by bladder irritability instead of the usual signal (bladder fullness), each urination attempt typically yields little volume. In some people with cystitis, the urge to urinate can be nearly constant.
Urinary Urgency
The irritation of the bladder lining caused by bacterial infection commonly causes an overwhelming urge to urinate that can be quite difficult to delay. This symptom in children often leads to wetting accidents, which may be a parent's first clue that the child has a urinary tract infection.
Painful Urination
A characteristic burning or stinging sensation with urination is a common symptom of cystitis and difficult to ignore. The pain can be intense and often persists for several minutes after urination.
Nocturia
The combination of urinary urgency and frequency may lead to nocturia--being awakened from sleep at night by the urge to urinate. Children may sleep through the urge to urinate, resulting in nighttime wetting accidents. This can be a telltale sign in a child that was previously sleeping through the night without urinary accidents. Watch for changes in the child's daytime urinary habits to help discern if she may have an infection.
Suprapubic Pain or Discomfort
Cystitis can cause pain or a sense of uncomfortable fullness above the pubic bone. In some people, the pain may be experienced as a vague pain in the low back.
Abnormal Urine Characteristics
Cystitis often causes the urine to be cloudy and malodorous. It may contain blood, which can cause the urine to appear pinkish, red or brown.
Irritability
In infants and young children--especially those who are not yet talking or have a limited expressive vocabulary--irritability may be the most pronounced symptom alerting you that something is amiss. Look for clues such as crying while urinating, discolored urine in the diaper, and an odd or foul odor to the urine. If in doubt or if a fever develops, call your doctor.
References
- "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 16th Edition"; Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Eugene Braunwald, M.D., J. Larry Jameson, M.D., Ph.D., Dennis L. Kasper, M.D., Stephen L. Hauser, M.D., Dan L. Longo, M.D., Editors; 2004
- American Family Physician: Urinary tract infections in adults
- American Urological Association: Urinary tract infection in adults
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: Urinary tract infections in adults
- Mayo Clinic: Cystitis
