Which associated symptoms might indicate a urinary tract infection (UTI)?

Frequency and urgency are hallmark symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI). When the urinary tract is infected, the body's response is often to increase the need to urinate and the sensation of having to urinate urgently, even if little urine is produced. This is due to the inflammation and irritation of the bladder lining caused by the infection, leading to these characteristic symptoms.

In normal circumstances, urgency indicates that the body is signaling a need to void, but with a UTI, this urgency can become exaggerated and can be accompanied by pain or burning during urination, further pointing to an infection in the urinary system. Therefore, frequency and urgency are key indicators that healthcare professionals assess when suspecting a UTI. Other potential symptoms may include pain in the lower abdomen or back, but the presence of frequency and urgency is particularly significant in the diagnosis of a UTI.