What is a bladder infection?

A bladder infection is a urinary tract infection (UTI), most often caused by bacteria. Women's anatomy (a shorter urethra) makes infection more common. You may experience:

  • Burning or pain when urinating.
  • Frequent need to urinate, including at night.
  • A sudden, urgent need to urinate.
  • Cloudy urine, possibly with dark streaks.
  • Pain in the lower abdomen.
  • Fever or chills.

What to do

  1. Drink plenty of fluids. Urine should be pale. This helps flush out bacteria.
  2. Avoid coffee, alcohol and fruit juices — they irritate the bladder.
  3. Paracetamol relieves pain and reduces fever. Follow the package instructions.
  4. Rest.
  5. If you are a young, otherwise healthy adult with no chronic conditions, and your symptoms are not accompanied by blood in the urine, high fever, or other warning signs, we may in certain cases issue antibiotic treatment without additional tests or a consultation — please contact us preferably via the e-patient portal.

Prevention

  • Wipe from front to back (not back to front) when using the toilet.
  • Keep the genital area clean and dry.
  • Drink enough fluids.
  • Urinate as soon as possible after sexual intercourse.
  • Cranberry products (juice, capsules) may help reduce the risk of recurrent UTIs in women.

What to avoid

  • Avoid coffee, alcohol and fizzy drinks — they irritate the bladder.
  • Do not wait more than 48 hours if symptoms do not improve after starting self-treatment.

When to contact us

Contact us if any of the following apply:

  • Symptoms do not improve within 48 hours.
  • You are pregnant.
  • Bladder infections recur (twice in 6 months, or three times in 12 months).
  • Blood in the urine.
  • Pain in the lower back, just below the ribs (kidney area).
  • You are 65 or older.
  • Your immune system is weakened (e.g. diabetes).

When to call 1220 or 112

See also: Where to seek help.

1220 — GP advice line (daily until 22:00, Estonian only)
  • High fever with severe shivering and sweating episodes.
  • Symptoms worsening rapidly.
112 — call immediately
  • Confusion, drowsiness, difficulty speaking — this may be sepsis (blood poisoning). Call immediately.

Sources

NHS.uk — Urinary tract infections (UTIs). Page last reviewed: current.

Williams G, Craig JC. Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2023; CD001321. (50 RCTs, 8,857 participants; moderate certainty evidence.)

Contains adapted NHS.uk material under Open Government Licence v3.0. Original material: © Crown copyright.