Most of the time, UTIs go away pretty quickly—usually, symptoms stop within a couple of days, and the bacteria completely clear out after you've taken antibiotics for three to seven days, per AUA. However, there are some things you can do to help speed up the healing process.
Generally, you should see a doctor if you begin to develop UTI symptoms that go on longer than two to three days. Without treatment, a minor infection could spread to your kidneys, putting you at risk for organ damage and serious blood infections.”
Most UTIs can be cured. Bladder infection symptoms most often go away within 24 to 48 hours after treatment begins. If you have a kidney infection, it may take 1 week or longer for symptoms to go away.
An uncomplicated UTI can last seven to 10 days, says Yanina Barbalat, MD, a urologist at Beth Israel Lahey Health, but sometimes it takes up to six weeks.
If your doctor confirms that you have a simple UTI, expect symptoms to disappear within 3-10 days. If your doctor says your UTI is more severe, it may take several weeks for the infection to clear and your symptoms to disappear.
What Happens to an Untreated UTI? If your UTI goes untreated, it may progress into a more serious infection. “An untreated bladder infection can become a kidney or prostate infection. These infections are more serious, because they can travel through the blood stream causing sepsis.
Complicated UTIs can last a couple of weeks. According to the AUA, a number of different factors can determine if a UTI is complicated, including: Whether you're pregnant or post-menopausal. The cause is bacteria that are resistant to multiple drugs.
Antibiotic resistance indicates that the bacteria causing a UTI do not respond to antibiotic treatment. This occurs because repeated use of antibiotics causes bacteria to evolve. Patients with existing health issues or a high incidence of UTIs are more likely to develop antibiotic resistance.
Without treatment, symptoms of a UTI can last about a week. This can happen up to 40% of the time with a simple UTI. But it's not always possible to predict if and when a UTI will resolve on its own. It's more likely to happen in adult women with no other health problems.
Recurrent UTIs (RUTI) are mainly caused by reinfection by the same pathogen. Having frequent sexual intercourse is one of the greatest risk factors for RUTIs. In a subgroup of individuals with coexisting morbid conditions, complicated RUTIs can lead to upper tract infections or urosepsis.
When should I be worried? If you are being treated for a UTI and are not getting better, or you have symptoms of a UTI along with upset stomach and throwing up, or fever and chills, then you should call your health care provider. If you ever see blood in your urine, you should call your health care provider right away.
If a UTI comes back right after taking an antibiotic, it may be due to problems with how the drugs were taken. Or it might be because the UTI is caused by a bacterial strain that's resistant to the antibiotics. Some people also have chronic UTIs that frequently recur despite effective antibiotic therapy.
If you think you may have chronic or recurrent UTIs, it's best to get checked out by your doctor. Your provider can rule out other health issues, including bladder cancer, and get you the treatment you need to get rid of chronic UTIs.
Having a suppressed immune system or chronic health condition can make you more prone to recurring infections, including UTIs. Diabetes increases your risk for a UTI, as does having certain autoimmune diseases, neurological diseases and kidney or bladder stones.
Girls can have vaginal infections for all sorts of reasons that have nothing to do with sexual contact — such as stress, for example. Even if you're not having intercourse, fingering and oral sex can lead to infection. Ask your boyfriend to wash his hands before touching your genitals.
A persistent bladder infection can last for years in the form of a chronic urinary tract infection. For many females, the cycle of acute and symptom-free periods is never broken, and some move on to be diagnosed with the conditions mentioned above, such as Interstitial Cystitis (IC), or Painful Bladder Syndrome (PBS).
A burning feeling when you pee. A frequent or intense urge to pee, even though little comes out when you do. Cloudy, dark, bloody, or strange-smelling pee. Feeling tired or shaky.
The most common symptoms of UTIs include changes in urination such as frequency, pain, or burning; urine looks dark, cloudy, or red and smells bad; back or side pain; nausea/vomiting; and fever. Antibiotics are used to treat UTIs.
When bacteria or viruses get into your kidneys, usually through your urinary tract, they can cause a kidney infection. If you have symptoms such as pain in the sides of your lower back, fever, chills or pain while urinating (i.e., peeing), contact your doctor right away.
Painful Bladder Syndrome (PBS)
PBS is not caused by an infection, but it can feel like a urinary tract infection or UTI. Painful bladder syndrome is also referred to as bladder pain syndrome and interstitial cystitis.