Symptoms & Causes of Bladder Infection in Adults
What are the symptoms of a bladder infection?
Symptoms of a bladder infection may include
- a burning feeling when you urinate
- frequent or intense urges to urinate, even when you have little urine to pass
- pain or discomfort in the lower abdomen
- cloudy, bloody, or strong-smelling urine
Bladder infection symptoms may include pain or discomfort in the lower abdomen.When should I seek a health care professional’s help?
Contact a health care professional if you have symptoms of a bladder infection.
Bladder infections can spread to one or both kidneys. Quick treatment is important if you have symptoms of a kidney infection, such as
Kidney infections may cause severe pain and serious health problems if not treated early.
What causes a bladder infection?
Bladder infections are most often caused by bacteria. Rarely, fungi may cause a bladder infection.
Normally, the body keeps bacteria in the urinary tract in balance. Emptying your bladder, or urinating, is one way the body helps keep a healthy number of bacteria in your bladder.
This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
(NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.