What kind of doctor for bladder infection

Talbott, most patients with UTIs see improvement within a few days of beginning treatment. Because urinary tract infections do tend to reoccur, it can be beneficial to take some steps to prevent them.

Talbott recommends emptying your bladder immediately after sexual intercourse. You can also take cranberry tablets, which are not necessarily curative, but may have some benefit in preventing infection in the first place. If you suffer from recurrent UTIs, you should speak with your physician, who might investigate further for other causes or contributors, including spermicidal agents and lower estrogen levels.

Our doctors can talk to you about your symptoms, give you a diagnosis, and if a prescription is needed, send one straight to the pharmacy of your choice. Forget waiting rooms and expensive urgent care visits! A visit with a board-certified doctor is just a few clicks away. Talbott has enjoyed being a physician since However, if you are male, under the age of 18, over the age of 65, experience recurrent UTIs, or have complications like diabetes or other diseases that contribute to a suppressed immune system, you should see your regular doctor.

All Rights Reserved. For more information, please click here. First-time infection. Symptoms often improve significantly within a day or so of antibiotic treatment. However, you'll likely need to take antibiotics for three days to a week, depending on the severity of your infection.

No matter what the length of treatment is, take the entire course of antibiotics prescribed by your doctor to ensure that the infection is completely gone. Postmenopausal women may be particularly susceptible to cystitis. As a part of your treatment, your doctor may recommend a vaginal estrogen cream — if you're able to use this medication without increasing your risk of other health problems. With interstitial cystitis, the cause of inflammation is uncertain, so there's no single treatment that works best for every case.

Therapies used to ease the signs and symptoms of interstitial cystitis include:. If you're hypersensitive to certain chemicals in products such as bubble bath or spermicides, avoiding these products may help ease symptoms and prevent further episodes of cystitis. Treatment of cystitis that develops as a complication of chemotherapy or radiation therapy focuses on pain management, usually with medications, and hydration to flush out bladder irritants.

For recurrent bladder infections, work with your doctor to develop a strategy to reduce recurrences and the discomfort that cystitis can cause. If you have signs or symptoms common to cystitis, make an appointment with your primary care provider. After an initial evaluation, you may be referred to a doctor who specializes in urinary tract disorders urologist or nephrologist.

In addition to the questions that you've prepared, don't hesitate to ask other questions during your appointment. Cystitis care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version.

Diagnosis Female cystoscopy Open pop-up dialog box Close. Female cystoscopy Cystoscopy allows your doctor to view your lower urinary tract to look for abnormalities, such as a bladder stone. Male cystoscopy Open pop-up dialog box Close. Male cystoscopy Cystoscopy allows your doctor to view your lower urinary tract to look for abnormalities in your urethra and bladder.

Treatment for IC involves trying different ways to reduce inflammation in the bladder. Some drugs may help, as well as avoiding certain "bladder-irritating" foods, including spicy foods, chocolate, alcohol and caffeine.

Different foods may make IC worse for different people. Goldberg helped me figure out what worked best for me," said Valerie. I learned I could still have chocolate! And I'm glad working with Dr. Goldberg has helped me keep my symptoms under control, finally!

I [have come] a long way since I first went to see my primary care doctor about my symptoms. I only wish I had gone to a urologist sooner! Like Valerie, many people are surprised to find that urology covers a wide range of conditions.

Urologists treat diseases and conditions in the kidneys, bladder, urinary tract and male reproductive system. Urology impacts men and women in all stages of life, from infancy to old age.

We treat cancers like bladder, kidney and prostate cancers; bladder conditions like interstitial cystitis, bladder prolapse fallen bladder ; issues of urine leakage such as stress urinary incontinence and overactive bladder; kidney stones; bedwetting and abnormalities in children's urinary tracts; erectile dysfunction; and much more. And we are surgeons. We enjoy the challenge of surgery.

But we can also get to know our patients in a clinical setting. You don't just do the surgery and then never see the patient again. We get to develop relationships with our patients. It's really a unique field. Urologists are best trained to treat any condition involving the urinary tract and the male reproductive system. Other healthcare professionals may be involved in your care-a urologist may work with an oncologist to treat prostate cancer, or with a gynecologist to treat pelvic pain in women.

However, if you have a urologic condition, the urologist will be at the head of your medical team. Sometimes a patient will be referred to a urologist by another health care professional, as Valerie was. But often people go straight to a urologist for treatment.

Your primary care doctor may be able to treat some minor urologic issues. However, if your symptoms do not go away-like in Valerie's case-it is best to see a urologist and get to the root of the problem. If you know your symptoms or condition involve the urinary tract or male reproductive system, you may choose to see a urologist as your first step.