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FAMILY ILLNESS
Painful urination
Pain or discomfort while urinating is usually caused by inflammation of the urinary tract, often due to infection. Frequent painless urination can be due to diabetes or kidney problems and should be investigated by your doctor. Discolored urine can accompany this type of pain but may not indicate disease( see Checking the appearance of urine, right).
START
Do you have either of the following?
Pain in the back just above the waist
A temperature of 100.4 ° F( 38 ° C) or above
Neither
Have you felt the need to urinate more frequently than usual?
Increased frequency
No increased frequency
ACTION
CALL YOUR DOCTOR NOW You may have pyelonephritis( infection of the kidneys).
• Take an analgesic such as acetaminophen.
Do you have any of the following?
Lower abdominal pain
Blood in the urine
Cloudy urine
None of the above
Checking the appearance of urine
The appearance of urine varies considerably. For example, urine is often darker in the morning than later in the day. Some drugs and foods may also cause a temporary color change in the urine. Beets, for example, may turn the urine red. A change in your urine can indicate a disorder. Very dark urine may be a sign of liver disease, such as acute hepatitis, while red or cloudy urine may be due to bleeding or an infection in the kidney or bladder.
• If you are not sure about the cause of a change in the
appearance of your urine, consult your doctor.
ACTION
SEE YOUR DOCTOR WITHIN 24 HOURS You may have cystitis.
• Take an analgesic such as acetaminophen.
• Drink 1 pint( 500 ml) of fluid every hour for 4 hours.
• Drinking cranberry juice may help relieve the burning sensation.
Are you female or male?
Female
Male