Kidney infections, bladder infections, pulled back muscles, appendicitis, diverticulitis, gallbladder attacks, ovarian cysts or torsion, ectopic pregnancy, testicular torsion, shingles and an abdominal aortic aneurysm can all feel like a kidney stone. Stone pain starts in the side or back below the ribs, comes in waves, spreads toward the groin and won’t let you sit…

Early kidney disease usually causes no symptoms, so the first signs are most often found on tests: protein (albumin) in the urine or a falling eGFR on a blood test. When symptoms do show up early, they tend to be foamy urine, puffy eyes, swollen ankles, peeing more at night and blood pressure that’s hard…

Bilirubin shouldn’t show up on a urine test. When it does, called bilirubinuria, it means a form of bilirubin made by the liver is building up in the blood, most often because of liver disease or a blocked bile duct. It can appear before yellow skin or eyes do. Any positive result needs a liver…

A UTI test checks a urine sample for signs of infection. Home strips test for nitrite and white blood cells (leukocytes) in 1 to 2 minutes. A clinic urinalysis adds a look under the microscope. A urine culture confirms the infection and names the bacteria and the antibiotics that work, usually in 1 to 3…

Repeat UTIs are common, and they’re rarely a sign of poor hygiene. Most are new infections from your own gut bacteria. The usual causes are sex, spermicide, menopause, a bladder that doesn’t empty fully, family history and conditions like diabetes or stones. Two UTIs in 6 months or three in a year deserve a urine…

A simple bladder infection usually starts to ease within 1 to 2 days of starting an antibiotic, and most people are symptom-free within a week. Without antibiotics, about a third of women feel better within 7 to 10 days, but many don’t, and a few get a kidney infection. Kidney infections take longer. Get care…

Bacteria in urine, called bacteriuria, can mean three different things: a urinary tract infection (UTI), harmless bacteria living in the bladder, or a sample that picked up bacteria from the skin. Your symptoms decide which one it is. If you feel fine, you usually don’t need antibiotics. The main exceptions are pregnancy and some urology…

The fastest way to get rid of a UTI is to start an antibiotic the same day, through telehealth, urgent care or your own doctor. While you wait, phenazopyridine (AZO), a warm heating pad, ibuprofen and water can ease the burning within hours. Most people feel much better 24 to 48 hours after the first…