SYMPTOMS |
| DIAGNOSIS |
| SELF-CARE |
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1. Do you have pain or burning with urination? | | Go to Question 7.** |
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2. Is your urine cloudy? | | Go to Question 5.* |
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3. Do you have a fever and/or backache? | | Pain and fever may be caused by an infection of the kidneys called PYELONEPHRITIS. | | See your doctor right away. |
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4. Do you have sharp, knife-like, intense pains in your back or groin? | | You may have a KIDNEY STONE or another serious problem. | | EMERGENCY
See your doctor or go to the emergency room right away. |
| You may have a BLADDER INFECTION or a more serious problem with the KIDNEYS. | | See your doctor right away. Left untreated, problems with your kidneys may cause blood poisoning. |
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*5. Are you a man, and do you have an ache under your scrotum? | | You may have PROSTATITIS, an infection of the prostate gland. | | See your doctor. |
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6. Are you a man, and do you have a discharge from the tip of your penis? | | These may be symptoms of an INFECTION such as URETHRITIS or a SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTION, such as GONORRHEA. | | See your doctor right away. |
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**7. Do you have the urge to urinate after just using the restroom, and are you only urinating small amounts at a time? | | Your symptoms may be caused by an infection in the bladder, called CYSTITIS, or from an irritation of the bladder, called INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS, or from a KIDNEY STONE stuck in the bladder, or a chemical in the urine. | | See your doctor. |
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8. Are you producing more urine than usual? | | Go to Question 10.*** |
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9. Have you been losing weight, drinking lots of fluids and/or have a history of diabetes in the family? | | You may have DIABETES, a condition in which your body lacks insulin or doesn't use it in the right way. | | See your doctor. |
| You may be taking a medicine that can cause increased urination. Drinking liquids containing caffeine can also cause increased urination. | | You may want to check with your doctor. If you drink caffeinated beverages, try decreasing the amount you drink. |
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***10. Are you a woman, and do you leak urine when you cough or sneeze? | | Your symptoms may be from a weakness in the bladder due to childbirth or aging. This weakness causes STRESS INCONTINENCE. | | Absorbent protection may be helpful. Kegel exercises may help strengthen muscles that support the bladder. See your doctor. |
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11. Are you a man, and do you leak or dribble urine after you urinate, or do you have problems starting the urine stream, or do you wake many times at night to urinate? | | You may have a problem with your PROSTATE GLAND. Your symptoms may be caused by a benign (non-cancerous) ENLARGEMENT or a more serious condition such as INFECTION or CANCER. | | See your doctor. |
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12. Do you have blood in your urine? | | You may have a KIDNEY STONE, a TUMOR in the kidney or bladder, a BLADDER INFECTION, TRAUMA to your kidney, or possibly a BLEEDING DISORDER. | | See your doctor right away. |
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For more information, please talk to your doctor. If you think the problem is serious, call your doctor right away. |
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