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Urination Problems

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SYMPTOMS		DIAGNOSIS		SELF-CARE
1. Do you have pain or burning with urination?		Go to Question 7.**
2. Is your urine cloudy?		Go to Question 5.*
3. Do you have a fever and backache?		Your pain and fever may be an infection of the kidneys called PYELONEPHRITIS.		Call your doctor right away.
4. Do you have sharp, knife-like, intense pains in the back or into the groin?		You may have a KIDNEY STONE or other serious problem in the abdomen.		Contact your doctor or be seen in the emergency room right away.
		Your urine discoloration may be from a BLADDER INFECTION or possibly from a more serious problem with the KIDNEYS.		See your doctor.
*5. Are you a man, and do you have an ache under your scrotum?		You may have an INFECTION of the PROSTATE GLAND.		See your doctor.
6. Are you a man, and do you have a discharge from the tip of the penis?		These may be symptoms of an INFECTION such as URETHRITIS or of a SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE, such as GONORRHEA.		See your doctor.
**7. Do you still have the urge to urinate after just using the restroom, and are you only urinating small amounts at a time?		Your symptoms may be from an infection in the bladder, called CYSTITIS, or from an IRRITATION of the bladder from a STONE or chemical in the urine.		See your doctor.
8. Are you producing more urine than usual?		Go to Question 10.***
9. Have you been losing weight, drinking excessive fluids and/or have a history of diabetes in the family?		You may have DIABETES, a metabolic condition in which your body lacks insulin and can't use sugar.		See your doctor.
		You may be taking a medicine that can cause increased urination or you may be drinking a lot of caffeine-containing liquids.		You may want to check with your doctor.
***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.
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?		Your problem may stem from your PROSTATE GLAND, either a benign ENLARGEMENT or possibly a more serious INFECTION or CANCER.		See your doctor.
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 rarely a BLEEDING DISORDER.		See your doctor.
For more information, please consult your doctor. If you think the problem is serious, call right away.

This tool has been reviewed by doctors and is for general educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice. The information in this tool should not be relied upon to make decisions about your health. Always consult your family doctor with questions about your individual condition(s) and/or circumstances. Source: American Academy of Family Physicians. Family Health & Medical Guide. Dallas: Word Publishing; 1996.

Copyright © 2006 American Academy of Family Physicians