Womens Health, Fitness, Weight Loss, Beauty and More

Home Test for Urinary Tract Infections

Test Overview

You can buy dipstick test kits without a doctor’s order (nonprescription) to use at home to check for urinary tract infections (UTIs). Talk to your doctor about using a test kit. Make sure that your doctor knows about any abnormal test results, so that a urinary problem is not missed.

The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, bladder, ureters, and urethra. Urine in the bladder normally is sterile—it does not contain any bacteria or other organisms (such as fungi). But bacteria can enter the urethra during urination.

Urinary tract infections are more common in women and girls than in men. This may be partly because the female urethra is shorter and closer to the anus, which allows bacteria from the intestines to come into contact more easily with the urethra. (See a picture of the female urinary tract.) Men also have an antibacterial substance in their prostate gland that reduces their risk.

The dipstick test kit contains specially treated plastic strips (dipsticks) that you hold in your urine stream or dip into a sample of your urine. The strips test for a substance (called nitrite) produced by most urinary tract infections. Certain types of strips also test for white blood cells (leukocytes). Some types of dipsticks can test for both nitrite and leukocytes, but most types test for only one or the other. An area on the end of the strip changes color if you have an infection.

Most urinary tract infections can be easily cured with antibiotics. But an untreated infection may spread to the kidneys and cause a more serious problem. If you use a home test kit, make sure that your doctor knows about any abnormal test results, so that a serious problem is not missed.

Pelvic floor (Kegel) exercises for urinary incontinence in women

Treatment Overview

Exercises that strengthen the pelvic muscles involved in urination are used to treat both stress incontinence and urge incontinence. Pelvic floor (Kegel) exercises are done as follows:

Identify the pelvic floor muscles involved by purposely stopping the flow of urine in midstream and then allowing the urine to flow again, or by trying to prevent passing gas. These are the muscles that squeeze the urethra and anus.
Remembering what it felt like to control these muscles during urination or in trying to prevent passing gas, try to contract them without urinating. If your stomach muscles tighten, your pelvic muscles are not being exercised correctly.
Tighten your pelvic muscles for 3 seconds and then relax them for 3 seconds.
Repeat the Kegel exercises 10 to 15 times per session, and do at least 3 sessions per day.
Kegel exercises can be performed while traveling, at work, or at odd moments during the day. No one will be aware that you are doing the exercises, so you can repeat them frequently.

Kegel exercises are often combined with biofeedback techniques to teach the proper exercise methods and to maintain exercise effectiveness. Biofeedback allows you to see, feel, or hear when an exercise is being performed correctly. This can be done by placing a finger in your vagina or anus to feel it contract when the pelvic muscles are exercised.

More elaborate devices can also be used that measure the pressure of the bladder and abdominal muscles or provide a measurement of the pressure within the vagina.

Another exercise technique involves using a weighted cone that is inserted into the vagina. You must contract the pelvic muscles to prevent the cone from dropping out of the vagina. A set of cones identical in size and shape but of increasing weight are provided. As treatment progresses, heavier cones are used that require stronger contractions to keep them in place.

What To Expect After Treatment

Kegel exercises can be done throughout your life.

Why It Is Done

Kegel exercises may be used to treat stress incontinence or urge incontinence.

How Well It Works

Kegel exercises improve or cure urinary incontinence in nearly 80% of those who use them.1 By using biofeedback, this success rate can be increased.

Risks

Kegel exercises do not pose any risks to a woman’s health.

What To Think About

Kegel exercises require a high level of motivation and frequent repetition to be successful.

Medical history and physical examination for urinary incontinence in women

Exam Overview

A medical history is the most important part of the examination for urinary incontinence. During the medical history, your health professional will ask you to describe:

How long you have had incontinence.
What, if anything, you are doing (laughing, sneezing, coughing) when you experience incontinence.
How often you have the problem and how much urine you lose.
Risk factors you may have that could lead to incontinence.
Your eating habits.
Your bowel habits, to determine whether chronic constipation may be contributing to incontinence.
Prescription and nonprescription medications you take.
Treatments for previous problems affecting your urinary or reproductive tract.
Your use of pads or other protective devices to control urine leakage.
The health professional will ask questions about your general health. To determine the cause of your incontinence, he or she will ask specific questions about your urinary and reproductive tracts, your intestines, and your nervous system.

Symptoms and conditions that are often related to incontinence will also be investigated, such as:

A need to urinate frequently.
A sudden, strong urge to urinate.
Inability to urinate.
A blocked urine stream.
Leakage of urine while sleeping.
Possible urinary tract infection.
A physical examination involves an abdominal, rectal, and pelvic examination. The examination includes:

Looking for growths, such as tumors, in the pelvic area.
Checking the pelvic muscle tone.
Checking that the bladder has not dropped out of its proper position and that it is not pressing on the vaginal wall.
Checking the nervous system to see if a problem is causing muscle weakness or loss of reflexes.
Why It Is Done

A medical history and physical examination are done for everyone who sees a health professional about urinary incontinence.

Results

Normal
No growths or physical abnormalities are found.
The pelvic organs (uterus and bladder) have not dropped from their normal position.
Pelvic muscle tone is firm.
No abnormal muscle weakness, or reflex loss is due to a nerve problem.
Constipation or a hard stool is not present.
Abnormal
Pain or discomfort occurs when the doctor presses on the back or abdomen. (This may suggest a urinary tract infection. Urinalysis and urine culture may be needed.)
Growths or abnormalities that may be blocking the urinary tract are detected during the pelvic or rectal examination. Ultrasound or computerized tomography (CT scan) may be recommended.
Pelvic muscle tone is weak, which may be a factor in stress incontinence. A bladder stress test or pad test may be needed. (For more information, see the Exams and Tests section of the topic Urinary Incontinence in Women.)
Other areas of the body, in addition to the urinary tract, show a loss of muscle control or signs of Parkinson’s disease or stroke. Referral to a neurologist may be needed. (For more information, see the topic Parkinson’s Disease or Stroke.)
What To Think About

The medical history is important and can determine some causes of incontinence.

Be certain to tell the health professional about all prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking.

The physical examination can find structural abnormalities of the urinary tract that may be causing or contributing to incontinence. Findings from the physical examination help determine whether further testing is needed.