UTI Treatment Online in the UK: Urine Infections and More

It starts as a tingle. By the afternoon it burns every time you wee, you've been to the loo 6 times since lunch, and each time barely anything comes out. You can't concentrate at work, and you're dreading the night because you know you'll be up and down until morning.

That's a urine infection, and it's one of the most miserable everyday problems there is. If you've ever spent a day ringing round trying to get an appointment while it gets worse, UTI treatment online can save you that day. I'm now a prescriber, so in one 20-minute appointment, by video call from anywhere in the UK, we can work out what's going on and, if it's right for you, I can prescribe treatment.

The same appointment covers the other things that need a clinician but shouldn't mean a long wait: a sore throat or earache that won't settle, an infected cut or bite, a rash, thrush, cold sores, shingles and hay fever.

How do I know if it's a urine infection?

The usual signs are burning or stinging when you wee, needing to go more often and feeling you can't wait, and only passing a little each time. Many people also notice cloudy or strong-smelling urine, or an ache low down in their tummy.

A UTI (urinary tract infection) is an infection somewhere in the system that makes and stores urine. Most of the time it's in the bladder, which is what people usually mean by cystitis. Urine infections are far more common in women, because the tube from the bladder is shorter, but men get them too.

If you also have a high temperature, shivers, pain in your back or side, or you're being sick, the infection may have reached your kidneys. That needs to be checked the same day, and straight away if you feel very unwell, so don't wait for it to settle.

Can I get UTI treatment online in the UK?

Yes. You can book a 20-minute Minor Ailments Consultation by video call from anywhere in the UK, and if treatment is right for you, it can be prescribed in the same appointment.

We go through your symptoms, how long you've had them, whether this has happened before, any medicines you take and anything that might change what's safe for you. Then we agree what will help. If you'd rather come in, you can see me in the clinic in Milton Keynes instead.

If your prescription is approved before 4pm, it's usually with you the next working day.

Does every urine infection need antibiotics?

No. Some mild urine infections clear up on their own within about a week, and for others treatment makes a real difference. Whether you need it is something we decide together.

If you're a woman with mild symptoms and you're otherwise well, you might choose to wait a day or 2 and manage the discomfort at home first. For men, starting treatment straight away is usually the better choice. Many women would rather start straight away too, especially if they've had a urine infection before and know how quickly it can get worse. Either way, you'll know what to watch for.

While it settles, drink enough to keep your wee pale, take simple painkillers if they're safe for you, and rest if you can.

How quickly will I feel better?

Many people feel the burning ease within 2 or 3 days of starting treatment. If you've been prescribed a course, finish it even when you feel better, unless you've been told otherwise.

If your symptoms haven't started to improve within 2 days of starting treatment, or they come back soon after you finish, get back in touch so we can look at it again. Sometimes it's a different infection, and sometimes it isn't an infection at all.

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Blood tests you can order and do from home

Why do I keep getting urine infections?

For some people urine infections keep coming back, usually counted as 2 or more in 6 months, or 3 or more in a year. There's often a reason, and finding it can lower the chance of the next one.

Many people find they follow sex, a few days of not drinking much, or a spell of constipation. After menopause, lower oestrogen changes the tissue around the bladder and vagina, which makes infections more likely. Low-dose vaginal oestrogen, which is body-identical, can lower the chance of them coming back, and it's something we can talk about if it applies to you.

High blood sugar is another reason infections, including thrush, keep returning, and it often goes unnoticed for years. A blood test answers that question. If urine infections are a regular part of your life, book an appointment and we'll go through what might be behind them, rather than treating each one as it comes.

What else can a Minor Ailments Consultation help with?

The same 20-minute appointment covers sore throats, earache and sinus pain, skin infections, rashes and eczema flares, thrush, cold sores, shingles, conjunctivitis and hay fever.

Sore throat, earache and sinus pain

Most sore throats are caused by viruses and get better within about a week. We go through a few quick questions, such as whether you have a temperature and whether you've had a cough, to work out whether treatment for an infection is likely to help. Ear infections usually settle within 3 days to a week, and sinus pain can drag on for 2 to 3 weeks. If yours isn't following that pattern, or it's keeping you awake, book in.

Skin infections, bites and rashes

Crusty, golden sores around the nose and mouth can be impetigo, which spreads easily. A cut or insect bite that's red, hot, swollen and spreading may be infected. Itchy rashes, an eczema flare that your usual routine isn't calming, and hives are all things we can help with.

Thrush

Itching, soreness and a thick white discharge are the usual signs, and men can get it too, with a red, sore rash on the head of the penis. If you get thrush 4 or more times a year, there's usually a reason, and we'll look for it with you.

Cold sores and shingles

Cold sore treatment works best if it starts at the first tingle, before the blister appears. Shingles is a painful, blistering rash in a band on one side of your body, and treatment works best if it starts within 3 days of the rash appearing, so don't wait to see if it settles. If the rash is on your face near your eye, it needs to be checked the same day.

Hay fever and sore, sticky eyes

Sneezing, a streaming nose and itchy, watery eyes that the shop-bought options aren't touching can often be helped with stronger treatment. Sore, red, sticky eyes can be conjunctivitis, which often clears on its own, though some people need treatment.

Who can book a Minor Ailments Consultation?

Anyone aged 18 and over, and in some cases children aged 5 and over, with a parent or guardian booking and staying for the whole appointment.

This appointment isn't for you if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, because what's safe changes and needs a different conversation.

How to book

Book a Minor Ailments Consultation, 20 minutes, online by video call anywhere in the UK, or in the clinic in Milton Keynes. You can read more on the minor ailments page, or see every appointment on the Book online page.

Before your appointment, note when your symptoms started, what you've tried, and the medicines and supplements you take. Whether a prescription is right depends on your symptoms, your health and what you want, and we decide it together.

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Debora Tentis, Women's Health Pharmacist Prescriber.