cystitis

A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that affects a part of the urinary tract, which includes the bladder, urethra and the kidney. Lower UTIs affect the bladder (cystitis) or urethra while upper UTIs affect the kidney (pyelonephritis). Symptoms from a lower UTI include burning or pain during urination, pain in the lower abdomen and the urge to urinate even when the bladder is empty. Symptoms of a kidney infection are more systemic and include fever or flank pain, usually in addition to the symptoms of a lower UTI. Rarely, the urine may appear bloody. Symptoms may be less clear in very young or old people.