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HomeKnowledge CenterWellness LibraryHome Test for Urinary Tract Infections
Test Overview
You can buy a home urinary tract infection (UTI) test kit. They are available without a prescription at a drugstore or online.
The home test kit contains specially treated test strips.You hold them in your urine stream or dip them in a sample of your urine. The strips check for nitrites and leukocytes produced by most UTIs. Some tests also show the pH of the urine, which can be another sign. Each type of test kit will have a label showing what is being checked. The test strip has areas that will change color after being in contact with urine. This can show if you have signs of a UTI.
Most UTIs are easy to cure 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. And if your test doesn't show that you have a UTI but you are having symptoms, call your doctor. The results of a home test kit are usually accurate, but they can miss an infection. Sometimes another test, called a urine culture, is needed.
Why It Is Done
Why It Is Done
A home test for urinary tract infection (UTI) may be done to:
Find a UTI, especially in people who have UTIs often.
Check how well treatment of a UTI is working. If you are being treated for a UTI, you can test your urine at home to see if the antibiotics have cured the infection.
Test young children who have frequent bladder infections but may not be able to report their symptoms. A home test for these children is done under a doctor's care.
How To Prepare
How To Prepare
A urinary tract infection (UTI) test kit usually contains a clean collection cup, special plastic dipsticks, and instructions that explain how to perform the test. You will need a clock that measures time in seconds. You will also need wipes or towelettes to clean your genital area before you collect a urine sample.
How It Is Done
How It Is Done
Check the expiration date on the package. Do not use a test kit after its expiration date. The chemicals in the kit may not work as they should after that date.
Carefully read the instructions that come with your test before you do the test.
Follow the step-by-step directions.
Compare your test strip with the colors provided with the test kit.
How It Feels
How It Feels
This test usually doesn't cause any pain or discomfort.
Collecting a urine sample does not cause problems. A home test may not be as accurate as tests done in a doctor's office or a hospital.
Results
Results
Results from test strips are ready right away.
Home test for urinary tract infections
Normal:
Nitrite test strip:
No nitrite is found in the urine. Normal results are called negative.
Leukocyte test strip:
No white blood cells (leukocytes) are found in the urine. Normal results are called negative.
Abnormal:
Nitrite test strip:
Nitrite is found in the urine. These results are called positive.
Leukocyte test strip:
White blood cells (leukocytes) are found in the urine. These results are called positive.
Some test kits also check the urine pH. Use the test result instructions that come with your kit. Your test results might show if your urine pH is in the range where a UTI is likely.
Call your doctor if the test result is positive. And if you are having symptoms of a UTI, such as a burning sensation when urinating or blood in your urine, call your doctor even if the test results are negative. Sometimes other tests are needed.
Current as of: November 15, 2023
Author: Healthwise Staff
Clinical Review Board All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.
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You can buy over-the-counter UTI dipstick tests at your local pharmacy or online. They work much like a pregnancy test: Each kit comes with a testing strip (usually three to a kit). You wet a test strip by holding it in your urine stream for a few seconds.
You can buy a home urinary tract infection (UTI) test kit. They are available without a prescription at a drugstore or online. The home test kit contains specially treated test strips. You hold them in your urine stream or dip them in a sample of your urine.
The SELFCheck Urine Infection Test kit detects three key markers of a urine infection in your urine; protein, white blood cells and nitrites. Symptoms of a urine infection can differ depending on whereabout in the urinary tract the infection affects.
The test strip is immersed in a fresh early morning urine sample ensuring that all three test pads are covered by the urine; the test strip is then removed from the sample and held vertically to drain excess urine.
If you continue to have UTI symptoms even though your test result is negative, it's important to contact a medical professional for further advice. Research shows that the standard dipstick UTI tests are not reliable to rule out a UTI.
What is the fastest way a UTI can go away? Antibiotics quickly clear up a UTI, typically within three days for females and seven to 14 days for males. Your symptoms may go away within 24–48 hours of starting antibiotics.1 Make sure you finish all antibiotics, even if you feel better before that.
Treating a urinary tract infection early is the key to fast UTI relief and preventing more serious problems. With AZO Test Strips, you can take a UTI test at home safely and simply, then call your doctor with the results. The same type of UTI tests that most doctors use to diagnose a UTI.
Sometimes a UTI will go away on its own. Most people will need antibiotics. Some people may be prescribed a 'delayed antibiotic', meaning they'll be asked only to use it if their symptoms don't go away after a certain amount of time.
At-home UTI testing is one method of detecting a urinary tract infection. Also called a urine dipstick, this test involves dipping a test strip into a sample of urine to check for substances that are often present when you have a urinary tract infection.
Introduction: My name is Nicola Considine CPA, I am a determined, witty, powerful, brainy, open, smiling, proud person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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