The symptoms of a UTI are pretty distinct. Once you've had one UTI, it's pretty easy to tell when you have another one or when another one is coming on. As such, it's often reasonable to have a virtual visit with your doctor when you suspect you have a UTI. Doing so will save you the time and hassle of driving to your doctor's office for what's usually a pretty simple visit. However, if you do opt for a virtual visit for your UTI, there are a couple of tips to follow.

Be specific when describing your symptoms.

To you, it is probably obvious that your symptoms indicate a UTI. A brief run-down of your symptoms will probably convince your doctor that you do, indeed, have a UTI. However, your doctor is trying to determine a bit more than whether or not you have a UTI. They're trying to get an idea of how serious the UTI may be, how far up the urinary tract the bacteria have traveled, and whether there is any concern of the infection spreading.

The more detail you share about your symptoms, the better able your doctor will be to make these determinations. For example, if you share that you have pain in your pelvis and that sometimes it shoots to your back, this may alert your doctor to the possibility that the infection has spread to your kidneys. Detail is especially important during a virtual visit when your doctor can't directly physically examine you.

Keep a urine sample in preparation.

As gross as it might sound, you may need to collect a urine sample prior to your virtual visit if your doctor asks for one. While your doctor won't be analyzing it in the lab, they can learn a lot about your infection simply by looking at your urine sample via the camera. If your urine is cloudy, has a little blood in it, is really dark, or is really clear, this can help the doctor get an idea of how severe your infection is and how far it has spread. Urinate into a clear container. Do try to collect the sample as close to your appointment time as possible.

A virtual visit, in most cases, is sufficient for diagnosing a UTI. If you follow the advice above, you should have a productive virtual visit with your doctor.

Contact your doctor if you have additional questions about virtual UTI treatment.