Comprehensive Symptom Navigator

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) (e.g., Chlamydia, Gonorrhea)

Symptoms:
painful urination; abnormal genital discharge; pelvic pain; bleeding between periods; testicular pain (in men)

Root Cause:
Infections caused by sexually transmitted bacteria (e.g., Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae).

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) on urine or swabs.

Treatment:
Antibiotics tailored to the specific pathogen.

Medications:
Azithromycin or doxycycline for chlamydia; ceftriaxone plus azithromycin or doxycycline for gonorrhea.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Very common; chlamydia is the most reported bacterial STI worldwide.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Unprotected sex, multiple partners, previous STIs.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with prompt treatment; untreated cases may lead to complications.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, ectopic pregnancy, epididymitis.

Cystitis

Specialty: Internal Medicine

Category: Genitourinary and Reproductive Health

Symptoms:
painful urination; frequent urination; pelvic discomfort; cloudy or foul-smelling urine; blood in urine

Root Cause:
Inflammation of the bladder, usually caused by bacterial infection (most commonly Escherichia coli).

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Urinalysis, urine culture.

Treatment:
Antibiotics, hydration, pain relief.

Medications:
Nitrofurantoin , trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, fosfomycin .

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common, especially in women; affects up to 50% at least once in their lifetime.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Female anatomy, sexual activity, urinary catheter use.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent with treatment.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Recurrent infections, pyelonephritis, chronic bladder inflammation.

Kidney Infections (Pyelonephritis)

Specialty: Internal Medicine

Category: Genitourinary and Reproductive Health

Symptoms:
fever; flank pain; nausea; vomiting; chills; painful urination; cloudy or foul-smelling urine

Root Cause:
Bacterial infection ascending from the bladder to the kidneys.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Urinalysis, urine culture, imaging (e.g., CT or ultrasound for severe cases).

Treatment:
Antibiotics, hydration, hospitalization in severe cases.

Medications:
Ciprofloxacin , ceftriaxone , trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects 1–2% of women annually; less common in men.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
UTIs, kidney stones, diabetes, urinary obstruction.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with prompt treatment.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Sepsis, kidney damage, abscess formation.

Urethral and Bladder Injuries

Specialty: Trauma and Injuries

Category: Pelvic Injuries

Symptoms:
painful urination; blood in the urine; difficulty urinating; lower abdominal pain; swelling or bruising around the pelvic area; urinary retention

Root Cause:
Trauma to the urethra or bladder, typically caused by blunt or penetrating abdominal/pelvic trauma, including car accidents, falls, or fractures in the pelvic region.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Diagnosis is based on physical examination, imaging studies such as CT scans or MRI, and cystography (x-ray imaging with contrast) to assess the injury to the bladder and urethra.

Treatment:
Treatment may involve catheterization, surgical repair, and in some cases, bladder diversion or reconstruction. Immediate care focuses on stabilizing the patient and managing urinary retention or leakage.

Medications:
Antibiotics to prevent or treat infection (such as ceftriaxone , a third-generation cephalosporin), pain relievers (acetaminophen , opioids for severe pain), and antispasmodics (such as oxybutynin ) to manage bladder spasms. These medications fall under classifications of antibiotics, analgesics, and anticholinergics.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Urethral and bladder injuries are relatively rare but can occur in about 10-15% of pelvic fractures. Males are more commonly affected due to anatomical differences.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
High-risk activities such as motor vehicle accidents, falls, sports injuries, and certain surgical procedures. Men are at higher risk due to their longer urethra, and individuals with pelvic fractures are more likely to sustain these injuries.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
With prompt and appropriate treatment, most individuals recover with minimal long-term complications. However, delayed treatment can lead to chronic incontinence, erectile dysfunction, or urinary tract infections.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Long-term complications can include erectile dysfunction, chronic pain, urinary incontinence, bladder dysfunction, infections, and in severe cases, renal failure due to obstruction or infection.

Struvite Stones

Specialty: Nephrology

Category: Kidney Stones and Urologic Disorders

Sub-category: Nephrolithiasis (Kidney Stones)

Symptoms:
pain in the side, lower back, or pelvis; fever and chills; hematuria; cloudy urine; painful urination

Root Cause:
Formed in alkaline urine due to infections with urease-producing bacteria (e.g., Proteus mirabilis), which break down urea into ammonia.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Imaging studies like X-rays or CT scans to detect large, branched stones (staghorn calculi); urine culture to identify causative bacteria.

Treatment:
Treating the underlying infection with antibiotics, surgical removal of stones (e.g., percutaneous nephrolithotomy), and prevention with long-term urinary acidification.

Medications:
Antibiotics (e.g., ciprofloxacin , amoxicillin-clavulanate) to treat infection; acetohydroxamic acid (urease inhibitor) to prevent stone recurrence.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Less common, accounting for about 10–15% of kidney stones; more frequent in women with recurrent urinary tract infections.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Recurrent UTIs, urinary stasis, indwelling catheters, neurogenic bladder, and certain metabolic conditions.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Requires prompt treatment to prevent complications; good prognosis with successful stone removal and infection control.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Kidney infections, sepsis, renal damage, and loss of kidney function in severe cases.

Pyelonephritis (Acute and Chronic)

Specialty: Nephrology

Category: Infections and Infectious Conditions

Symptoms:
fever; chills; flank pain; nausea; vomiting; painful urination; frequent urination; cloudy or foul-smelling urine; fatigue

Root Cause:
Infection of the kidney, often caused by ascending bacterial infection from the bladder, typically due to E. coli or other uropathogens.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Urinalysis (showing pyuria, bacteriuria, hematuria), urine culture, blood tests (e.g., elevated white blood cell count), imaging studies (e.g., ultrasound or CT scan if complications are suspected).

Treatment:
Antibiotics are the primary treatment. Severe cases may require hospitalization for intravenous antibiotics and supportive care. Chronic pyelonephritis may need surgical correction of underlying anatomical issues.

Medications:
Acute cases

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common in sexually active women, with higher rates in those with recurrent urinary tract infections. Chronic cases are rare and often associated with anatomical abnormalities or obstruction.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Female gender, pregnancy, recurrent UTIs, diabetes, urinary tract obstruction, vesicoureteral reflux, catheterization.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent with timely treatment; chronic cases may lead to kidney scarring and impaired function.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Sepsis, renal abscesses, chronic kidney disease, hypertension.

Bladder Cancer

Specialty: Oncology

Category: Solid Tumors

Sub-category: Genitourinary Cancers

Symptoms:
blood in urine (hematuria); frequent urination; painful urination; pelvic pain; back pain (in advanced stages)

Root Cause:
Abnormal growth of malignant cells in the bladder lining, often linked to tobacco exposure or carcinogenic chemicals.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Urinalysis, cystoscopy, biopsy, urine cytology, CT urogram, or MRI.

Treatment:
Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT), intravesical therapy (e.g., BCG), chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radical cystectomy in advanced cases.

Medications:
Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is an immunotherapy for non-invasive bladder cancer. Chemotherapy agents include cisplatin and gemcitabine . Immune checkpoint inhibitors such as pembrolizumab (PD-1 inhibitor) may also be used.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Bladder cancer is the 10th most common cancer worldwide, with over 570,000 cases annually.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Smoking, occupational exposure to chemicals (e.g., dyes, rubber), chronic bladder inflammation, and age (more common in individuals over 55).

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Varies based on stage; early-stage bladder cancer has a high recurrence rate but good survival with treatment. Advanced stages have a poorer prognosis.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Urinary obstruction, kidney damage, metastasis to other organs, and complications from radical surgery.

Proteus Infections

Specialty: Infectious Diseases

Category: Bacterial Infections

Symptoms:
urinary tract infections (utis); fever; painful urination; abdominal pain; foul-smelling urine; wound infections; sepsis in severe cases

Root Cause:
Caused by the Proteus species, a genus of Gram-negative bacteria. Commonly associated with UTIs and hospital-acquired infections due to its ability to produce urease and form biofilms.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Urine culture, blood culture, or wound culture; imaging (e.g., ultrasound or CT for abscesses or stones); antimicrobial susceptibility testing to identify effective antibiotics.

Treatment:
Antibiotic therapy based on culture sensitivity results; supportive care if systemic infection occurs; removal of infected devices or stones if present.

Medications:
Commonly prescribed antibiotics include ceftriaxone (third-generation cephalosporin), piperacillin-tazobactam (beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor), or ciprofloxacin (fluoroquinolone) for sensitive strains. Aminoglycosides like gentamicin may also be used for severe cases.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Proteus infections are a common cause of hospital-acquired infections and account for 1-2% of community-acquired UTIs.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Indwelling catheters, immunosuppression, prolonged hospitalization, structural abnormalities of the urinary tract, previous antibiotic use.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment. However, delays or resistance to treatment can lead to complications such as kidney stones, chronic infections, or sepsis.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Struvite stone formation, recurrent UTIs, abscesses, and sepsis.

Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) in Diabetes Mellitus

Specialty: Infectious Diseases

Category: Genitourinary Tract Infections

Symptoms:
frequent urination; painful urination; incomplete bladder emptying; fatigue; fever

Root Cause:
Hyperglycemia leading to immune dysfunction and increased bacterial colonization in the urinary tract.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Urinalysis, urine culture, blood glucose testing, and assessment for underlying complications.

Treatment:
Antibiotics targeting the causative organism, glycemic control, and preventive measures.

Medications:
Nitrofurantoin , trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, or fluoroquinolones, depending on the organism and resistance.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
More frequent in diabetic patients, with an estimated 2-3x higher risk than the general population.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Poor glycemic control, recurrent UTIs, neuropathy affecting bladder emptying.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with early intervention and management of blood sugar levels.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Pyelonephritis, emphysematous cystitis, or urosepsis.

Trichomoniasis

Specialty: Infectious Diseases

Category: Parasitic Infections

Symptoms:
vaginal discharge with an unpleasant odor (in women); itching or irritation of the genitals; painful urination; discomfort during intercourse; asymptomatic in many cases, especially in men

Root Cause:
Infection caused by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis, primarily transmitted through sexual contact.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Microscopic examination of vaginal or urethral secretions, nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), or culture tests.

Treatment:
Antiparasitic medication, and simultaneous treatment of sexual partners to prevent reinfection.

Medications:
Metronidazole or tinidazole , both of which are nitroimidazole-class antibiotics that disrupt the parasite’s DNA synthesis.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
A common sexually transmitted infection, affecting approximately 3.7 million people in the U.S. annually, with higher rates globally.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Unprotected sex, multiple sexual partners, previous or coexisting STIs, and poor sexual health practices.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent with proper treatment, though reinfection is common without partner treatment.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Increased risk of HIV transmission, pregnancy complications (preterm birth, low birth weight), and pelvic inflammatory disease (rarely).

Emergent Management of Gonorrhea

Specialty: Infectious Diseases

Category: Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Symptoms:
urethral discharge; painful urination; vaginal discharge; rectal pain; sore throat; pelvic or abdominal pain

Root Cause:
Infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a gram-negative diplococcus.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
NAAT of urine, endocervical, or urethral swabs; culture for antibiotic susceptibility.

Treatment:
Immediate antibiotic therapy tailored to resistant strains.

Medications:
Ceftriaxone (third-generation cephalosporin) combined with Azithromycin or Doxycycline to cover potential coinfections.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common globally; increased antibiotic resistance is a growing concern.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Unprotected sex, multiple partners, MSM (men who have sex with men) population.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent with prompt treatment; resistant strains may require alternative regimens.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, epididymitis, disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI).

Gonorrhea

Specialty: Infectious Diseases

Category: Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Symptoms:
painful urination; abnormal discharge from the penis or vagina; rectal pain; sore throat; pelvic pain

Root Cause:
Caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which infects mucous membranes.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
NAAT of urine, endocervical, or urethral swabs; culture for resistant strains.

Treatment:
Dual antibiotic therapy to address resistance.

Medications:
Ceftriaxone (third-generation cephalosporin) and Azithromycin (macrolide antibiotic); alternatives include Doxycycline .

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Very common, with millions of cases worldwide annually.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Unprotected sexual contact, multiple partners, previous STDs.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent with treatment; untreated infections may cause severe complications.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
PID, infertility, epididymitis, DGI, neonatal conjunctivitis.