Lower (cystitis) vs Upper (pyelonephritis) · Week 11
A UTI starts when bacteria climb up the urethra. How far they get decides how sick you are. If they stop at the bladder, it is a lower UTI (cystitis). That is annoying, but it stays local. If they climb all the way to the kidney, it is an upper UTI (pyelonephritis). That one is serious and makes the whole body sick. Click each one.
How far did the bacteria climb?
Bacteria climb up from the bottom. Watch where they stop and inflame.
Pick lower or upper to trace the infection.
Pick a levelLower vs upper UTI
👆 How high did it go?
What is going on
How to tell them apart
The give-away is fever & flank pain. Burning and frequency, but feeling okay otherwise → cystitis (lower). Add fever, chills, flank pain, nausea and the infection has reached the kidney → pyelonephritis (upper).