Bladder infections and urinary tract infections are inherently similar, which is why the two terms are often confused. However, there is a major distinction between the two that, once understood, helps to differentiate between the different types of infections. Urinary tract infections can occur anywhere in the urinary tract, including the kidneys, urethra, and ureters, as well as the bladder. Conversely, bladder infections are an infection of the bladder and do not affect any other part of the urinary tract. In simplest terms, bladder infections are urinary tract infections, but not all urinary tract infections are bladder infections.