Urinary Tract Infection | Top Remedies for UTI

Are you suffering from a urinary tract infection? You're not alone. It's a complicated infection, but its remedies are quite simple—and easy.

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Urinary Tract Infection | Antibiotic-Free Home Remedies You Need to Know

What Is a Urinary Tract Infection?

UTIs may occur anywhere along the urinary tract. It may affect your kidneys, bladder, or urethra, but it is more common in the bladder.

Women are more likely to develop UTIs than men, with over 40% to 60% of women getting an infection at least once.

Symptoms of a Urinary Tract Infection

You may not always experience symptoms, but when you do it may include:

• the constant need to urinate
• burning sensation while urinating
• constant urination, but in small amounts
• cloudy urine
• bloody urine (may look reddish)
• smelly urine
• pelvic pain (in women)

Uncomplicated cases of urinary tract infections could go away on their own. But while the body can treat itself, many look for remedies to ease some symptoms.

And these are our favorite, promising science-backed home remedies.

Easy Home Remedies That Could Help Fight Urinary Tract Infections

1. Drink Plenty of Water to Flush Out Bacteria

Your body flushes out waste and bacteria through urine. So by drinking lots of water, you urinate more, ridding your body of more bacteria.

Do this even if you're not suffering from a urinary tract infection. Drinking healthy amounts of water could stop an infection in its tracks.

Urologists think that around 50 percent of UTI cases could be resolved by drinking plenty of fluids. And this is not exclusive to water.

2. Cranberry Juice May Help Treat Recurrent UTIs

Cranberry juice is the dragon of UTI alternative medicines. We've all heard about it, but some of us question if it's real or not.

Scientists think that cranberry juice may have infection-fighting potential. A compound in the juice may keep bacteria from clinging to the bladder wall, causing a urinary tract infection.

But current research is conflicting and inconclusive.

Some say that cranberries do not contain enough of that active ingredient to be beneficial in UTI treatment. Others say that cranberries may not help at all.

But drinking cranberry juice, as with most home remedies, won't hurt to try.

The American Urological Association recommends taking cranberry supplements to help prevent recurrent urinary tract infections.

If you are interested in trying cranberry juice, you may take them as a juice or supplement form. However, if you will be drinking cranberry juice, choose one with little to no sugar.

3. Avoid Drinks That Could Irritate Your Bladder

Steer clear of drinks that could irritate your bladder while you're treating your urinary tract infection.

These include alcohol, soda, coffee, and citrus juices. In the meantime, stick to water and perhaps cranberry juice.

4. Buchu Leaf Extract May Help Treat Urinary Tract Infections

Buchu (Agathosma betulina) is a plant from South Africa that may possess diuretic and antiseptic properties.

Scientists found that buchu leaf extract may help fight bacteria and encourage urine flow, possibly helping treat urinary tract infections.

The leaf extract was tested against various bacteria strains, including E.coli, the most common cause of UTI. A study found that it may have an anti-adhesive effect, which may help prevent UTIs in the first place.

However, studies are not clear on the proper dosage to make buchu an effective antibacterial agent.

Buchu may also be dangerous to pregnant women.

When it comes to treating infections, your doctor is still the first line of defense.

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5. Probiotics May Help Prevent Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections

Probiotics may promote good bacteria and immunity and could help prevent recurrent UTI.

Lactobacilli, the good bacteria, may keep bad bacteria from growing and clinging to cells. And it could also protect you from E.coli, the most common cause of UTI.

Unfortunately, antibiotics used to treat UTIs might cause the number of good bacteria to dwindle. Scientists suspect this may be the reason why many are developing antibiotic resistance. In addition, the number of bad bacteria might also increase.

Because of this, researchers suggest that probiotics might be a better preventive measure than antibiotics.

It's important to note that while growing evidence about the gut and probiotics are promising, there's still so much more to learn. Scientists are still studying proper dosages and the mechanisms behind probiotics and prebiotics.

That said, probiotics are safe to eat and are very easy to find across different types of diets. You can find excellent sources from tasty dishes like:

• kimchi
• yogurt
• sauerkraut
• tempeh
• miso

6. Baths Might Create an Environment for a Urinary Tract Infection

The science is on the fence on this one, but the Centers for Control and Disease Prevention (CDC) recommends showers over baths.

Baths may irritate the penis or the vaginal area, and some say may even affect its pH level. This may promote infection.

The warm water might also create the perfect environment for harmful bacteria to grow.

You can still enjoy an occasional bath. Some doctors might even recommend a nice, warm bath to help relieve some types of pain.

7. Answer the Call of Nature on Time

When you got to go, you got to go.

Urinating is your body's way of getting rid of the trash. This includes bacteria that could cause a urinary tract infection. Holding it in might trap bad bacteria inside.

So when you feel the urge to urinate, go to the bathroom as soon as you can.

Why Do I Need to Learn about UTI Remedies?

Researchers found that bacteria are growing resistant to many first-line antibiotics.

And because there are many possible causes of infections, it's also difficult to pinpoint what bacteria to combat.

With antibiotic resistance and the difficulty in identifying which bacteria to prescribe for, you could end up raking in costs without finding proper treatment.