Home Remedies for Urinary Tract Infection

Image via Wikipedia

Any woman who's had even one urinary tract infection (UTI) in their life knows how uncomfortable it can be. It's not hard to tell when one is coming on, either. Feeling the urgency to urinate, experiencing a stinging pain at the end of urination and having pressure in the lower abdomen are tell tale signs that you're at the start of a urinary tract infection. Luckily, if you catch it early enough, you may be able to treat the UTI on your own at home. If you let it go too long, though, you could experience major pain and risk serious health consequences.

Ease your urinary tract infection with this UTI home remedy. D'Mannose is an ingredient that's used in many natural, holistic UTI treatments. While it can be pricey, it often works wonders. D'Mannose products can be found at many health stores or online. Most of these products come in powder form and can be mixed with water. While the powder will make your water a little cloudy, it doesn't have too much of a taste to it and it's not hard to get down. If you have chronic UTI, consider taking D'Mannose every day or every other day to ward off future infections.

Image via Wikipedia

Cranberry juice, as well as blueberry and pomegranate juice, are great for women's health and treating urinary tract infections. However, the type of juice you choose is imperative. Juice cocktails that have a lot of sugar can actually make your UTI worse. You'll have to purchase 100% fruit juice, which can be expensive and doesn't taste very good. Mix it with water to dilute the juice and drink a glass every couple of hours if you're battling a UTI. To prevent infections in the future, drink the juice regularly. Alternatively, you can take cranberry pills. If you don't react well to vitamins, though, this may not be the best idea. In order to make a difference, you'll have to take a high dose of cranberry pills every day, as indicated by the bottle.

One of the best ways to get rid of a urinary tract infection is to drink a lot of water. Aim to drink 16 ounces of water every hour while you're battling an infection. The urgency to urinate is a symptom of UTI, but trying to urinate when you don't really have to can be frustrating. Drinking plenty of water will make you urinate regularly and will help to flush out the bacteria that's causing the infection.

Citrus is recommended as a natural cure for urinary tract infections. Squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice into your water. Eat a couple of grapefruits or oranges throughout the day. Also, take a Vitamin C pill in the morning. Another home remedy is to add one teaspoon of baking soda to a glass of water and stir. This will make the water taste a bit salty, so you'll probably want to drink it quickly. The baking soda will neutralize the acidity in your urine and help you to recover from the infection quicker.

Preventing urinary tract infections is almost as important as curing one. To make sure you never have to deal with another urinary tract infection again, add cranberry pills to your daily vitamin intake. Drink natural cranberry juice daily and mix D'Mannose into it if you're prone to UTI. Eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and drink the recommended eight glasses of water every day. Make sure to maintain good hygiene and wear cotton panties, which don't breed bacteria. Try to urinate when you feel the need instead of waiting. Always urinate before and after intercourse.

If home remedies don't alleviate the symptoms of a urinary tract infection within a day or two, and if you seem to be feeling worse, get to a doctor or hospital right away. Left untreated, UTI can produce blood in your urine and turn into a kidney or bladder infection. Both of these problems are more painful and harder to treat than a basic UTI. Your doctor will prescribe two types of medicine for a UTI: one will cure the infection and the other will treat your pain until the infection is gone. One of these medications will turn your urine orange, so don't be alarmed if you notice this after using the bathroom.