Urinary tract infections or UTIs can be painful and uncomfortable. This is one of the most common infections women suffer from. It is caused by bacteria getting into the urinary tract. UTI is very easily caused because of the bacteria present in the intimate areas. Women must take utmost care of their hygiene to prevent UTIs. So, how to treat UTI if you get one?
UTIs can be treated in many ways, but if you’re not so confident using medicines, there are many natural ways in which UTIs can be treated at the comfort of your house. You can treat UTI at home by following simple steps. But, if you’re already infected, you must be wondering how to treat UTI at home?
How to Treat UTI at Home
Seeing a doctor is the best way, but medicines can’t do all the work; you need to take care of yourself too. Basic hygiene rules should be followed if you want to avoid a UTI.
1. Keep a Check on your Diet
Whenever infected, be it fungal or any other bacteria, your diet plays a major role in bettering the status of your infections. An increased sugar intake can worsen infections as most bacteria feed on sugar. How to treat UTI by keeping a check on your diet?
- Drink lots of water. Water flushes out the toxins from your body, making it easier to heal from an infection.
- Avoid consumption of sugar and high-fat food like fried delicacies. This worsens the infection.
- Include citrus fruits in your diet. Citrus fruits contain high amounts of vitamin C that improves the immune system and help fight the bacteria present. It also lowers the urine pH, making it difficult for bacteria to survive, and it’s also a great antioxidant.
- Consume yogurt as it helps reduce the infection. Yogurt has lactobacillus that reduces the infection and gives you a healthier urinary tract.
Focusing on your diet and squeezing in a workout routine will help reduce the infection and make you healthier.
2. Consume Cranberry Juice
Cranberry juice boosts your vaginal health, making it one of the most popular at-home remedies for a UTI. Cranberry juice has a special ingredient, A-type proanthocyanins, preventing bacteria like E.coli from sticking to the bladder walls and worsening the infection.
How to treat UTI using cranberry juice? Drink at least 400 milliliters of cranberry juice each day. Try to drink cranberry juice with at least a 25% concentration of cranberry. Another important point to be noted is that avoid cranberry juice with a high sugar concentration, as sugar only worsens your infection and brings about more harm than good.
Always consume plain cranberry juice; avoid making cocktails or adding sugar to it. If you are not quite into cranberry juice, try cranberry supplements. Many supplements are available in the market that can replace cranberry juice and have the same effects. Remember to look for supplements with 36mg of PAC’s.
Also Read: Most Effective UTI Treatment At Home
3. Maintain Hygiene
Hygiene is one of the main factors that control if your infection will flare up or calm down. Maintaining good hygiene is very important, especially when infected. It would help if you cared that the infection doesn’t flare up because of your ignorance.
Here are some other tips on how to treat UTI by maintaining basic hygiene:
- Avoid using public restrooms. Public restrooms contain the most bacteria's and are not ideal, especially when you’re suffering from a UTI.
- Always wipe front to back. Don’t let bacteria from your rectum get near the urethra. The urinary infections also worsen due to rectum bacteria's getting into the urethra.
- Ensure that the cloth or tissue you’re using to wipe yourself is sanitized and clean. Using a bacteria-laden wipe will only deteriorate your UTI.
- Change your intimate wear often. Keep the area dry and only use cotton underwear.
Following these simple hygiene tips can help improve the condition of your UTI.
4. Essential Oils
Do essential oils also treat UTIs? Yes! Many people think it’s a myth, and it is no longer relevant as we have advanced medicine, but think again. Essential oils are completely natural and have no side effects on your body, and they’re harmless unless you’re allergic to certain ingredients. Let’s look at what essential oils are safe to use and the different ways of application.
- Lavender oil can kill viruses, bacteria, and fungal spores.
- Herbal oils like sage oil, rosemary oil, and basil oil are effective against E.coli, one of the main bacterias causing UTIs.
- Clove oil helps kill E.coli, eradicating the chances of further infections.
Remember that none of these oils is meant to be applied directly to your skin as they may irritate your skin. Instead, mix the essential oils with a carrier oil. Mix 3 to 5 drops of essential oil in 28 grams of carrier oils and apply it to infected areas. You can also use diluted essential oils.
5. Antibiotics
Antibiotics are the top answers to how to treat UTI at home. Most doctors usually prescribe antibiotics to treat UTIs effectively. Antibiotics are medicines that cure infections in the human body, and it kills and prevents the spread of bacteria to other regions of the body.
It is one of the most effective ways to combat UTIs. Amoxicillin is one of the most popular antibiotics used for urinary tract infections. So, how does Amoxicillin treat UTI? It treats UTI by stopping the growth of bacteria in the urine, thus eradicating bacterial infections.
Which is the best way to use Amoxicillin to treat UTI? Amoxicillin comes in capsules, liquid syrup, and tablets that have to be consumed by mouth. The duration of consumption of Amoxicillin depends on individual patients and the intensity of the UTI. Make sure never to skip a dose and take the medication as prescribed diligently.
So, what antibiotics treat UTI? Fosfomycin, Cephalexin, Ceftriazone are some antibiotics that are effective against UTIs. Following all these simple tips and hacks will help you combat UTIs and any infections you may have in the future. Remember that nothing can replace medication and an actual doctor if it gets worse. See a doctor if things get worse. UTIs can be painful and frustrating, but never wonder how to treat UTI, because medications and home remedies are there to help. Hang in there and remind yourself, patience is the key!
Also Read: Can Peeing After Sex, Keep The UTI At Bay?