A urinary tract infection (UTI) is a potentially serious medical condition indicated by a frequent urge to urinate, with burning pain on urination (dysuria), cloudy urine, and/or maloderous urine, potentially accompanied by a fever and pain in the pelvic area. Women are more likely than men to suffer a UTI, although this doesn’t make it “rare” among men. Anyone can suffer from this type of infection, and it can be extremely uncomfortable and potentially dangerous from a medical standpoint.
Most commonly a urinary tract infection will take the the form of a bladder infection, known as cystitis, or an infection of the ureter, known as urethritis, and the main symptom will be dysuria. This type of UTI will be more amenable to a home cure. Less commonly, the kidneys can get involved. This is known as pyelonephritis, and is indicated by a high fever and pain in the lower abdomen radiating to the back, usually accompanied by nausea. Pyelonephritis can rapidly morph into a serious medical issue, leading to kidney failure and even death. If you think you have a kidney infection you should seek immediate medical attention. You’re past the point of a home remedy; a round of antibiotics is called for.
But fortunately that’s not usually the case. A simple case of urethritis or cystitis will usually respond well to a homeopathic solution. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a female or a male, these home remedies for UTIs work for both.
Look in the Refrigerator
Take a look in your refrigerator. Many of the best homeopathic treatments for urinary tract infections are common foods or liquids which can be found in most local grocery stores.
Blueberries provide not only high amounts of vitamins and anti-oxidants but they also have been shown in laboratory tests to have anti-bacterial effects. Both natural blueberry juice and organic blueberries work as a natural remedy to relieve urinary tract infection.
Pineapple is another fruit which can help clear out a UTI. The active ingredient which makes pineapple an excellent UTI home remedy is bromelain, an enzyme which has been shown to strongly encourage kidney and digestive health. As an added bonus, bromelain also has been shown to possibly aide in fat loss.
Juice it Up
The other best options for naturally treating urinary tract infections are often liquid. For example, cranberry juice is an old home remedy for urinary tract infections, and remains one of the options with the most tested support behind it. If cranberry juice isn’t your thing, mixing one teaspoon with baking soda in an eight ounce glass of water can help soothe the urinary tract while helping to push out the infection.
Water it Down
Since we’re already on the topic of water, drinking eight full eight ounce glasses of water a day is critical. While this does mean frequent urination and the discomfort from the UTI, if you want to clear the infection this is very important.
While these are all good natural home remedies for urinary infections, it’s important to deal with two items that get mentioned which should never be taken to treat a UTI: caffeine and alcohol. Both caffeine and alcohol can irritate the bladder and the last thing you need while dealing with one of these infections is to further irritate the infected area.
As you can see from this article’s list of natural urinary tract remedies, there are many options when it comes to dealing with this problem in a natural way. Always seek medical attention for a UTI which goes on for more than two days without relief, as that can be a sign of something more serious. But at the first signs of trouble, cut out the caffeine and alcohol, enjoy some fresh fruit and juice and remember these urinary tract home remedies to ease your discomfort.
Seek medical help when needed
Don’t kill yourself. If the natural home remedies aren’t cutting it and the UTI continues to worsen, and especially if you think the kidneys are involved, you should probably just seek prompt medical attention. Prescription antibiotics are the best and fastest way to quash the infection, assuming it hasn’t gone too far, and they’re usually pretty fast-acting. Sometimes you can feel relieve in just an hour or so. The doctor may also prescribe a painkiller to take the edge off.