Heal Bladder Infection Without Antibiotics
Heres a short summary of the key issues raised by Dr. Mercola:
Size of Problem
- some 50% of women in the US have urinary tract infection issues
- around 11 million visits to health professionals
- 10 times more women than men suffer UTIs added by me
Symptoms and Signs
- cloudy or dark urine color
Prevention is Better Than Cure
- 16 x more effort and resources to treat an infection than to prevent it
Prevention Through Lifestyle Changes
- go to the bathroom when you feel the need not holding it in
- wipe from front to back to prevent bacterial contamination
- empty bladder after intercourse and scrupulously clean the area
- shower instead of bathing
- avoid non-natural feminine hygiene products use only natural products
Try to Avoid Antibiotics
Doctors will usually propose antibiotics to cure urinary tract infections but these kill your good bacteria as well as your bad. You can use natural home remedies for urinary tract infections. Dr. Mecola suggests:
- taking good bacteria through food and / or supplements
- taking cranberry extract tablets not juice
- taking D-Mannose which is a naturopathic remedy for urinary tract infections.
What Is The Prognosis For A Urinary Tract Infection
A good prognosis is usual for spontaneously resolved and quickly treated UTIs. Even patients that have rapidly developing symptoms and early pyelonephritis can have a good prognosis if quickly and adequately treated. The prognosis begins to decline if the UTI is not quickly recognized or treated. Elderly and immunosuppressed patients may not have the UTI recognized early their prognosis may range from fair to poor, depending on how much damage is done to the urinary tract or if complications like sepsis occur. Like adults, most adequately treated children will have a good prognosis. Children and adults with recurrent UTIs may develop complications and a worse prognosis recurrent UTIs may be a symptom of an underlying problem with the urinary tract structure. These patients should be referred to a specialist for further evaluation.
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What Are The Other Urinary Symptoms Of Menopause
The states that throughout menopause, the lining of the urethra becomes thinner. This can lead to urinary incontinence.
The North American Menopause Society explains that there are two main types of urinary incontinence. These are:
- Stress incontinence: This is when the bladder leaks when a person laughs or sneezes. It often starts during perimenopause but does not usually get any worse as the person progresses through the transition.
- Urge incontinence: This is a sudden and urgent need to urinate, also known as overactive bladder. The muscles may not be able to stop the flow of urine completely, causing leakage.
Treatments are available, and various exercises designed to strengthen the pelvic floor for example, Kegel exercises can help. Doctors may also prescribe medications or surgical treatments.
Sometimes, home remedies and increased water consumption can flush bacteria out of the bladder before an infection takes hold.
However, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases says that anyone experiencing nausea or vomiting, fever, or severe pain in the back alongside bladder-related symptoms should seek medical advice. This combination of symptoms can be a sign of a kidney infection.
The UCF adds that anyone with blood in their urine should see a doctor as soon as possible. Although this can be a sign of a UTI, it is also a marker for other urinary tract problems.
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Consider Switching Birth Control
Some older research suggests that certain contraceptives may contribute to the cause of UTIs in some women.
If you use diaphragms, spermicides, or nonlubricated condoms and get frequent UTIs, it may be worth talking to your doctor to find other methods of birth control.
Its not uncommon for UTIs to go away on their own with at-home care and without the use of antibiotics.
Some research estimates that 25 to 42 percent of UTIs can go away on their own. This is usually only common in women with no other health issues.
However, there are some serious risks that can come from leaving a UTI untreated, including pyelonephritis and .
UTIs are painful, but with treatment, you can alleviate an infection and prevent recurrent infections. Talk with your doctor if you have symptoms of a UTI. With proper treatment, you should begin to feel better in a few days.
Take your antibiotics as instructed even after your symptoms improve to prevent complications or a secondary infection.
If the UTI doesnt resolve after antibiotic treatment or you end up with multiple episodes of a UTI, your doctor will likely do further testing.
This could be in the form of:
- urodynamic testing
You may be referred to a urologist, depending on the severity of your UTI or if you have chronic infections.
Certain strains of bacteria can cause UTIs. They can range from mild to severe. The degree of severity depends on multiple factors, including:
Other Ways To Prevent Recurring Utis
If you have more than 3 UTIs in 1 year, or 2 UTIs in 6 months, there are other things that may help prevent UTIs.
There is some evidence that women under 65 years old who keep getting UTIs may find it helpful to take:
- a supplement called D-mannose this is not recommended for pregnant women
- cranberry products, such as juice or tablets
Speak to your doctor before taking any of these during pregnancy.
Be aware that D-mannose and cranberry products can contain a lot of sugar.
Page last reviewed: 18 November 2020 Next review due: 18 November 2023
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How To Cure Urinary Tract Infection Without Antibiotics
How to get rid of UTI at Home?: Are you feeling extreme inflammation while peeing? It may be because you have Urinary Tract Infection. The Urinary System consists of four parts kidney, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Kidneys, filter waste from the blood to produce urine. Ureters carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder.
The bladder holds urine until you feel like peeing. The urethra carries urine out of the bladder when you pee. One should know that taking an antibiotic isnt the only way to cure symptoms of a urinary tract infection. There are some natural UTI home remedies, which help you to cure Urinary Tract Infection without antibiotics.
What Is A Uti
A urinary tract infection occurs when bacteria ends up in your urinary tract. Were not talking about the good kind of bacteriathe kind that keeps you alive and healthybut the bad kind like E. coli. This does not belong anywhere near your urethra or bladder, because when it does take up residence there, it can cause an infection.
UTIs generally fall into two categories:
- Lower tract UTIs: These are concentrated in the urethra and bladder, a.k.a. the lower urinary tract. If located in the bladder, the UTI is called a bladder infection or cystitis. Lower UTIs make up the vast majority of UTIs and are easily treated with antibiotics.
- Upper tract UTIs: These UTIs are more rare and serious. Upper tract UTIs usually occur when an untreated lower tract UTI spreads to the kidneys. A kidney infection requires medical intervention to prevent permanent damage.
Common lower tract UTI symptoms include:
- Pain or burning sensation during urination
- Having the urge to urinate frequently
- Blood in the urine
- Cramping or general discomfort in the lower abdomen
Upper tract UTIs share some of the same symptoms of lower tract UTIs, though more common symptoms are:
- Lower back pain
Understanding what causes a UTI may help you prevent one before it happens. Here are the risk factors:
- Age: Some evidence suggests that post-menopausal women are at higher risk for recurrent UTIs due to urinary incontinence and estrogen deficiency that naturally occurs after the menopause transition.
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Otc Uti Treatment Options
UTIs are typically treated with a course of antibiotics that may run for a single day or a course of 7 days but usually lasts at an average of 1-3 days for uncomplicated urinary tract infections. However, some infections might not even need a course of antibiotics and may cease to exist. But, while treatment of UTIs without antibiotics may be a possible prospect in the future, for now, only a few equally effective OTC UTI treatments are available that can help a patient manage their symptoms. These include:
Hydration: Although not exactly an OTC UTI treatment method, hydration is still the key to treating a UTI quickly. If youve contracted a UTI, it is important to have fluids as frequently as possible so that you urinate more frequently and the harmful bacteria are flushed out of your urinary tract through natural means. This option means curing your symptoms without the use of medication.
- Probiotics: Probiotics serve as an excellent OTC UTI treatment option that helps promote digestion and immunity in your body. Probiotics restore the good bacteria present in your gut and reduce the chances of reinfection.
- Ascorbic Acid: Increasing your Vitamin C intake not only strengthens your immune system but is also a greater OTC UTI treatment option since it helps acidify the urine which may reduce the chance of reinfection.
Why Wouldnt I Just Take The Antibiotics Instead Of Worrying About All This
This is a fair question, and I understand that it may seem tempting to simply get a prescription and not have to worry about your symptoms. Unfortunately, any kind of antibiotic prescription has devastasting long-lasting impacts to your health, specifically your microbiome. Up to 50 percent of all antibiotics prescribed are not actually needed .
Instead of rushing to get antibiotics straight away, I recommend trying some of the above methods to see if it gets better on its own. If not, and you start to notice your symptoms get increasingly worse, then it is time to see a doctor and take the drugs. For myself, luckily, the pain was never too excruciating that I could not go to work or function. It was irritating, but I stuck with the above methods and now I am pretty much back to 100 percent. Your body was built to be able to heal on its own, as long as your immune system is strong and healthy. Keep in mind that antibiotic resistance is a huge problem and taking several courses of antibiotics without considering the long term impacts is not smart. Antibiotics work because they wipe out the bad bacteria, but these drugs do not pick and choose between bad and good bacteria. They kill everything. After a single course, your gut flora is pretty much wiped, which leads you vulnerable for getting more infections. If you do taking antibiotics, please, please take a high quality and strong probiotic . This is the best way to mitigate the damage!
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Lemon For Bacterial Infection
Lemon is another home remedy that treats many infections caused by bacteria, especially respiratory infection. Lemon can help to remove the mucus accumulated in the respiratory tract. Moreover, drinking lemon juice also gets rid of the bacteria trapped in the mucous. Therefore, lemon is indispensable on the list of tips on how to treat bacterial infection.
Besides, let us remind you of another important health benefit of lemon, which is its ability to combat allergy and asthma thanks to the significant amount of vitamin C it contains. If you want to investigate deeper, you can follow this link.
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Things Women Need To Know About Utis
May 12, 2016
If youve ever had a urinary tract infection and if youre a woman, chances are you have you know theyre not fun. UTIs not only feature unpleasant symptoms, like an increased urge to urinate and a burning sensation when you do, but also a tendency to come back again and again. In fact, UTIs are the second most common type of infection in the body, leading to over 8 million visits to health care providers each year.1
Because urinary tract infections are also one of the most common conditions treated by MDLIVE doctors, we decided to speak to Dr. David Talbott, MDLIVEs VP of Physician Education and Quality Assurance, to find out what we should know.
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Are There Any Home Remedies For A Urinary Tract Infection
The best “home remedy” for a UTI is prevention . However, although there are many “home remedies” available from websites, holistic medicine publications, and from friends and family members there is controversy about them in the medical literature as few have been adequately studied. However, a few remedies will be mentioned because there may be some positive effects from these home remedies. The reader should be aware that while reading about these remedies , they should not overlook the frequent admonition that UTIs can be dangerous. If the person does not experience relief or if his or her symptoms worsen over 1 to 2 days, the person should seek medical care. In fact, many of the articles about UTI remedies actually describe ways to reduce or prevent UTIs. Examples of home treatments that may help to prevent UTIs, that may have some impact on an ongoing infection, and that is unlikely to harm people are as follows:
There are over-the-counter tests available for detecting presumptive evidence for a UTI . These tests are easy to use and can provide a presumptive diagnosis if the test instructions are carefully followed a positive test should encourage the person to seek medical care.
Are Bananas Good For Utis
The American Urological Association calls bananas a bladder-friendly food. Thats because bananas arent likely to irritate the bladder in most people. Other bladder-friendly fruits and veggies include: pears, green beans, winter squash, and potatoes. While eating bananas may help to lessen bladder irritation, eating bananas alone wont make a UTI go away.
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Antibiotic Warnings And Treatment Concerns
The most commonly prescribed antibiotics for uncomplicated UTIs are similar in efficacy. But its important to note that ampicillin, amoxicillin, and sulfonamides are no longer the drugs of choice for combatting UTIs because of the emergence of antibiotic resistance. In addition, amoxicillin and clavulanate has been shown in previous research to be significantly less effective than others when it comes to treating urinary tract infections.
Also, as noted above, the FDA advises against using fluoroquinolones for uncomplicated UTIs. These medicines should only be considered if no other treatment options are available. In some cases, such as a complicated UTI or kidney infection, a healthcare provider may decide that a fluoroquinolone medicine is the best option, notes the American Academy of Family Physicians.
For pregnant women, some common antibiotics, such as fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines, should not be prescribed because of possible toxic effects on the fetus. But oral nitrofurantoin and cephalexin are considered good antibiotic choices for pregnant women with asymptomatic bacteriuria and acute cystitis, according to past research.
Honey Effective Remedy For Bacterial Infection
You may have heard about the benefits of honey for health and beauty but may not know about its antibacterial functions. The benefits of organic honey are various so that you can discover them gradually. In fact, honey can not only treat respiratory and skin infection but also cool the affected areas simultaneously. You can drink organic honey along with a glass of warm water to soothe and reduce the sore, irritated throat caused by a cough. If you have open wound, scratches or cuts on the skin, the good way to prevent any bad bacteria from entering through the wound is applying honey on the affected areas as the initial treatment.
It would be a pity if you do not click at Honey For Skin to get many skin care recipes with honey.
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Should Uti Treatment Vary According To Whats Causing The Infection
Your UTI treatment may vary according to whats causing the infection. Certain UTIs, especially chronic and recurring ones, will need antibiotic treatment as opposed to simple home remedies.
If youre prescribed antibiotics to treat a UTI, a healthcare professional may choose an antibiotic thats specific to the type of bacteria thats triggering your infection.
Will Otc Products Like Azo Get Rid Of My Uti
OTC products, such as AZO, will not get rid of a UTI. The only way to get rid of a true UTI is a course of antibiotics. AZO, whose main ingredient is phenazopyridine, will provide fast symptom relief, including burning upon urination and urinary frequency. This is a common medication that can be used in conjunction with an antibiotic prescribed by a healthcare professional
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How To Prevent Bladder Infections
Though natural remedies arent guaranteed to get rid of early UTI symptoms, there are some natural ways to discourage UTIs from forming in the first place.
Still, you can reduce your chances of infection, and most of the methods are free and easy.
Pee after sex
Theres a bit of a myth that an increased number of sexual partners leads to an increased risk of UTI. But a study from the University of Michigan found no connection between number of partners and UTIs. Foxman B, et al. . Health behavior and urinary tract infection in college-aged women. Instead, they found that peeing after sex was way more helpful in preventing UTIs than limiting your sexual partners.
When you urinate, the pee itself flushes out your urethra. So, that E. coli gets washed away before it gets a chance to make your life miserable. Though it seems a like a tiny, insignificant thing, a quick pee after sex can keep you from days of painful urinations.
Wipe from the front to the back
Dont use a diaphragm
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