Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are more common than you may realize. When you have one, you may feel a burning sensation when you pee, or you may feel the need to go but are unable to. Doctors typically prescribe antibiotics for a UTI. However, there are some natural supports that can help as well.
Let’s take a deeper look at UTIs, what causes them, and some natural supports that can help clear up a UTI or even help avoid one.
What is a urinary tract infection?
A UTI is the result of a bacterial infection in your urinary system, which causes symptoms like discomfort during urination, frequent urination, urgency, and other symptoms. The most common bacteria that cause UTIs are Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus saprophyticus.
These bacteria are commonly found in the digestive tract, which is how they gain access to the urinary tract. In addition, infrequent urination and dehydration have also been shown to be factors in developing UTIs.
Practicing good sex hygiene and always wiping from front to back when using the bathroom can help prevent this contamination. Even so, you may still develop a UTI despite the caution.
In the early stages, a UTI affects the bladder and urethra. However, a UTI can affect your kidneys as well if left untreated. If this happens, it can create a potentially dangerous situation. If you think you have a UTI and have a fever above 99.9, or if you have acute pain in your lower back, side, or groin, contact your doctor to discuss the need for antibiotics. The natural supports discussed in this article will not work on a full-blown kidney infection.
How do you know if you have a urinary tract infection?
Frequently, UTIs begin with no detectable symptoms. You may feel an urge to urinate, but when you try, you can’t seem to go. Or you may be able to go just a little and not feel fully relieved. You may experience a slight burning sensation when you urinate. If it occurs just once in a while, you most likely dismiss it.
However, when mild symptoms occur more frequently, you begin to notice. If untreated, an infection can result in a mild fever or pelvic pain. Some women visit the doctor and receive a negative test for a UTI. However, a recent study showed that the test commonly used to diagnose UTI isn’t always accurate. Researchers discovered that the standard culture missed the presence of pathogenic bacteria almost 20% of the time.
So, if you are experiencing symptoms and you test negative for a UTI, you may wish to seek a second opinion. In addition, you may want to try the natural remedies outlined below.
Bladder Infection Symptoms
The most common symptoms of a mild lower urinary tract infection that’s infecting the bladder or urethra include:
- Having the urge to urinate frequently
- Being unable to void much urine
- Burning sensation or pain while urinating
- Feeling of pressure in your pelvis or lower abdomen
- Presence of blood in the urine
- Pelvic pain
- Low-grade fever
- Change in the color of your urine (darker, cloudy, milky)
- Stronger than usual odor to your urine
If the UTI has progressed to the kidneys, the symptoms may include:
- High fever
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Chills
- Backache
- Pain in the side
Urinary tract infection treatment
The typical treatment for a UTI is antibiotics prescribed by your doctor. To diagnose a UTI, your doctor may identify your symptoms and prescribe you the appropriate medication.
In other instances, if your symptoms aren’t straightforward, or if you’ve been struggling with recurrent UTIs, your doc may suggest further testing.
More in-depth testing may involve:
- Additional bacteria cultures of a urine sample
- Ultrasound, computerized tomography (CT) scan, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Cystoscopy — using a camera to look inside your urethra and bladder
Some of the common antibiotics your doctor may prescribe to treat a UTI include:
- Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (Septra®, Bactrim®)
- Nitrofurantoin (Macrobid®, Macrodantin®)
- Fosfomycin (Monurol®)
- Cephalexin (Keflex®)
- Ceftriaxone (Rocephin®)
In certain instances, your doctor may prescribe a less common antibiotic. If you have allergies to certain antibiotics, for example, or your UTI is more severe, you may receive a prescription for a class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones. These include Cipro (ciprofloxacin) and Levaquin (levofloxacin).
If you are experiencing frequent, recurring infections, your doctor may suggest a low-dose antibiotic regimen over the course of several months.
It’s important to note that an estimated 22% of women receiving antibiotic treatment for a UTI develop candida overgrowth soon after. If you take antibiotics, accompany them with a course of probiotics to help address candida overgrowth.
While avoiding the overuse of antibiotics can be good, it’s important to remember that a UTI can progress to a kidney infection. This can cause long-term kidney damage. It’s strongly recommended that you communicate with your doctor before using a natural remedy to ensure the most appropriate treatment for your specific situation.
Symptoms like fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, pain in your low back or side are a sign to call your doctor.
Pain medication for UTIs
Another treatment your doctor may recommend is an analgesic to numb your urethra and bladder. This can help with painful urination.
Hormone Replacement Therapy as a UTI Treatment
Sometimes, postmenopausal women find vaginal estrogen therapy helpful in preventing bladder infections since the lowered estrogen levels after menopause cause changes to and an overall thinning of the tissues in the urinary tract. This can make you more susceptible to infection.
The best natural remedies for a UTI
The best natural remedy for a UTI is prevention. Practice good sex hygiene and wipe from the front to back when using the restroom. The goal is to prevent the spread of bacteria from the anus to the urethra.
However, another thing to focus on is keeping your immune system strong at all times.
Here are some of the ways to support your immune system and specifically fight off bladder infections that you can try before resorting to antibiotics or if you’ve tried medications and they didn’t work.
UTI Home Remedies
1. Go When You Need To
When you feel the urge to urinate, don’t wait. Holding your pee can make it more difficult to avoid or heal from a UTI. By holding back, the bacteria in your bladder can cling to the urinary tract and multiply. The best way to get rid of those infection-causing microbes is to make sure you use the bathroom often. It’s also a good idea to pee after you’ve had sex. This helps get rid of any bacteria that may enter the urethra as a result of intercourse.
2. Consider Cranberries
Drinking unsweetened cranberry juice can help prevent bacteria from clinging to the urinary tract, especially when used long-term for prevention. Add cranberry extract to the juice for extra power. In one study, it was proven about as effective as antibiotics in treating UTIs.
3. Stay Hydrated
Drinking plenty of filtered water is vital for many aspects of health. If you’re currently fighting or trying to prevent a bladder infection, proper hydration has been shown to decrease UTI incidence.
4. Take Probiotics
Probiotics support your immune system at all times. Probiotics are live and active “friendly” bacteria that help destroy the not-so-good ones. You can get them in supplement form, but you can also get them by eating fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi.
5. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is well known for its support of the immune system. Whenever you’re fighting an infection of any sort, it can help to increase your vitamin C intake. Some experts say that vitamin C may help treat a bladder infection by making urine more acidic, which could inhibit bacterial growth. In a study of pregnant women, researchers found 100mg per day of vitamin C was effective for treating a UTI.
6. D-mannose
D-mannose is a monosaccharide that can be rapidly absorbed and excreted by the urinary tract and can prevent the adhesion of bacteria to the urinary tract walls. In one study, women with recurrent UTI were given a D-mannose powder, and their risk of recurrent UTI was significantly reduced.
7. Garlic
Garlic is a powerful natural antimicrobial and immune-supportive food. With antibacterial and antiviral properties, it’s a great idea to include it in your diet regularly. If you don’t like the flavor, you can find garlic available in capsule form.
8. Barberry
Barberry has been used in traditional medicine for hundreds of years to help cure a variety of ailments. In one study, researchers found that a formula containing the active ingredients in barberry and dandelion was an effective treatment for recurrent cystitis.
9. Stay Dry
A dry environment is inhospitable to pathogenic bacteria. Bacteria love moisture. After you shower, be sure to dry yourself completely before dressing. Use clothing that breathes such as cotton underwear or loose-fitting jeans. Trapping bacteria with sweat creates conditions that enable them to thrive. After a workout, get showered up, dried off, and into clean, dry clothes.
10. Urinate After Sex
This is good advice in general, whether you’re fighting a UTI or not. Urinating after sex helps wash away any bacteria that may have made its way to your urethra opening during coitus.
11. Professional Grade Oregano Oil
Some essential oils have powerful antibacterial properties, including oregano oil. It has been shown to kill E. coli, which is one of the main bacteria that cause a UTI. It has not side effects. Oregano oil is taken internally in capsule form. Look for professional-grade only and look for the GMP stamp on the label. This isn’t the same as an essential oil you’d use in a diffuser. It is not a topical treatment. Do not apply it to your skin.
12. Corn Silk (Zea mays)
Corn silk was first used by indigenous tribes as a treatment for bladder conditions, including UTIs. Now many modern herbalists use it as well. It is often combined with other herbs because of its ability to soothe the urinary tract and its anti-inflammatory effects. More recently, research has shown that constituents of this plant may in fact prevent E. coli from being able to adhere to the walls of the urinary tract.
13. Avoid Spermicides
They help prevent pregnancy, but spermicides aren’t the best for vaginas or UTIs. One of the most significant risk factors researchers discovered in young women with UTI is the diaphragm with spermicide use. It’s best to use another form of birth control if you’re trying to clear up or prevent a UTI.
What About Coconut Oil for UTIs?
While coconut oil itself hasn’t exactly been studied as a UTI treatment, it has been shown to have bacteria-fighting benefits, especially as a topical treatment for skin infections. Many women use topical coconut oil to prevent or treat a mild yeast infection. There’s anecdotal evidence to suggest that the administration of coconut oil to the urethra opening may help soothe some external itching and burning caused by a bladder infection. While alleviating a symptom, it is unlikely to treat the underlying infection.
Will a UTI go heal on its own?
As with any infection, an otherwise healthy woman’s body can fight and resolve a UTI on its own. An estimated 25-42% of UTIs resolve without conventional treatment.
However, problems may occur when the infection becomes too rampant for the immune system to handle. If immunity is compromised in any way, or if the infection has been building for a while, you should consult with your doctor.
Antibiotic-resistant UTIs are increasing. One in three simple UTIs is now considered resistant to one of the most common antibiotics used to treat them, Bactrim. One in five is considered resistant to other commonly prescribed antibiotics.
Why do I keep getting urinary tract infections?
Most of the time, the recurrent infection is caused by the same pathogen as the initial infection. And about 80% of UTIs are reoccurring. This could be from antibiotic resistance of the bacteria. Since our modern society uses so many antibiotics, they are becoming increasingly less effective against many strains of E. coli. It can also be physiology: some women are more prone to urinary tract infections.
It’s important to start treating a UTI as soon as you experience even very mild symptoms. The longer the bacteria have a chance to multiply, the harder the infection is to get rid of. Practice the natural and preventative measures in this article. Good habits are key to preventing UTIs in the first place.