Home Remedies For Urinary Tract Infection – A urinary tract infection (UTIs) is an infection that attacks any part of the urinary tract, including the kidneys, ureters, bladder or urethra.
Bacteria from the gut are the most common cause of UTIs, but fungi and viruses can also cause infection.
Although UTIs can attack anyone, women are more susceptible to this infection. And you can also reduce the risk of UTIs in several ways.
Here are some types of home remedies to reduce the risk of UTIs.
Home Remedies For Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
Increase Vitamin C Intake
Increasing vitamin C intake can reduce the risk of UTIs by making the urine more acidic, thus killing infection-causing bacteria.
Drinking fluids
One of the simplest home remedies for UTIs is to drink plenty of water. It helps remove bacteria from the body.
The recommendation is for a person to drink six to eight glasses of 8 ounces of water in a day. However, it is important that medical advice is sought when deciding the amount to be taken per day.
Drinking too much can be dangerous, especially with pre-existing kidney disease.
Drink Cranberry Juice
Drinking unsweetened cranberry juice is one of the natural ways to treat urinary tract infections. This is because the nutritional content in cranberries is able to prevent bacteria that stick to the urinary tract, thus preventing infection.
In a study, women with a history of urinary tract infections were asked to drink 8 ounces (240 ml) of cranberry juice daily for 24 weeks. As a result, people with urinary tract infections who drink cranberry juice, recover faster than those who do not drink. Other research has also shown that consuming cranberries can reduce urinary tract infections within a year, especially for women who often experience recurrent infections.
Baking Soda + Water
A teaspoon of baking soda in 8 ounces of water doesn’t sound appetizing, but it will help relieve your discomfort. You only do this 1-2 times a day. Since baking soda is an alkaline substance, it neutralizes or reduces the burning sensation when urinating.
Drink parsley water
Parsley is a diuretic, and when consumed with water 1-2 times a day, parsley will help secrete all the sodium to your kidneys, which will then expel fluids, salts and bacteria from your body and will make you urinate. By doing this, you will speed up recovery.
Peeing when needed
It may be tempting to avoid peeing with UTIs. This is because UTIs can cause a person to want to urinate more often than usual, even if no urine comes out.
However, urination can help remove the bacteria that cause infection. Along with drinking more fluids, this can alleviate symptoms and speed recovery.
Read more about Signs of UTI (Urinary Tract Infection)
Garlic
Garlic is a common kitchen ingredient often used to treat UTIs or urinary tract infections. This prevents harmful bacteria from spreading causing UTIs. You can also put garlic in the food.
Heating pads
The use of heating pads on the back and lower abdomen will reduce the pain caused by UTIs. It also kills bacteria in the urinary tract.
Consumption of probiotics
Probiotics help improve good bacteria in the intestinal system that will kill UTIs-causing bacteria. Probiotics are found in many fermented foods such as kimchi, a probiotic yogurt. So, you can include these foods into your regular diet to improve gut health.
Taking Natural Supplements
D-Mannose, bearberry leaves, cranberry extract and garlic extract are natural supplements have been shown to prevent UTIs and reduce recurrence.
Clothing
Loose clothing can prevent moisture from making the infection worse. Tight clothing can encourage moisture to develop.
Keeping the pubic area clean and dry is important to prevent the growth of bacteria.
Diet
Certain foods can worsen symptoms. These include foods that:
- Hot or spicy
- Fizzy
- Caffeinated
- Alco**holic
High-fiber foods can help speed recovery. Getting a variety of essential nutrients is also important to allow the body to heal itself.