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Urinary Tract Infection

7 Home Remedies for Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Symptoms
Do you have frequent, painful UTIs? You may be surprised by how much you can do at home to relieve your discomfort.

By Marie Suszynski

Medically Reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

Taking an antibiotic isn’t the only way to get over symptoms of a urinary tract infection.

In fact, some remedies don’t require a prescription — and they can be done right at home in addition to any treatment your doctor has recommended. But be cautious with do-it-yourself home solutions, and check in with your doctor before trying a new strategy.

For example, mixing baking soda and water as a drink to help fight a urinary tract infection (UTI) can be risky if you drink too much of it. About 5 percent of baking soda-related poisonings in California between 2000 and 2012 were from drinking baking soda to treat a UTI, according to research published in February 2014 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.


The following seven viable home remedies — from drinking lots of water to applying heat and wearing loose cotton clothing — may ease your agonizing UTI symptoms or prevent them in the first place:

1. Get Your Fill of Water

One of the first things to do when you have a urinary tract infection is drink plenty of water. That’s because drinking water can help flush away the bacteria that's causing your infection, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), which puts you on the right track for recovery.

How much should you drink depends on your size. Aim for half of your body weight in ounces of water, up to 80 ounces (oz) a day, says Holly Lucille, ND, RN, a naturopathic doctor in private practice in West Hollywood, California, and author of Creating and Maintaining Balance: A Woman’s Guide to Safe, Natural Hormone Health. If you weigh 140 pounds, that means you should try to get 70 oz of water a day. And if you have kidney disease, the NIDDK stresses caution: Check with your physician about how much fluid is safe for you to drink.


2. Load Up on Vitamin C for a Healthy Urinary Tract

Getting plenty of foods high in vitamin C is important, because large amounts of vitamin C make urine more acidic. This inhibits the growth of bacteria in your urinary tract, according to the Johns Hopkins Medicine health library. If you have an active UTI, taking vitamin C supplements may help, too, advises Kandis Rivers, MD, a urologist at Henry Ford Health System in West Bloomfield, Michigan.

3. Soothe UTI Pain With Heat

Inflammation and irritation from UTIs cause burning, pressure, and pain around your pubic area, Dr. Rivers says. Applying a heating pad can help soothe the area. Keep the heat setting low, don’t apply it directly to the skin, and limit your use to 15 minutes at a time to avoid burns.

4. Cut Bladder Irritants From Your Diet

When you have a UTI, caffeine, *******, spicy food, nicotine, carbonated drinks, and artificial sweeteners can irritate your bladder further, making it harder for your body to heal. Focus on healthy foods, such as high-fiber carbohydrates, which are good for your digestive health, says Dr. Lucille.


5. Go Ahead, Empty Your Bladder Again

Every time you empty your bladder — even if it’s just a small amount — you rid it of some of the bacteria causing the infection, according to the NIDDK. So keep making those bathroom runs, advises Rivers.

RELATED: 4 Hidden Causes of Bladder Pain

6. Consider Herbal Remedies

You may find some relief from taking the herb uva ursi (bearberry leaf), which is used as a treatment for lower urinary tract infections. But Rivers cautions that it should be taken only for short periods of time — five days or less — as it could cause liver damage. In addition, the herb goldenseal may be used as a remedy for UTIs, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. It's smart to tell your doctor about this and any other medicat
 
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