Natural Treatments for a Urinary Tract Infection: Getting Rid of a UTI Without Drugs
Urinary tract infections are a common ailment for women and most women will suffer from this painful type of infection at least once in their lifetimes. Typically medical treatment for a urinary tract infection involves a course of antibiotics that studies have shown the body can become immune to if taken too frequently. There are more natural alternatives to treating urinary tract infections that women can try before resorting to prescription drugs.
Symptoms of a Urinary Tract Infection
Despite efforts to prevent urinary tract infections a woman may still fall victim to this painful type of illness occasionally. Typical symptoms of a urinary tract infection include:
- The urge to urinate all the time without being able to go very much
- Pain during and after urination
- Cloudy, dark urine that may or may not have a strange odor
- Small amounts of blood in the urine
The following natural remedies may help relieve the pain of a urinary tract infection and even eliminate it.
Change the pH Balance of Urine with Supplements
The Urology Channel recommends that women with symptoms of a urinary tract infection take potassium citrate and sodium citrate supplements. These minerals help change the urine into a more alkaline pH which is hard for an infection to survive in.
Drink Cranberry and Blueberry Juices
Cranberry and blueberry juices have the ability to act as a natural antibiotic and can prevent infections from sticking to the bladder wall and the urethra. Women should drink at least two cups of these juices a day. It is best if a woman drink the juice in its purest form but if the flavor is too intense they can be mixed with apple or grape juices. It is important that women avoid drinking cocktail versions of these juices which contain sugar and only drink varieties that are made of 100% juice.
Herbal Therapies
Health and Age recommends women experiencing symptoms of a urinary tract infection try taking supplements or making teas with the following herbs:
- Uva ursi, buchu, thyme leaf, and pippsewa which act as antiseptics in the bladder
- Horsetail and plantain may help heal damage that a urinary tract infection has caused in the bladder
- Cornsilk and couchgrass which reduce swelling caused by infection
It is recommended that women take two herbs from each of the three categories each day for best results.
Drink Plenty of Water
Drinking more water when a woman has a urinary tract infection may sound like common sense but most women do not drink enough water daily, much less when they are sick. A woman with a urinary tract infection should drink at least ten to twelve cups of water a day to flush out the infection.
It is important that women suffering from a urinary tract infection be aware that not all will benefit from herbal remedies the same way. If a woman with an infection is treating herself naturally and after three days not seeing results or if symptoms are worsening she should call her doctor right away. This may be a sign that the infection is so bad that antibiotics are the only answer.
