Managing a urinary tract infection (UTI) quickly requires a combination of flushing the urinary system and seeking professional medical treatment. While home strategies can help manage symptoms, they do not typically cure the underlying infection.
To address your UTI symptoms right away, do the following:
How to Get Rid of a UTI at Home
Drink lots of water
This is probably the easiest tip. Drinking lots of water can help flush bacteria out of your bladder faster. Because it makes your urine more diluted, it can also help with some of the burning and stinging that you feel while urinating.
Drinking fluids helps people recover from a UTI. The best things to drink when you have a UTI are water, low-sugar electrolyte drinks, and unsweetened cranberry juice. You should avoid drinks that can irritate your bladder when you have a UTI like caffeinated beverages, acidic drinks, and alcohol.
Treating a UTI
One antibiotic option is double-strength trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, taken twice a day for three days.
Management included hospitalization, bed rest, attention to diet, plasters, narcotics, herbal enemas and douches, judicious bleeding (direct bleeding, cupping and leeches), and surgery for stones, abscess and retention.
Minor urinary tract infections can sometimes get better on their own. However, most UTIs need antibiotics to go away. You absolutely need antibiotics if you have a UTI as well as: A fever.
DO eat probiotics — plain Greek yogurt and fermented food such as sauerkraut and pickles. They contain “good” bacteria that can help keep the bad bacteria at bay. DON'T eat a lot of acidic fruit, such as oranges, lemons or limes during the infection.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are usually caused by bacteria from poo entering the urinary tract. The bacteria enter through the tube that carries pee out of the body (urethra). Women have a shorter urethra than men. This means bacteria are more likely to reach the bladder or kidneys and cause an infection.
A UTI can last several days up to a week without antibiotics. If symptoms are persisting longer than a week then antibiotics are typically necessary. However, this timeframe may vary based on factors including the severity of the infection and whether you have other medical conditions that can delay healing.
AZO Urinary Pain Relief (phenazopyridine) is an over-the-counter (OTC) medication that reduces symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI). But AZO cannot treat a UTI on its own. So you should take it along with an antibiotic in most cases.
Common symptoms of urinary tract infection include:
Some home remedies for UTIs really do work, like drinking more water, changing your birth control method and using vaginal estrogen. Drinking enough water. In a study of premenopausal women with recurrent UTIs, drinking 1.5 liters more than they usually did decreased UTI occurrence by half.
Conditions such as Interstitial Cystitis (IC), Overactive Bladder (OAB), pelvic floor dysfunction, or bladder irritation from certain foods can cause similar symptoms without a bacterial infection.
10 Common Causes of UTI: From Hygiene to Underlying Health Conditions
4 Things to Avoid When You Have a UTI
Uva Ursi, or bearberry, has a long history of use in treating urinary tract issues. The leaves contain compounds that can have antimicrobial properties, potentially combating the bacteria responsible for UTIs.
While it's true that some mild infections may improve with rest and hydration, many UTIs still require evaluation and treatment. For this reason, knowing when it's appropriate to monitor symptoms at home versus when to see a doctor can help you make the best decision for your health.
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the most common cause of UTI and is responsible for about 80 to 85% of all UTIs. Other bacteria involved in UTIs include Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas and Enterococcus. UTIs are rarely due to viral, fungal and parasitic infections.
Symptoms may include: Burning or pain when you pee. Feeling like you have to pee all the time, even when little urine comes out. Cloudy, dark, or foul-smelling urine.
Risks of leaving a UTI untreated
One of the primary risks is that the infection can ascend from the bladder to the kidneys, resulting in a more severe condition that's harder to treat. Kidney infections can cause long-term damage and, in rare cases, lead to life-threatening conditions like sepsis.
Drinking cranberry juice is probably one of the most popular home remedies for UTIs. While the research is a bit unclear, cranberries have been used as a prevention of UTI for generations. Studies have shown that cranberries actually make it harder for the bacteria that cause UTIs to stick to the urinary tract walls.
UTI symptoms often include a burning sensation when you urinate and a frequent, urgent need to pee. It's normal to wonder how long a UTI will last and what you can do to relieve symptoms. Many people feel better within a week, especially if they take antibiotics.