Effective Remedies To Treat Urine Infection At Home

What is UTI? A bacterial infection anywhere in the urinary tract caused primarily by Escherichia coli, nicknamed E.coli in the scientific community, can be broadly referred to as a Urinary Tract Infection. This could mean there’s a culture of these bacteria either in your ureters, urethra, urinary bladder, and worse still in the kidneys.

Urinary tract infection (UTIs) is one of the common health issues faced by both men and women. It could be found with some common symptoms such as the urge to urinate often, passing very little urine, experiencing a burning sensation while urinating, changes in the color of urine, pain in the abdomen, fever, nausea, and vomiting. It might be caused due to the bacteria as it infects the bladder and exit tubes, which is known to be a urinary tract infection. However, there are several common causes of UTIs which include sexual intercourse, holding the urine for a longer period in the bladder, pregnancy, menopause, and diabetes. Also, it is more common in women than in men. If you find any of these aforementioned symptoms, then you have to treat it suddenly as it might cause damages to the kidney. But there are several natural remedies to avert and treat urinary tract infections.

* Drink Water

“How to cure a UTI?” Just a gallon of water should do. There is no limit as such, to how much water you should be drinking as a natural remedy for a UTI. Enjoy as many glasses as you can but make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water over the entire day so that you can flush chunks of the bacteria out of your system every time you urinate. Increased consumption of water causes what is called as a ‘flushing’ effect, and that is exactly why you should start with drinking lots of water as a first step in treatment of UTI. Also, to make the treatment more efficient, drink as much water as you can on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. This will alter the bowel movements in a way that will help you ease any kind of abdominal pain or cramps that happen in the case of a UTI.

* The Baking Soda Trick

Baking soda, looks like, is the most popular alkalizer today in the market. However, it is important to use this home remedy in moderation and with at least a minimum awareness about how the ingredient works. With that cautionary note, let me tell you, use baking soda to treat your Urinary Tract Infection only until the symptoms disappear. Do NOT continue using even after the symptoms are gone and definitely not for more than one week whatsoever.

Mix ½ teaspoon to 1 (at the most) in one glass of pure water and gulp it down quickly before the effervescence is gone. You might get a burp or two, which is not something you need to worry about. That is how baking soda expels carbon dioxide from your gut, and this is a sign of neutralization. Once you provide this alkaline environment to the gut, the bacteria responsible for causing your UTI will first stop multiplying and eventually die. Baking soda for UTI is hence once of the easiest ways to treat the problem at home naturally.

* Include Watery Foods In Your Diet

When they say that your body should be sufficiently hydrated, we think of bottles and bottles of water, and at the most think of fruit juices and smoothies. But hey! Did you know broccoli – green bunch of florets that go into most of the salads and indeed tastes heavenly – consists of NINETY per cent water by weight? Tell me that about watermelon and I would have believed but broccoli? Really? Hence, the lesson I learnt from the Broccoli incident is that there are tons of water-dense fruits and vegetables that are excellent ways of hydrating your body. Put that glass down once in a while and eat these fruits and vegetables, instead.

* A Little Of Apple Cider Vinegar

One major problem with an untreated UTI is that it could spread all the way from the bladder to the kidneys. Apple Cider Vinegar for a UTI works in multiple ways. It provides a hostile environment to bacteria and stops them from multiplying and worsening the infection. Plus, it curbs the spreading of these existing bacteria to the kidney.

All you have to do is take 1-2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar. You can consume it directly if you can handle it. Nonetheless, mixing it with a tablespoon of honey or diluting it in a cup of water are some alternatives that work efficiently as well.

* Bearberry

Bearberry has been a popular remedy for urinary and kidney-related problems since a long time among Native Americans. It has a compound in it called allatonin which works as a demulcent on the urinary tract system. It soothes the walls and reduces inflammation. Plus, it also helps in ridding you of the bacteria from the body. This, it does by reducing the acidity of the urine which helps in creating an unfavourable environment for the bacteria. Plus, it is a powerful diuretic. So, this way you pee frequently and all the uropathogens are out of the urinary tract quickly.

There are a number of forms in which Bearberry is available in the market. You could drink the Uva tea, or take tablets/capsules. There are concentrated tinctures available. However, the most efficient way of consuming is by brewing tea using the Bearberry leaves.

* Eat Plenty Of Probiotics

If you are looking for a UTI treatment without antibiotic usage, then ‘pro’biotics it is! Research shows that a decreased amount of good bacteria in the gut, Lactobacillus specifically, makes you more vulnerable to a UTI. When your gut and the vagina are sufficiently and in fact, over populated by the bacteria of the Lactobacillus species, women not only experienced relief (according to a research) from that bout of UTI but also suffered from fewer attacks in the future. Drinking probiotic or fermented milk, consuming foods like the regular or Greek yogurt and indulging in fermented foods like sauerkraut will rid you of the infection quickly.

* Drink Unsweetened Cranberry Juice

Cranberry juice, in fact, should have been the first in my list of home remedies, for, that is how effective this technique is. Drinking cranberry juice can give you results in as less as 2 hours. It not only shows the result quickly, it also remains effective upto 10 hours from drinking. Well, what is that effect? This natural remedy for UTI is all over the internet and that is what evoked the curiosity in me to find out if it was worth the limelight. And yes, it is.

The main problem posed by E.coli, the monster in this case, is that it sticks to the vaginal walls and remains there, causing all the possible discomfort while urinating. These particular species have powerful ‘adhesins’ that stick to the receptors of the vaginal walls. It is these adhesins that are rendered ineffective by some constituents of cranberry.

* Spice It Up With Cinnamon

Yes, you could spice up your life even with a UTI (with cinnamon, I mean). Cinnamon is not just going to add some vigour to your coffees and toffees but also has a ton of healing properties. One of it that’s going to take care of your UTI is the antibacterial property of the substance called cinnamaldehyde that’s present in this spice. You could use this bark either by ingesting the powder (not more than 4g a day) or you could consider using cinnamon oil (preferably 1g but definitely not more than 2g) or even capsules to relieve yourself from the debilitating symptoms of this infection.

* Add Some Turmeric To Your Diet

Turmeric is yet another wonder drug for fighting the ill effects of pathogens like bacteria, virus, and even fungi. UTIs are predominantly caused by bacteria, but could also be contributed by certain fungal species. Whatever be the cause, turmeric fights it off efficiently. The substances in turmeric to which the antimicrobial property can be attributed are circumin, turmerone and curlone. Like the constituents of cranberry, circumin also makes alterations in the bacterial cell compositions, which ultimately lead to the death of bacterial cells.

* D-Mannose – A ‘Naturally’ Occurring Sugar

The secret hero ingredient in cranberry juice that makes all the difference is this naturally occurring sugar called d-mannose. However, it is important to note that this sugar is found in all fruits. It sticks to stubborn bacteria that have invaded and adhered to the walls of the urinary tract. This way their adhesion to the organs decreases drastically and next when you urinate, the bacteria can be easily expelled from the system.

In case of a severe infection apart from supplying d-mannose to the body with fruits like berries, pineapples, peaches and of course, cranberry, you could also try supplementing with a d-mannose powder. Mix 2 grams which equates to 1 teaspoon of the powder in water and drink it once in every 3 hours. You could gradually decrease the dose once you find relief from the symptoms and eventually stop completely.

* Coconut

There are two ways you can use coconut oil to cure UTI. One is to directly consume organic coconut oil. You have up to as much as 3 and half tablespoons of coconut oil with a glass of lukewarm water. If you find the flavour unpalatable, blend it in a smoothie and keep slowly sipping it. You could also apply good amounts of this oil topically. The healthy fats present in this oil show antimicrobial properties which help your body fight the infection without having to tolerate the harsh side effects of antibiotics.

* Some Chopped Raw Garlic

Garlic is a powerful antimicrobial agent. It has the power to block the quorum-sensing (mentioned above) in pathogens which drastically decreases the intensity of harm those microbes can cause. The compound called allicin present in garlic is the primary agent that does all the wonders.

* Soak Yourself In A Sitz Bath

Since your visits to the bathroom are definitely going to be quite frequent until the infection subsides, try making friends with the bathroom. No, honestly – indulge in a relaxing sitz bath. Fill your bathtub with water which is as hot as you can possibly tolerate. Add a cup of Epsom salt, and you could even add a cup of Apple Cider Vinegar. Sit in the bathtub in a way that the hot water comes exactly till your hips. Try sitting in a position where you can spread your legs and make yourself really comfortable. Or you could use a sitz bath which is designed aptly for this purpose.

* Vitamin Way, I mean A

When there is an infection, the body’s immune system needs to be strong enough to knock the uninvited foreigners out. This is where Vitamin A comes in handy. It is given the tag ‘anti-infective’ for a purpose that it enhances the body’s defence response to infections, specifically in the gut. This, it does by strengthening the epithelial lining of the gut which functions as a barrier to protect the internal body from external pathogens.

* Oregano Oil

Do your homework (reading this article is a part of it, I know) and find a brand that can deliver you a bottle of 100% pure oregano oil which can be ingested. It is going to remind you a lot of pizzas, that’s the inevitable side effect and nothing can be done about that! However, you could use an empty gel capsule, fill it with 100% pure organic oregano oil and have two of them for at least 3 days.

It should take you about 10-12 drops to fill the capsule. Make sure you take this pill with juice or better still eat something after you have taken it. This is to ensure that is not hanging around midway in the gut and has actually gone into your stomach.

If you happen to see reduction in your symptoms, which I am sure you will, continue to take it for 2 additional days just to make sure the infection is completely gone. Oregano oil is replete with antimicrobial properties and is super effective in treating bacterial infections, flu, and even fungal infection like Candida. Plus, it does a huge favour of not killing the good bacteria. It in fact, strikes a perfect flora balance in your gut by removing the bad ones and keeping the good ones. Such a nice soul, isn’t it!

* Try Tea Tree Oil

Although you cannot internally consume tea tree oil, you can topically use it on the urethral opening. Tea tree oil is an effective natural remedy to both prevent and control the intensity of a UTI. It has antibacterial properties and can curb the growth of not just E.coli but a few other Staph infections and infections caused by the Streptococcus species as well. You could mix around 5-10 drops of this oil to either clean water or better still carrier oil like coconut oil. Apply it in the vaginal area every day till you rid yourself of the UTI.

* Parsley Tea

Another way you could possibly heal the urinary tract is by consuming Parsley tea for at least 3-4 days. In some severe cases, it can be continued up to a week or even ten days to experience full-fledged relief from the painful symptoms of this bacterial infection. The herb parsley is a diuretic – an agent that increases urine output. By consuming this tea you will observe that you need to urinate more than usual. This way you expel a lot of bacteria through urine. Also, the bacterial strands lose their power to stay attached to the urinary tract because of Parsley tea’s natural property of intensive penetration.

It is usually prescribed to take the whole of Parsley i.e. the leaves, the stems, and even the roots if possible. If you happen to have a herb garden, this isn’t too difficult for you. Take some fresh whole Parsley, chop it finely. Boil around 3-4 cups of water and take it off the fire. Now allow the Parsley to infuse itself in the boiled water for at least 20 minutes. Consume 4 cups of this each day until your UTI is gone.

* Green Tea

Apart from all the antioxidants that green tea is filled with, research now says that it also has an antimicrobial effect and specifically on E.coli bacteria. The substance called epigallochatecin (EGC), a particular kind of polyphenol or chatecin present in green tea is what makes the whole difference. This substance bestows an inhibitory effect on the bacteria situated all along the gut right until the urethral opening.

Consuming even one cup of green tea has shown considerable effect on the uropathogens. However, it is also important you select a high-quality and organic green tea because the method in which the plant was cultivated influences the chatecin content in the tea. Sipping on multiple cups of green tea over an entire day is an excellent natural remedy to treat UTI.