If you have ever experienced Urinary Tract Infection or UTI, then you know the misery you had gone through. You don't want it again. You get the urge to pee, go to the toilet, but nothing comes out. You get back to your seat and a few minutes later you rush to the toilet.
History repeats. No pee again.You feel the pain and feel miserable throughout the day. That is UTI; it is a bacterial infection.When bacteria enters the opening of the urethra and breeds in the urinary tract including bladder, urethra or kidneys, it causes infection termed as Urinary tract Infection (UTI).
UTI or Urinary Tract Infection is more common among women than men. UTI is one of the top 5 reasons women visit doctors.
If you follow some natural remedies at home and maintain basic hygiene, you can get rid of UTI without visiting a doctor.
Let us first understand what urinary tract infection is, and why more women get infected as compared to men? Whether you are a man or a woman, UTI can be very painful and can cause a lot of agony.
Anatomy (women have smaller urethra than men), sexual activity, contraception, pregnancy, menopause and personal hygiene are some of the prominent causes of UTI in women, which some time can turn into cystitis.
The most common cause of UTI particularly in men is holding the urine back for a long time. If you are a man, then make it a cardinal rule to never hold your urine for a long period.
If your urine color is dark, without any specific reason such as taking certain medicine, then you can be sure that you have been holding your urine for longer than required.
It might not have been infected yet, but you have increased the probabilities very high to get UTI.
You can know it as soon as you began to get the symptoms. The most common symptom of UTI is the constant urge to urinate. Though the urge is strong only a little urine may pass. Pain in the pubic area radiating to the lower back may also follow.
If the infection reaches the kidney than the fever vomiting and nausea can be felt.That is bad. You have stretched it too far.
You can do a lot in daily routine to avoid and even sure UTI by being a little smart in your daily routine activities.
Urinary tract Infection Home Remedies
The best UTI home remedy is to drink a lot of water. This large consumption of water will help cleansing of the bladder. This particularly helps in the early stages of the infection.
Water keeps the filtering system efficient. So the more water you drink, the more you will excrete through the urinary system. Your kidneys function more efficiently and Bacteria, if any will be flushed out without building colonies to cause a full blown UTI.
Drinking all kinds of fruits and vegetable juices will do the same impact of cleansing of the kidneys and the bladder.
In addition to drinking lots of water daily, the following 3 remedies will get you back to normal conditions fast.
1. Cranberry Juice
Cranberry juice has been found to have the ability to fight bacteria. It is important that you drink fresh cranberry juice as the potency is high.
2. Baking Soda
Baking soda has been found very useful by many people as an effective UTI home treatment. Just half a tablespoon of baking soda added to a glass of water is enough to treat it in the early stages of the urinary tract infection.
Baking soda is alkaline and as a result it neutralizes the acidity in your urine. So baking soda will reduce the pain sensation during the process of peeing. Even if you don't pee, you will not get severe pain as you were getting without taking baking soda.
Remember, we are talking about baking soda, and not the sugary soft drink. Artificial sweeteners have been found to aggravate bladder infections so avoid it and other irritants until your symptoms of UTI disappear.
3. Parsley
Parsley acts as a diuretic. Diuretics are the substance that helps to increase urination by inhibiting sodium and potassium absorption. So when you drink a lot of water and take diuretics like parsley , you will be able to urinate and will flush out bacteria from the urinary system and kidneys.
If you take half a cup of fresh parsley in one cup of boiling water and continue to keep it on low heat to steadily simmer it for 10 minutes. You are ready with your UTI flushing parsley drink. Strain the leaves and drink the water hot.
There are many other ways that are effective in reducing symptoms. Using hot compressions, reflexology, aromatherapy and wearing loose fitting clothes are all helpful in reducing the symptoms and providing UTI pain relief.
But always remember one thing, whenever you get an urge to pee, don't hold it. Find the first available toilet and pee. That itself will save from the trouble of getting infected.