Natural Ways to Beat a UTI

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UTIs (urinary tract infections) are the blight of many women's lives when they strike. They are less likely to affect men but are extremely common in women, because women's urethras are shorter, which allows the bacteria that causes the infection easy access to the bladder. The National Kidney Foundation claims that 1 in 5 women will have one at some point, and many suffer them quite frequently; especially the kind known as cystitis.

Symptoms include:

• Burning when urinating, or in the general area even when not peeing
• Frequent and urgent need to pee, though little comes out when you try
• Pain in lower back and abdomen
• Cloudy (the cloudiness is the bacteria build-up) or sometimes strange-colored urine
• Blood in urine
• Feeling chilly or feverish can indicate that the infection has moved into the kidneys (needing urgent medical attention).

Because they are so prevalent among the population, over the years, women and doctors alike have identified natural methods of easing the burning pain that comes with a UTI. A lot of the time, UTIs can be ˜flushed out' and will clear themselves up in a few days by following the key points below. Be aware that anyone suffering persistent and very painful UTIs should visit their doctor to get antibiotics “ UTIs left to proliferate can cause serious bladder and kidney infections.

Here are our sure-fire ways to tackle the bane of a UTI as soon as you feel that first burning twinge.

Stay Hydrated

Dehydration is a key factor in the development of UTIs. Drinking a lot of H2O not only keeps you fully-functioning, looking fresh and feeling awake, it also causes you to go to the toilet more often, flushing out that pesky bacteria in your urinary tract.

Drinking buckets of water also relieves some of the strain on your bladder: the infection causes a feeling of needing to pee a lot, when you actually don't. Straining to pee with nothing to give is bad for your bladder. Drinking a lot of water fills up your bladder quickly so that when you go to pee, there's likely to be something to let go of!

When You Gotta Go¦

You gotta go. Holding in your pee makes it much more likely that bacteria will spread. Urologist Lisa N. Hawes, MD suggests that holding it in for six hours or more can increase your risk of getting a UTI, especially if you're prone to them. That means always going to the toilet before bed and taking regular breaks on long journeys.

Vitamin C

Eating foods high in Vitamin C makes your urine more acidic, which inhibits the bad bacteria's growth. Take regular Vitamin C supplements if you get regular UTIs.

Cram in the Cranberries

Cranberry juice and cranberry tablets are your friend! An old wives' tale has long revered the healing properties of cranberry for treating UTIs, though science is pretty divided as to whether it does help to heal the infection. Still, thousands of women swear by cranberry juice when they're struck down with the illness, and plus, cranberry juice is delicious.

If you would rather avoid high sugar content of cranberry juice, consider probiotics for women from Amazon, which contain cranberry extract along with a host of other supplemental nutrients that will help to return you to full health.

D-Mannose

D-Mannose is our newly-found wonder treatment for a UTI. Symptoms can be completely wiped out within 48 hours of consuming the supplement “ a true miracle! It comes in the form of powder or tablets and is derived from cranberry, so it is safe for long-term use if you suffer on a regular basis. This means you can use it preventatively if you know your triggers for setting off an infection: for instance, if you get them from sexual intercourse or during hot weather, take D-Mannose to stop the infection from ever developing.

Steer Clear of Alcohol and Caffeine

Both are diuretics, which cause you to become dehydrated “ a big no-no while you're dealing with a UTI. Stick to just water, and a lot of it, to flush out your system. Sip some sugar-free cranberry juice when you're bored of plain old H2O!