Check If It’s A Urinary Tract Infection
Symptoms of a urinary tract infection may include:
- pain or a burning sensation when peeing
- needing to pee more often than usual during the night
- pee that looks cloudy, dark or has a strong smell
- needing to pee suddenly or more urgently than usual
- needing to pee more often than usual
- lower tummy pain or pain in your back, just under the ribs
- a high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery
- a very low temperature below 36C
What To Do If You Must Take Antibiotics To Minimise Their Negative Effects
Following a natural protocol does take more time, effort and products so in some cases you might not be in a position to get it done. Like, you might be in the middle of the Inca Trail with a raging infection and no access to D-Mannose. In these cases, you take the antibiotics and you do everything you can to minimise their harmful effects. Lucky for you, Ive written a blog that covers 5 steps to save your gut after antibiotics.
If you are a UTI sufferer, I urge you to give the natural options for UTI treatment without antibiotics a go. If you would like more information on how to get to the root cause of your UTIs, so that they stop being a regular issue, please head to the Work With Us page to learn more about how we work online with clients in many countries to test for and treat the many root causes of UTIs, IBS symptoms and other GI conditions.
Note: Affiliate links for iHerb and Amazon have been included in this blog post. These do not adversely affect the price you pay.
Things You Can Do Yourself
To help ease symptoms of a urinary tract infection :
- takeparacetamolup to 4 times a day to reduce pain and a high temperature for people with a UTI, paracetamol is usually recommended over NSAIDs such as ibuprofen or aspirin
- you can give childrenliquid paracetamol
- rest and drink enough fluids so you pass pale urine regularly during the day
- avoid having sex
Some people take cystitis sachets or cranberry drinks and products every day to prevent UTIs from happening, which may help. However, there’s no evidence they help ease symptoms or treat a UTI if the infection has already started.
Also Check: How Long Does It Take For Antibiotics To Help Uti
Can Urinary Tract Infections Be Prevented Or Avoided
There are many lifestyle choices that can help you prevent UTIs. These are some of the things you can do to protect yourself from them:
- Drink plenty of water to flush out bacteria. For some people, drinking cranberry juice may also help prevent urinary tract infections. However, if youre taking warfarin, check with your doctor before using cranberry juice to prevent urinary tract infections. Your doctor may need to adjust your warfarin dose or you may need to have more frequent blood tests.
- Dont hold your urine. Urinate when you feel like you need to. Some children dont go to the bathroom often enough. If your child does this, teach him or her to go to the bathroom several times each day.
- Wipe from front to back after bowel movements. Teach your child to wipe correctly.
- Urinate after having sex to help wash away bacteria.
- Use enough lubrication during sex. Try using a small amount of lubricant before sex if youre a little dry.
- If you get urinary tract infections often, you may want to avoid using a diaphragm as a birth control method. Ask your doctor about other birth control choices.
- Avoid taking or giving your child bubble baths.
- Wear loose-fitting clothing , and dress your child in loose-fitting clothing.
- If you are uncircumcised, wash the foreskin regularly. If you have an uncircumcised boy, teach him how to wash his foreskin.
What About Antibiotic Resistance
Resistance rates for antibiotics are always variable based on local patterns in the community and specific risk factors for patients, such as recent antibiotic use, hospital stay or travel. If you have taken an antibiotic in the last 3 months or traveled internationally, be sure to tell your doctor.
High rates of antibiotic resistance are being seen with both ampicillin and amoxicillin for cystitis , although amoxicillin/clavulanate may still be an option. Other oral treatments with reported increasing rates of resistance include sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim and the fluoroquinolones. Resistance rates for the oral cephalosporins and amoxicillin/clavulanate are still usually less than 10 percent.
Always finish taking your entire course of antibiotic unless your doctor tells you to stop. Keep taking your antibiotic even if you feel better and you think you don’t need your antibiotic anymore.
If you stop your treatment early, your infection may return quickly and you can develop resistance to the antibiotic you were using previously. Your antibiotic may not work as well the next time you use it.
Recommended Reading: What Is The Best Antibiotic To Treat Boils
Use Essential Oils With Caution
Oregano essential oil is well known for its strong antibacterial properties. Studies have shown that oregano oil can be very effective at killing E.coli, but it should be noted these studies are generally done in vitromeaning in a lab using scientific techniques, not performed in humans with infections. Lemongrass oil and clove oil may also be a home remedy for UTIs because of their antimicrobial properties, but both have been studied against harmful bacteria in similar experiments as Oregano oil.
Its important to take care before using essential oils as a treatment. The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy advises against ingesting these oils. Instead, essential oils may be safely used topically with a carrier oil or inhaled from a diffuser.
Will A Uti Go Away On Its Own Male
Antibiotics are an effective treatment for UTIs. However, the body can often resolve minor, uncomplicated UTIs on its own without the help of antibiotics. By some estimates, 2542 percent of uncomplicated UTI infections clear on their own. In these cases, people can try a range of home remedies to speed up recovery.
Donât Miss: How To Get Over Tonsillitis Without Antibiotics
Read Also: Antibiotics For Mucus In Lungs
What To Do Next
If antibiotic treatment does not reduce the patients UTI symptoms, the doctor may perform other tests. The doctor is most likely to do a urine culture and sensitivity test to know what causes the infection. In effect, they could prescribe the most appropriate treatment.
The doctor may also require additional tests related to underlying conditions, such as a pelvic ultrasound or a computed tomography scan. This way, it would be easier for the doctor to find out the potential causes further.
Meanwhile, dental procedures may often require antibiotics before surgery. So, it would be best to take care of our teeth. Dental providers are everywhere . For this reason, lets make it a part of our routine to visit the dentists regularly.
How Are Urinary Tract Infections Diagnosed
Your doctor will usually be able to tell whats causing your pain by your description of your symptoms, along with a physical exam. Testing your urine can also help your doctor identify what type of infection you have. Usually, a sample of your urine is taken in your doctors office and sent to a lab to check for infection.
You May Like: Antibiotics For H Pylori Eradication
When Do You Need Antibiotics
In its SIGN 88 guidelines for UK healthcare, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network recommends antibiotic treatment for otherwise healthy women, under 65, who have three or more symptoms of UTI.
Potential symptoms of UTI are listed as follows: pain passing urine , frequency of urination, bladder pain, urgency, passing lots of urine , and passing blood in the urine .
âThe guidelines recommend using dipstick tests to guide treatment decisions in otherwise healthy women under 65 years of age presenting with mild or more than two symptoms of UTI,â comments Ali. âPut simply, if symptoms are severe, urine testing is not required before initiating treatment.â
Read Also: What Is The Best Probiotic For Diarrhea Caused By Antibiotics
Why Do I Keep Getting Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary tract infections are very common, affecting 50-60% of women at some point in their lifetime , and can be very unpleasant.
According to the NHS, there are approximately 9 million GP appointments per year for UTI. This suggests that up to 1 in 7 of the UK population require treatment every year. Failure to treat UTIs can lead to serious health complications â in 2019, the NHS spent £434m treating 184,000 emergency hospital admissions for UTI.
Recommended Reading: What Antibiotic Is Used For Gonorrhea
Recommended Reading: What Antibiotics Do You Take For An Ear Infection
Is It Safe To Treat Utis Without Antibiotics
Antibiotics are effective treatments for UTIs. Sometimes, the body can resolve minor, uncomplicated UTIs on its own, without antibiotics.
Complicated UTIs require medical treatment. These are some factors that can make the infection complicated:
- changes in the urinary tract or organs, such as a swollen prostate or reduced flow of urine
Should Uti Treatment Vary According To Whats Causing The Infection
Your UTI treatment may vary according to whats causing the infection. Certain UTIs, especially chronic and recurring ones, will need antibiotic treatment as opposed to simple home remedies.
If youre prescribed antibiotics to treat a UTI, a healthcare professional may choose an antibiotic thats specific to the type of bacteria thats triggering your infection.
Recommended Reading: Antibiotics For Uti While Pregnant
What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Utis
UTIs can cause such signs as:
- pain, burning, or a stinging sensation when peeing
- an increased urge or more frequent need to pee
- fever
- waking up at night a lot to go to the bathroom
- belly pain in the area of the bladder
- foul-smelling pee that may look cloudy or contain blood
If you have any symptoms of a UTI, you’ll need to go to a doctor right away. The sooner you begin treatment, the less uncomfortable you’ll be. Call your doctor’s office or clinic. If you can’t reach your doctor, you can visit an urgent care center or hospital emergency room. The most important thing is to take action as soon as possible.
Do Cranberries Cure Utis
No home remedies for UTIs exist. Drinking water can help to flush the infection from your body faster, and keep you hydrated for example, but its not a cure.
Similarly, cranberries are not a UTI remedy, although theres limited proof suggesting compounds present in cranberries, including sulfuric acid, may decrease the likelihood of repeat UTIs in women because they prevent certain bacteria from latching onto the wall of the urinary tract.
Between cranberry juice, cranberry extract and various cranberry supplements, no cranberry products are any better or more effective than others, as none have been specifically studied. That said, if you do seek out cranberry juice, opt for unsweetened cranberry juice, not cranberry juice cocktail.
Don’t Miss: Do Antibiotics Make You Gain Weight
Signs That A Uti Is Not Responding To Antibiotics
Naturally, the most obvious sign that your UTI isnt responding to antibiotics is the persistence of infection-related symptoms. Additionally, you might even develop new symptoms. If you have a fever , lower abdominal pain, chills, nausea, or vomiting, consult a doctor immediately.
If youre pregnant with a UTI and start having contractions, be sure to seek medical attention right away. Although UTIs are common in expectant mothers, they can become problematic if not addressed quickly. They may increase your babys chances for premature birth and low birth weight.
In general, if ignored, UTIs create serious medical complications . At times, a kidney infection is considered life-threatening, especially in cases of septicemia. This happens when bacteria enters your bloodstream and leads to blood poisoning.
Should You Get Antibiotics For Uti How To Get Your Uti Treated
If youre a woman, you have a good chance of getting a urinary tract infection at some point in your life. If youve already had one, you may be at risk of getting another. But men can get UTIs too.
UTIs are extremely common. Theyre a result of bacteria entering the urethra and taking hold. They have the potential to be very damaging, but there are some easy ways for you to treat UTIs before things get that far.
Were going to discuss antibiotics for UTI in this article, as well as other methods you can try out and start feeling some relief.
Read Also: Antibiotics For Reptile Respiratory Infection
What Is A Urinary Tract Infection
UTIs are common infections that happen when bacteria, often from the skin or rectum, enter the urethra, and infect the urinary tract. The infections can affect several parts of the urinary tract, but the most common type is a bladder infection .
Kidney infection is another type of UTI. Theyre less common, but more serious than bladder infections.
What Is The Urinary Tract
The urinary tract makes and stores urine, one of the body’s liquid waste products. The urinary tract includes the following parts:
- Kidneys: These small organs are located on back of your body, just above the hips. They are the filters of your body removing waste and water from your blood. This waste becomes urine.
- Ureters: The ureters are thin tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to your bladder.
- Bladder: A sac-like container, the bladder stores your urine before it leaves the body.
- Urethra: This tube carries the urine from your bladder to the outside of the body.
Read Also: Strep Throat Do You Need Antibiotics
Common Side Effects With Antibiotic Use
Each antibiotic is responsible for its own unique list of side effects, and the list is usually extensive. Be sure to discuss your individual antibiotic side effects with your healthcare provider. However, there are side effects that are common to most antibiotics, regardless of class or drug:
Related: Common Side Effects from Antibiotics, Allergies and Reactions
Treatment Length For All Utis
No matter what kind of bacterial infection you have and where its located, the best antibiotic treatment for UTI is generally the shortest one. This is to lower your odds of developing antibiotic resistance and to decrease your risk of a yeast infection or infectious diarrhea.
Still, its imperative that you take all the antibiotics prescribed, even after symptoms subside. Most UTIs resolve within three to 10 days. Stopping your antibiotics early, before the drugs eliminate all bacteria, can create a breeding ground for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, too.
Read Also: Can You Take Advil With Antibiotics
Why Wouldnt I Just Take The Antibiotics Instead Of Worrying About All This
This is a fair question, and I understand that it may seem tempting to simply get a prescription and not have to worry about your symptoms. Unfortunately, any kind of antibiotic prescription has devastasting long-lasting impacts to your health, specifically your microbiome. Up to 50 percent of all antibiotics prescribed are not actually needed .
Instead of rushing to get antibiotics straight away, I recommend trying some of the above methods to see if it gets better on its own. If not, and you start to notice your symptoms get increasingly worse, then it is time to see a doctor and take the drugs. For myself, luckily, the pain was never too excruciating that I could not go to work or function. It was irritating, but I stuck with the above methods and now I am pretty much back to 100 percent. Your body was built to be able to heal on its own, as long as your immune system is strong and healthy. Keep in mind that antibiotic resistance is a huge problem and taking several courses of antibiotics without considering the long term impacts is not smart. Antibiotics work because they wipe out the bad bacteria, but these drugs do not pick and choose between bad and good bacteria. They kill everything. After a single course, your gut flora is pretty much wiped, which leads you vulnerable for getting more infections. If you do taking antibiotics, please, please take a high quality and strong probiotic . This is the best way to mitigate the damage!
Are Quinolones Safe
The fluoroquinolones, such as ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin have also been commonly used for simple UTIs however, FDA safety recommendations strongly suggest that this class be reserved for more serious infections and only be used if other appropriate antibiotics are not an option.
- An FDA safety review found that both oral and injectable fluoroquinolones are associated with serious and potentially disabling side effects involving tendons, muscles, joints, nerves and the central nervous system.
- These adverse effects can occur soon after administration to weeks after exposure, and may potentially be permanent.
- Patients should discuss the use of fluoroquinolones and their side effects with their healthcare provider.
However, certain oral fluoroquinolones may be appropriate for more complicated UTIs, including pyelonephritis and complicated UTIs in men with prostate involvement. For the outpatient treatment of uncomplicated pyelonephritis, the following quinolones may be appropriate. Based on resistance patterns , an inital dose of a long-acting parenteral antimicrobial, such as ceftriaxone, may be needed, or a 24-hour dose of an aminoglycoside.
Patients should be informed of the most current FDA warnings surrounding the use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics.
Read Also: Does Strep Throat Need To Be Treated With Antibiotics
How Common Are Utis
According to the National Kidney Foundation, 20% of women will experience a UTI at some point in their life. Of those, one in five will have a second UTI, and 30% of that narrowed group will have a third. Additionally, 80% of women who have three UTIs will have repeat infections after that.
Men also experience UTIs, but far less frequently. Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to be sexually active to get a UTI, although it does increase your likelihood as intercourse can facilitate the spread of bacteria.
