Why Do Women Get Utis More Often Than Men
Women are more susceptible to getting a UTI thanks to their anatomy. Their urethras are both closer to the rectum and shorter in length than mens urethras are theyre also near the vagina. In other words, womens bodies naturally present a convenient access point for the myriad bacteria that commonly cause UTIs.
How To Prevent Bladder Infections
Though natural remedies arent guaranteed to get rid of early UTI symptoms, there are some natural ways to discourage UTIs from forming in the first place.
Now, before we get into prevention, please remember: If youre a woman, youve got a high chance of a UTI. That doesnt mean youre gross or doing anything wrong. You happen to have a vagina and thats just the way it goes.
Still, you can reduce your chances of infection, and most of the methods are free and easy.
Pee after sex
Theres a bit of a myth that an increased number of sexual partners leads to an increased risk of UTI. But a study from the University of Michigan found no connection between number of partners and UTIs. Foxman B, et al. . Health behavior and urinary tract infection in college-aged women. Instead, they found that peeing after sex was way more helpful in preventing UTIs than limiting your sexual partners.
When you urinate, the pee itself flushes out your urethra. So, that E. coli gets washed away before it gets a chance to make your life miserable. Though it seems a like a tiny, insignificant thing, a quick pee after sex can keep you from days of painful urinations.
Wipe from the front to the back
Dont draw germs from your rectal area toward your vagina and urethra. Every time you wipe, it should be from the urinary area toward the rectum.
Dont use a diaphragm
Dont have sex
Signs That Uti Is Not Responding To Antibiotics
What if you feel lower back pain? Is this a sure sign that infection is progressing to the kidneys and antibiotics are not working?
While lower back pain could be an important sign of kidney infection, in many cases low back pain alone is not a sure sign that bacteria ascended to the kidneys, it could be just pain radiating from the bladder due to UTI, clarifies Dr. Hawes. However, if you are experiencing fever and/or nausea, these are very serious symptoms and you should seek immediate medical attention.
This is when the chances are higher to get sick with an infection caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria:
- You underwent multiple UTI treatments in your lifetime
- If you have been using the same antibiotic for previous infections
- Stopped taking antibiotics and didnt finish all the pills that your doctor prescribed you
- If you are guilty of keeping a stash of antibiotics and self-treating UTIs, cold, travel diarrhea, etc.
- Youve been recently hospitalized
- If you are immunosuppressed or have any serious chronic health issues, for example, uncontrolled diabetes.
Dr. Hawes highlights that it is important to request a urine culture test before deciding on a type of antibiotic. If you are taking multiple antibiotics without checking bacterial drug sensitivity, its a guessing game that only increases your chances to develop resistant bacteria.
Read how torevert antibiotic resistance with diet.
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Kefir Vs Yogurt Vs Buttermilk
Kefir, yogurt, and buttermilk are all types of fermented dairy products. However, they have slightly different properties.
Kefir and yogurt are very similar, as they both consist of milk fermented with beneficial bacteria. They have similar nutritional profiles, are relatively low in fat, and are a source of protein. It is also possible to make both with dairy-free milk alternatives, and people can use them in foods in similar ways.
Buttermilk is different from yogurt and kefir. It is a thin liquid that occurs as a byproduct of churning butter. Some buttermilk contains live cultures, but not all. It contains mostly water, lactose, and casein, which is a type of protein in milk.
People typically use buttermilk for baking but may also drink it.
Load Up On Vitamin C For A Healthy Urinary Tract
Getting plenty of foods high in vitamin C is important because large amounts of vitamin C make urine more acidic. This inhibits the growth of bacteria in your urinary tract, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine’s health library. However, if you have an active UTI, you may want to avoid citrus or other acidic foods. These foods are known to irritate the bladder, which is the last thing you need when youre having pain urinating.
Read Also: Male Uti Treatment Without Antibiotics
What Is The Fastest Way To Flush A Uti
Option #: Bacterial Antibiotic Resistance
Have you taken all prescribed antibiotics but your symptoms are only getting worse? It could be that your bacteria are resistant to this type of drug.
You might have heard about superbug bacteria that withstand all available antibiotics. Well, increasingly, bacterial resistance is a real-life problem that physicians facing more often than before.
Here are the main signs that could signal that your bacteria are resistant to the prescribed medication:
- You are feeling worse, while youve been taking antibiotics diligently for over 48 hours.
- You are experiencing fever or nausea .
Realistically, you should feel much better by the third day of an antibiotic treatment, the bacterial load should be lowered, and therefore symptoms should subside, says Dr. Lisa Hawes even if not all symptoms resolved, you definitely should not have cloudiness, odor, or blood in your urine 48 hours after starting antibiotics.
Recommended Reading: Kidney Infection Treatment With Antibiotics
How To Get Rid Of A Uti In 24 Hours
Are you experiencing painful urination and a constant need to run to the bathroom? If so, then youre already wondering how to get rid of a UTI in 24 hours. The seven home remedies in this article can help.
If youre still experiencing symptoms after 24 hours, then you need antibiotics. To get your hands on them, youll need to visit the doctor.
The doctors at Oxford Urgent Care will provide you with prompt treatment and relief. Check out our contact information and visit our office as soon as possible to remedy your UTI.
Why Your Uti Test May Be Negative Even When You Have Symptoms
How about a study that looked at bacterial DNA in the urine of women with UTI-like symptoms who also had a negative culture test?
To summarize, the researchers looked at urine samples of women without symptoms and a group with UTI-like symptoms. They performed two tests: a culture test and a DNA-sequencing test that allows identifying if there is any bacterial DNA in the urine.
According to the study, 90.5% of symptomatic women with a negative urine culture tested positive for Escherichia coli bacteria with molecular methods compared to about 5.3% of women without symptoms.
This allowed the researchers to conclude that culture tests might not be sufficiently accurate and if a patient complains of urinary tract infection symptoms, she might as well be treated for an acute UTI.
The findings are gaining traction among chronic UTI sufferers who feel that the study finally gives more credibility to their complaints.
However, argues Dr. Hawes the significance of finding bacterial DNA may be different than the significance of finding live growing bacteria. Does the DNA stay around after an infection? If so, for how long? How do you determine antibiotic sensitivity based on DNA findings rather than live growth?.
As Dr. Hawes concludes, We dont yet understand the clinical significance of this data. In other words, do not dismiss the results of your culture test because of this study.
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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.
How Do I Get Rid Of My Uti Without Antibiotics
It is possible to get rid of UTI from the body without the use of any form of antibiotics. This method of treating UTI last for short period but recur again and again. Also, most of these remedies are aimed at easing the symptoms.
Some of the common remedies used at home include:
- Drinking or consumption of plenty of water
- Drinking cranberry juice
Read Also: Antibiotics For Mucus In Lungs
Can You Treat A Uti Without Antibiotics
Antibiotics are an effective treatment for UTIs. However, the body can often resolve minor, uncomplicated UTIs on its own without the help of antibiotics.
Complicated UTIs will require medical treatment. These UTIs involve one or more of the following factors:
- changes in the urinary tract or organs, such as a swollen prostate or reduced flow of urine
More severe risks of using antibiotics include:
What The Uva Ursi / Bearberry Research Tells Us
As with most natural UTI remedies, the study into the effectiveness of Uva ursi is very limited. The following studies are by no means conclusive, and do not all specifically deal with urinary tract infections.
Uva ursi studies:
What was tested:
- The effectiveness of standardized extracts of Uva ursi leaf and dandelion root and leaf for UTI prevention.
- Whether over the counter Uva ursi products can inhibit the multiplication of Staphylococcus saprophyticus, a urinary tract pathogen.
- The effect of Uva ursi dried leaf on healthy people.
What was found:
- Standardized extracts of Uva ursi leaf and dandelion root and leaf resulted in a significant reduction of UTI occurrences in females with chronic UTI.
- Uva ursi reduced the activity of Staphylococcus saprophyticus in a soluble solution and helped prevent the increase in pH that normally occurs due to bacterial activity.
- Consumption of Uva ursi dried leaf resulted in a significant amount of arbutin in the urine a constituent of Uva ursi with antimicrobial activity.
- Uva ursi appears to have a diuretic and anti-inflammatory effect, greatly increasing urine output, which may assist in flushing pathogens from the urinary tract.
What you need to know about Uva ursi:
Summary on Uva ursi for UTI:
- Uva ursi may be helpful in the prevention of UTI.
- More research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of Uva ursi in humans.
Recommended Reading: Antibiotics Commonly Prescribed For Uti
Uti Gone Get The Green Light From The Doctor
Great, you have been taking your antibiotics regularly as prescribed and finally finished your UTI treatmentnow what? Head back to the docs office! Youll have to take another pee test to make sure youre officially rid of that awful UTI. Never assume your urinary tract infection magically vanished on its own, because bacteria is sticky, and isnt easily removed from the urinary tract. Better yet, head to the store to pick up a cranberry supplement, they help flush the urinary tract!
Make sure to get the proper treatment for a UTI from your doc, and once you know your UTI is gone, take cranberry to help maintain a healthy urinary tract.
Helps inhibit the progression of infection until you see a health care professional. AZO is not intended to replace medical care.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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Cranberry Juice And Extracts
Who hasnât been told to âdrink cranberry juiceâ to treat a UTI? Itâs probably the most common and poorly understood home remedies to get rid of a UTI without antibiotics. So how do we separate false claims from facts?
Science. That pesky little tool we turn to when Facebook group discussions get really heated. Now not all science is the same.
The most powerful scientific tool is a randomized controlled trial. This is the fancy doctor term for taking two groups of patients and randomly assigning them to a placebo or a treatment. Then let the results speak for themselves.
A 2021 review paper of existing randomized controlled trials on the effectiveness of cranberry consumption revealed that cranberry juice has no known benefit, but cranberry extracts may help get rid of a UTI without antibiotics.
If cranberry juices helps then itâs probably a combination of the placebo effect and hydrating . The reasons why cranberry juice is not a great choice?
This is probably why high quality cranberry extracts show more promise in getting rid of a UTI without antibiotics. One great option is from Utiva Health, which loads its supplements with PACs. PACs are the compounds in cranberries which flush out bacteria and keep your bladder healthy.
Will consuming cranberry juice or extracts help you get rid of a UTI without antibiotics?
Also Check: Best Probiotic To Take After Taking Antibiotics
What The Wild Oregano Oil Research Tells Us
Although wild oregano oil has demonstrated strong antibacterial and antifungal properties, there have been no studies in humans to evaluate its effectiveness for the treatment or prevention of UTI.
Wild Oregano Oil studies:
- The antibacterial activity of wild oregano oil.
- The activity of carvacrol against biofilm development.
- The antimicrobial and antifungal activity of carvacrol bearing essential oils.
- Wild oregano oil as an alternative antimicrobial agent against vaginal infections.
- The antifungal activity of wild oregano oil as compared to the most common antifungal drugs.
What was found:
In vitro
- Oregano oil was active against all tested strains of E.coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but strains of E.coli were more sensitive to the oil.
- Carvacrol was demonstrated to be effective against the usual biofilm development in S. aureus and S. enterica serovar Typhimurium, S. epidermis bacteria and candida species
- Escherichia coli 1, E. coli 2, Staphylococcus aureus 3 and Candida albicans isolated from vaginal infections were found to be susceptible to wild oregano oil.
- Wild oregano oil displayed greater antifungal activity than the most common antifungal drugs against Candida albicans.
In vivo
- When placed in the ear canal of rats, Carvacrol effectively treated infections of the middle ear caused by pneumococci or Hemophilus Influenza.
- Oral candidiasis in immunosuppressed rats disappeared completely from the tongue mucosa in the animals treated with carvacrol.
Practice These Healthy Habits
Preventing urinary tract infections starts with practicing a few good bathroom and hygiene habits.
First, its important not to hold urine for too long. This can lead to a buildup of bacteria, resulting in infection .
Peeing after sexual intercourse can also reduce the risk of UTIs by preventing the spread of bacteria .
Additionally, those who are prone to UTIs should avoid using spermicide, as it has been linked to an increase in UTIs .
Finally, when you use the toilet, make sure you wipe front to back. Wiping from back to front can cause bacteria to spread to the urinary tract and is associated with an increased risk of UTIs .
SUMMARY
Urinating frequently and after sexual intercourse can reduce the risk of UTI. Spermicide use and wiping from back to front may increase the risk of UTI.
Several natural supplements may decrease the risk of developing a UTI.
Here are a few supplements that have been studied:
- D-Mannose. D-Mannose is a type of sugar that is found in cranberries. Research suggests its effective in treating UTIs and preventing recurrence (
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The Lowdown On Natural Treatments
D-mannose
D-mannose is a supplement made from a glucose-like sugar that you can find online or in health food stores. D-mannose is most helpful at preventing E. coli from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract, says Rice. D-mannose in recurrent urinary tract infections. . If taken with a lot of water, this can effectively flush out the bacteria that is causing the infection.
Rice often tells patients to take 500 milligrams every two to three hours when experiencing symptoms however, the best dose is individual. You can find more guidelines here, and when in doubt, a good rule of thumb is to follow the manufacturers guidelines. Be sure to drink lots of water throughout the day to help the D-mannose remove the bacteria. Again, if the symptoms persist more than 24 hours or get worse, get yourself to the doctor.
D-mannose isnt recommended for those with diabetes, and if youre taking other medications, you need to talk to a doctor before starting this treatment. Diarrhea is a common side effect.
Althaea officinalis, otherwise known as Marshmallow, is an anti-inflammatory herb widely available in powdered, supplement, and tea form. Althaea officinalis is a demulcent herb that can soothe and coat the lining of the urinary tract to help decrease inflammation, says Rice. Make a strong tea and sip throughout the day.
Uva-ursi
Just add water
