Urinary Tract Infection Remedies For UTI Infection

UTI or Urinary Tract Infection is an infection that could either be of the urinary bladder or the kidneys. Generally, bacteria do not exist in the urine and they end up there by gaining entrance from the genitals. Women are especially at risk of UTIs because of the short length of their urethra that causes an infection to start from the urinary opening and ascend into the urinary bladder and cause an infection called cystitis. This does not mean that men cannot get the disease but it is extremely rare. When the infection continues to ascend from the urinary bladder up towards the kidneys and finally infects it, the problem is called pyelonephritis. This is a much more serious condition that can sometimes cause a trip to the hospital and intensive care unit.

The offending bacteria that cause a UTI are E.Coli. This is a bacterium that exists in the human gut and when wiping after defecating, the practice of back to front wiping is the major cause for transferring the bacteria. Additionally, excessively rough sexual activity is also a cause for the disease to occur. The urinary bladder is by itself quite equipped to deal with a bacterial invasion and has a protective layer on top of the epithelial layer of the bladder.

This layer does not allow pathogens to bond to the surface and end up being flushed out. The symptoms of a UTI include frequent, painful urination, sometimes pus in the urine, and urination at night. Fever could also result but only if not treated. Pyelonephritis manifests as pain in the back that causes severe distress, vomiting, fatigue, thirst, fever, and night sweats. The treatment for both of these conditions is the use of fluroquinones. This is a class of antibiotics that includes ciprofloxacin. This is usually all that is required to treat cystitis.

Dietary Regimen For Treating UTI

From a dietary perspective, cranberry juice is shown to have some effect. As mentioned before, there is preventative lining on the bladder that prevents pathogens from binding onto the epithelial wall and cranberry juice contains a substance called proanthocynidin that prevents the adhesion of pathogens to the urinary bladder wall. Apart from this, there are no home remedies that won’t break down until they reach the kidneys and therefore are of no use in treating a UTI. Preventative measures include indulging in good genital hygiene at all times and especially if you are a sexually active woman.