Bacterial growth in the urethra causes bladder infections which may reveal themselves by painful urination or pain in the bladder area even when you are not urinating. The following tips will show you 7 reliable ways of managing bladder infections.
Increase your water intake
Take a lot of water to dilute your urine and to help empty your bladder while taking the bacteria with it. Unlike acidic urine which can be caused by a lot of caffeine intake, dilute urine will not cause you the burning feeling that signals UTI.
Urinate when your bladder is full
Never ever hold back urine especially when you already have symptoms of UTI. If you don’t let it out when you feel like it the bacteria will stay longer inside your urinary system and possibly led to increased bacterial growth. It is recommended that you urinate after having sex since the activity can push bacteria deeper into the urethra. Urinating will get rid of them before they attach themselves to your urinal tract.
Antibiotics
At times UTIs resolve themselves with natural remedies and constant hydration, but if your symptoms persist antibiotics can help. You should get examined by a doctor so that he may give you the appropriate prescription basing on the severity of your infection and other factors. A dose of antibiotics should be taken in full even after the symptoms subside or else the symptoms will occur again.
Pain relief medicines
You can swallow ibuprofen or acetaminophen tablets that can be found over-the-counter to relieve the pain in the urethral area which can happen even when you are not urinating.
Apply Heat
Place a heat pad or apply warm compresses with a moist towel above your urethra or around the area where you feel the pain.
The heat will soothe you by reducing the inflammation, relaxing your muscles and acting as a pain reliever.
Loose clothing
Avoid clothing that is too tight on your groin area since they will trap moisture and cause the bacteria to feel at home to multiply and fill your urethra. Wear clothes that allow your urinary canal to access enough air instead of trapping moisture. Keep the area dry by wearing cotton underwear which allow air circulation and absorb humidity.
Cranberry juice
JAMA Internal Medicine journal found out that cranberry juice has been successfully used as a remedy in UTI treatment of women who keep having recurrent UTIs. However, it has been established by other researches that sometimes it does not work as effectively for other people because the acid causes bladder irritation. In as much as the juice can prevent multiplication of bacteria, the acidity increases the burning pain during the process of urination.
These remedies can work in combination, for instance when you are taking antibiotics do not sideline drinking a lot of water, or trying to relieve your pain. They work together to give you relief. Let’s hope that someday scientists will create a UTI vaccine so that this problem can be dealt with in advance.
