Popularly known as urinary tract infection, urinary tract infections are extremely common and far more prevalent in women than in men. Altogether, there are four types of urinary tract infection: cystitis (infection of the bladder), urethritis (infection of the urethra), pyelonephritis (infection of the kidneys) and infection of the ureters. Check out the symptoms of urinary tract infection.
The symptoms of the infection vary, but symptoms of the type usually show signs such as pain and urgency when urinating . To relieve and treat the symptoms, some medicines and home remedies can act against the disease. Confirms nine tips for treating urinary tract infection .
Drink a lot of water
Drinking water is very important at all times, but for anyone who has a urinary tract infection it is essential.
That’s because the more water you drink, the more urine is produced – which is a way to get rid of symptoms quickly. It is as if we are washing the bladder more often and, therefore, eliminating unnecessary or harmful residues.
Go to the bathroom whenever you feel like
It is not recommended to hold urine in your bladder when you feel like going to the bathroom. Leaving the urine in the bladder for a long time can increase the risk of infection, either by going to the bathroom a little, due to an anatomical alteration.
Use heat as a pain medicine
A remedy for pain in cases of urinary tract infection is compresses with a hot water bag. This is because the local heat acts as an anti-inflammatory.
Sitz baths for urinary tract infection
Sitz baths are often used to relieve symptoms of urinary tract infection. According to Daniel Simões, sitz baths act on blood circulation and metabolism, favoring the regulation of body temperature, relieving the symptom of pain and can be used in all age groups.
However, there is no consensus on the effectiveness of sitz baths to help treat or prevent urinary tract infections.
It is important to just pay attention to the temperature of the sitz baths to avoid burns in the region.
Abuse of cranberry juice
The cranberry , an original fruit of North America, has been suggested for the treatment of urinary tract infection.
Studies maintain that the use of juice or extracts based on this fruit acts by decreasing the recurrence of urinary tract infection. The mechanism of action is uncertain, but the fact is that people using the fruit have fewer episodes of urinary tract infection, as well as have milder symptoms.
That’s because cranberry is rich in proanthocyanidin, a substance pointed out by studies to be 15 to 25 times more potent than vitamin E to inhibit the adhesion of E.coli- type bacteria to the bladder mucosa, fighting urinary tract infections.
Currently, cranberry can be found in the form of juice in Brazil, but its consumption can be done in other ways, such as direct ingestion of the fruit among other recipes.
Use probiotic foods
The bacteria present in probiotic foods work as allies against urinary tract infection. This is because these bacteria help to sustain a healthy balance of microorganisms in the intestine, vagina and the body in general.
Keeping health in balance, microorganisms that fight bacteria can help reduce the occurrence of urinary infections.
It is worth remembering that probiotic foods are those that present beneficial bacteria to the body, such as those found in yogurt and fermented milk.
Vitamin C against urinary tract infection
According to Daniel Simões, vitamin C, or Ascorbic Acid, helps to inhibit bacterial growth. However, there is no consensus among the medical community about the effectiveness of vitamin C in preventing or decreasing the symptoms of urinary infections.
The important thing is to make use of the recommended medications and implement the dietary changes that were recommended by the doctor. Foods that contain vitamin C are oranges, cabbage, cauliflower, tomatoes, berries, kiwi, broccoli, spinach, guava and grapefruit.
It is worth mentioning that, although beneficial to the body, when consumed in large quantities, vitamin C can harm the body.
Recent studies show that excess vitamin C can favor the appearance of kidney stones, as the vitamin is not eliminated by the renal system. Therefore, its supplementation is not indicated.
Eliminate caffeine and alcohol from the diet
Foods with caffeine – such as coffee, teas, chocolates and soft drinks – should be avoided for cases of urinary tract infection in general.
It is not a prohibition, but it is recommended that they be avoided. Caffeine can cause a little irritation in the bladder and end up accentuating the symptoms.
Benefit from homeopathy
The treatment of urinary tract infections with homeopathy is carried out according to the patient’s history, individually and according to the causes of the problem, which the specialist doctor can identify. It can even be combined with antibiotics to enhance the effect and decrease the pain when urinating.
It hurts, and in this way we go to the doctor. Suppressing pain, the patient considers himself cured and at this moment we can have more severe conditions like pyelonephritis.
