NATURAL HEALTH REMEDIES: MOST HELPFUL HOME REMEDIES FOR BLADDER INFECTION

If you feel burning or stabbing pain when you urinate, you might have a bladder infection. Bacteria growing in the bladder or urethra cause bladder infections. The urethra is the tube that takes urine out of your body.

Anyone can get a bladder infection, but they’re more common in women than men or children. Bladder infections are also called urinary tract infections (UTIs). The best home remedies for bladder infections include a combination of drinking a lot of water and lifestyle adjustments.

1. Drink Water-A lot of Water

This may not sound like the most extraordinary remedy, but it is one of the most important things you can do when you have a UTI. It can help flush out bacteria, and (almost) more importantly, it gives you something to actually push out when you pee! A lot of home remedies for urinary tract infections are drinks because you should always be flushing fluid through your system to give it a helping hand in getting rid of the nasty bacteria.

2. Frequent Urination

Bacteria can grow in your bladder for a variety of reasons. “Holding it,” or not going to the bathroom when you need to, can increase the risk of bacteria growth. One of the best remedies and preventive tools for bladder infections is to urinate frequently.

It’s especially important to urinate after having sex. Sexual activity can push bacteria deeper into the urethra of both men and women. Urinating soon after sex flushes bacteria away from your urinary tract, so it can’t settle and cause an infection.

3. Ginger Tea

No list dealing with any condition that involved any kind of inflammation would be complete without ginger. Its chemical make-up allows it to block prostaglandin synthesis, a process which creates little messengers (aptly called prostaglandins.) Prostaglandins communicate about a variety of biological processes, such as inflammation. They also transmit pain signals to neurons. It can therefore help to prevent inflammation, reduce current inflammation, and reduce pain. This is the same process that OTC anti-inflammatory medications-just without all the nasty side-effects!

4. Cranberry Juice

Cranberry juice is bit further down than you might expect on a list of home remedies for a UTI, but its helpfulness is not set in stone as much as people seem to think. The idea behind it is that the bacterium that causes UTI’s have fimbria (hair-like) appendages-that make it possible to cling onto the lining of the urethra. The combination of acidic substances in the juice may make it harder for the fimbria to stick to things, thus reducing chance of infection and/or making it harder for bacteria to multiply. Studies seem to show that it does indeed help, however, it is the most effective on women who have had UTI’s before, or suffer reoccurring infections. You also need to drink a decent amount of it to get the effects, and many people in the studies withdrew because they found themselves with a stomachache. All of that being said, its worth trying-and you may just find that it really does work for you.

5. Berries

Blueberries are from the same genus as cranberries, Vaccinium, and may also help ward off potential UTI’s by affecting the fimbria of the bacteria trying to attach itself to the urinary tract. Blueberry juice isn’t as easy to come by as cranberry juice (and is usually mixed with things like grape or apple juice), so try consuming these tasty berries whole instead.

6. Use a heating pad. 

Apply a warm, but not hot, heating pad to your abdomen to minimize bladder pressure or discomfort.

WHAT TO AVOID?

Avoid coffee, alcohol, and soft drinks containing citrus juices and caffeine until your infection has cleared. They can irritate your bladder and tend to aggravate your frequent or urgent need to urinate. Chocolate, citrus, carbonation, and caffeine-these are 4 things that you should avoid if you find yourself getting UTI’s frequently. All of them can irritate the lining of the bladder, and potentially make it easier for bacteria to adhere. Citrus will increase the acidity of your urine, which will make it even more painful to pee. When possible, try to steer clear of as much of these as you can-it’s not easy, but it can make life more bearable. On the other hand, some people can find citrus actually helps, hence the “maybe” in the title.

Source:

http://www.healthline.com/health/bladder-infection-treatments#Overview1

http://everydayroots.com/uti-remedies

http://www.everydayhealth.com/urinary-tract-infections/helpful-home-remedies-for-urinary-tract-infections.aspx

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-tract-infection/basics/lifestyle-home-remedies/con-20037892