Can You Get Rid of a Uti Without Antibiotics

UTI Treatment Without Antibiotics

Roughly 50-60% of all women volition feel a urinary tract infection (UTI) at some point in their lifetime (1). Non merely are UTIs one of the most common types of bacterial infections, they're also responsible for billions of dollars in health intendance costs each year (ii). Antibiotics are commonly prescribed for UTIs, just antibiotics take tons of downfalls. Equally a health professional and every bit someone who's had to deal with her fair share of UTIs over the years, I'm going to share with you my pearls of wisdom and go into the nitty gritty details of how I get rid of UTIs without the employ of antibiotics.

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What are UTIs?

Urinary tract infections are acquired past an overgrowth of "bad" bacteria in the urinary tract. The urinary tract used to exist thought of equally a sterile environment, simply recent investigations show that the urinary tract, similar the digestive tract and other parts of your body, has its own bacteria-filled microbiome that plays a protective part in urinary health (3). Generally speaking, when the "bad" bacteria outnumber the "proficient" bacteria, bad stuff happens.

The most common culprit is Escherichia coli (Due east. coli), which is responsible for roughly 80-90% of not-hospital-acquired UTIs (4). When your body'due south natural defenses fail you, East. coli is able to multiply similar crazy and stick to the walls of your urinary tract. The stickiness of Eastward. coli is what tin can really make UTIs tricky to bargain with.

UTIs can affect whatever part of the urinary tract: the urethra, bladder, ureter, and, in severe cases, even the kidneys, though bladder infections are the most common types of UTIs (5).

How to tell if you have a UTI

UTIs are diagnosed past a urine test – this can be washed at a doctor's role. There are also over-the-counter tests that you lot can practise at abode. AZO test strips are a popular calm UTI test that I have personally used (y'all'll want to test your urine first thing in the morning and read the results at the right times). Make certain you go tested at the first sign of symptoms. (I also like to re-test after I care for the UTI to make certain the infection is actually gone.)

Common symptoms of a float infection include:

• Burning/pain while peeing
• Cloudy urine
• Weird smelling urine
• Stronger and more frequent urge to pee
• Feeling like y'all need to pee, merely not much comes out

If a bladder infection goes untreated (or if treatment doesn't work), the infection can spread to the kidneys.

Common symptoms of a kidney infection include:

• Pain where your kidneys are located (they're located on your back, below your ribs, and on either side of your spine)
• Fever/chills
• Nausea/vomiting

Kidney infections can be very serious and require an immediate visit to a doctor for treatment. If a kidney infection isn't treated, irreversible kidney damage can occur (5).

What causes UTIs?

Women are more prone than men to go UTIs – this is mainly due to the urethra.

The urethra is a tiny tube that is located most the vagina (on the front wall, beneath the clitoris, simply just above the vaginal opening). The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the float to the exterior of the body. The length of the urethra in women is much shorter than it is in men, and so "bad" leaner (such every bit E. coli) don't have to travel as far to reach the bladder and cause infections.

Common causes of UTIs:

Wiping the incorrect way

Women have the misfortune of having the urethra located but around the corner from the anus, so it's easy for bacteria from the colon to brand their way over to the urethra and crusade infection. This is why it'south so important to always wipe front-to-back.

Sex

Insufficient lubrication during vaginal sexual practice tin cause as well much friction/irritation to the urethra, increasing your chances of infection (so make sure you partake in some foreplay to aid rev up your engine earlier any penetration takes place; yous can as well apply a not-irritating lubricant, if needed).

"Bad" bacteria can also be introduced by your partner or a sex toy. Bacteria that's in/near your vaginal opening that is "shoved" into the area near the urethra during sex can lead to infection as well.

UTIs that are related to sex activity can exist avoided when both parties practice proper hygiene and toys are properly cleaned. It tin can also help to pee earlier and after sex to flush out unfriendly organisms around the urethra before they take a chance to wreak havoc.

Too warm and moist

Having an excessively warm and moist environment in the crotch tin can create an environment that unfriendly organisms love. This can be acquired by: wearing tight-plumbing fixtures pants, wearing non-breathable underwear made from constructed textile (opt for cotton fiber underwear or other natural fabrics), wearing panty liners or pads all the time, and and then on. Sitting effectually in a wet bathing adjust or moisture clothes (including post-workout sweaty undies… eww) is also a recipe for disaster.

Sure undies

Thongs may exist able to help you go rid of visible panty lines, but they can come up at a price. Since the dorsum part of a thong is very probable to come into contact with Due east. coli from your colon/anus, it tin hands transfer Due east. coli to the urethra if the thong placement shifts during the twenty-four hours (this is fifty-fifty more problematic if you vesture a thong during workouts).

Non peeing often

Belongings it for long periods of fourth dimension instead of excusing yourself to pee when you first feel the urge can increase your chances of UTIs. So can dehydration. The reason? Infrequent urination can give any "bad" bacteria that are already nowadays in your urinary tract more time to multiply and cause infection (ane).

Messing with Mother Nature

Douches, sprays, perfumes, harsh soaps, feminine deodorants and other products that are aimed at covering up the natural scent of your vagina are not really doing you any favors. Not only are these products more often than not irritating to a very sensitive role of your trunk, but they often upset the natural balance of bacteria in that region (increasing your chances of "bad" bacteria taking over and causing infection).

Pads and tampons?

It's been my personal experience that pads and tampons can lead to UTIs. This may be a result of the material that these products are made from or the environment that's created when these products are used (going dorsum to the point about excessive warmth and moistness). I've personally found that my recurrent UTIs finally stopped afterward I switched to using a menstrual loving cup in 2015.

UTI treatment options

Antibiotics for UTIs

Nigh conventional doctors will prescribe antibiotics to treat UTIs. Antibiotics definitely have their drawbacks:

• Antibiotics disrupt the balance of bacteria throughout your trunk (two, vi) – the "good" bacteria go wiped out along with the "bad" leaner, allowing room for other pathogens, such every bit candida albicans, to take over (this is why it's not uncommon for women to become vaginal yeast infections after taking antibiotics)
• Antibiotics can atomic number 82 to antibiotic-resistant bacteria (which are much harder to get rid of) (ii, 6)
• Antibiotics can cause adverse health effects, such equally nerve damage, joint pain, tendonitis, dizziness, calorie-free sensitivity, gastrointestinal distress, chest hurting, seizures, liver disease/failure, dumb kidney function, and others (7, 8, ix, x, 11, 12, 13, xiv, 15, xvi, 17, 18)

I, personally, adopt to avert antibiotics unless they're absolutely necessary. Because of this, I've found other means that I can nip a UTI in the bud without having to rely on antibiotics, as long as I tackle it early. The methods that I use don't work for everybody and there are cases where antibiotics are truly needed (such every bit when the infection spreads to the kidneys).

D-mannose for UTIs

Ane of the well-nigh effective products that I've found to cease a UTI in its tracks is D-mannose powder. D-mannose is a blazon of saccharide (related to glucose) and only small amounts of D-mannose can actually be used past the body – the rest gets expelled through urine. Studies suggest that D-mannose works by sticking to Due east. coli, which prevents the E. coli from sticking to y'all… so when you pee, the bacteria are more easily flushed abroad (19, 20).

Is D-mannose effective for UTIs?

Studies have looked at the effectiveness of using D-mannose prophylactically in order to prevent the recurrence of UTIs. In ane item study, 308 women were initially given a course of antibiotics (Cipro) for 1 week, so they were divided into 3 equal groups. The kickoff group received 2g of D-mannose powder daily, the second grouping received 50mg of nitrofurantoin (antibiotic) daily, and the third group received nothing. Subsequently half-dozen months, 98 of the 308 women experienced a recurrent UTI, with lx% of these women coming from the tertiary grouping that received no prophylactic treatments. 20% of the women in the antibiotic grouping experienced a recurrent UTI and only 15% of women in the D-mannose group experienced a recurrent UTI. (nineteen) Other studies that take tested the effectiveness of D-mannose for UTIs have seen similar results (21, 22).

Though I don't recommend using treatments prophylactically across the board in social club to prevent recurrent UTIs, this info may be useful for those with more stubborn cases. In my professional opinion, you're generally much better off figuring out what's contributing to your UTIs and making changes as needed in gild to prevent UTIs from recurring.

Is D-mannose safe?

When D-mannose is used appropriately, it's relatively safety for those who are already in good health. The nigh mutual side furnishings of D-mannose are diarrhea and bloating, though some resources warn that it could harm the kidneys if taken in large doses (D-mannose may not be appropriate for those who already accept kidney bug). D-mannose is generally non recommended for those with diabetes or for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding (mainly considering D-mannose hasn't been studied yet for pregnant/breastfeeding women, so it'south best to err on the side of caution) – definitely check with your doctor if you fall into one of those categories. (23)

Should I have D-mannose pulverization or D-mannose capsules?

Whether y'all decide on D-mannose powder or capsules is a personal choice. I personally prefer the pulverisation form of D-mannose. With powder, it's easier to customize the dose to your specific needs and if y'all don't like swallowing pills, powder is definitely the way to get. Going with powder too allows y'all to avert the extra ingredients/fillers from the capsules themselves. As far as sense of taste, I would draw D-mannose as having a balmy, sweet sense of taste – it'due south not unpleasant (in my opinion), simply it can take some fourth dimension for some folks to get used to the season.

D-mannose dosing and frequency

There currently aren't any articulate guidelines for advisable dosing of D-mannose for UTIs. That said, the following is the regimen that I've personally used. This is not intended to deed as medical advice; this is simply to provide an insight into what I personally do when I have a UTI.

I've establish that it takes several doses of D-mannose to be effective against UTIs. At the first sign of UTI symptoms, I deliquesce i teaspoon of the D-mannose powder in some water and drink it upward; I repeat this every two to iii hours.

When I do this, I've noticed that symptoms start to improve after a couple hours or so, and my symptoms are totally gone within i-two days. After symptoms are gone, I then gradually reduce the frequency that I take the D-mannose powder (I unremarkably cut it down to 4-5 times per day, then iii-4 times per day, and so on). I generally terminate upward taking the D-mannose pulverisation for a full of 5 to 7 days.

During the time that I'thou taking D-mannose, I also make sure I hydrate like crazy. I aim to beverage at least 8 ounces of h2o every hour while I'yard awake. The more you pee, the less chances the bacteria have to attach to the walls of your urinary tract, and the quicker you can flush them out.

[Annotation: it'south not good to have also much water in a very short time-frame – this can cause water toxicity, which tin can exist deadly. It'due south ordinarily all-time to spread out your water evenly throughout the day instead of drinking a agglomeration all at in one case.]

Probiotics for UTIs

In addition to taking D-mannose, I also accept a probiotic supplement that is aimed at supporting urinary tract health. The "good" bacteria in the probiotics can help keep the "bad" leaner nether control. Renew Life Ultimate Flora Vaginal Formula is ane probiotic that I like for urinary/vaginal support.

Ane of the reasons why UTIs are then likely to reoccur later taking antibiotics is probably because of the harm that antibiotics inflict on the microbiome. Equally already stated, antibiotics wipe out "expert" bacteria along with the "bad" bacteria. Since "skilful" bacteria play a role in the forcefulness of your immune arrangement (among other things), you're making yourself more than vulnerable to future infections by taking antibiotics.

Should I take pain relievers for UTIs?

UTIs are painful and information technology's super tempting to reach for pain relievers at the commencement sign of infection – I go it. That said, I personally don't similar to use hurting relieving products when I have a UTI.

The reason?

It'due south easy to under-treat the infection when y'all don't feel symptoms. Information technology's also piece of cake to fail to seek other treatment quickly if the method you selected isn't working. Either of these scenarios can lead to developing a kidney infection, which is much more than serious and requires an immediate trip to the doctor.

I would much rather deal with the irritation of the UTI (which normally just lasts for a couple of hours, as long as I utilise D-mannose right away) than to take a imitation sense of security almost the status of the infection.

On a personal note: I've had UTIs spread to my kidneys twice (not a adept time, I assure y'all – a lot of nausea and projectile vomiting was involved). My kidney infections required serious courses of antibiotics to treat. In BOTH CASES, I had finished my form of antibiotics for the bladder infection, yet the infection still managed to spread to my kidneys. This merely goes to prove yous that you lot can't presume that antibiotics will always care for a UTI.

To recap the steps to care for UTIs…

• It'south ameliorate to prevent UTIs instead of having to continuously treat UTIs. Expect at your lifestyle and see if there's annihilation that you lot're doing (or wearing) that could exist contributing to UTIs. This may require some detective work (for me, trading in the pads/tampons for a menstrual cup put an cease to my recurring UTIs). When in doubt, work on strengthening your immune organisation and overall health – you can do this past eating whole foods (fugitive heavily processed foods), taking probiotics, drinking enough of water, correcting any nutrient deficiencies (vitamin D is a large one for allowed system wellness), limiting exposure to environmental toxins, getting sufficient sleep, lowering stress, being active, reducing food-induced inflammation… among other things.
• If you have symptoms of a UTI, go to your doctor or take an at-home UTI test, then treat the UTI ASAP – the earlier y'all care for information technology, the better. If you can, take another UTI examination afterwards handling to assistance ensure that the infection is really gone.
• If you want to treat your UTI without antibiotics, D-mannose shows a lot of promise for UTIs in the few studies that have been conducted then far (I've also personally experienced UTI relief from using D-mannose).

This commodity was originally published on Nov 17, 2014, merely was updated and re-published on March 10, 2019.

Amanda Austin is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified LEAP Therapist who approaches health and wellness from an integrative and functional perspective. She loves a skilful DIY, making a mess in the kitchen, and working upwards a sweat. She'south also obsessed with her incredibly spoiled fur-babies, which includes a rambunctious Boston Terrier, 2 cranky business firm cats, and 3 bouncy chickens.

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