Uti caffeine: What to eat (and what to avoid) during a UTI

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What to eat (and what to avoid) during a UTI

What to eat (and what to avoid) during a UTI | Edward-Elmhurst Health

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May 13, 2019
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by Edward-Elmhurst Health

Categories: Healthy Driven Life

Most women have experienced a urinary tract infection, or UTI.

While men can get UTIs, they mainly occur in females.

Once you’ve had an infection, it’s pretty easy to recognize the most common symptoms:

Abdominal pressure and pain
A burning feeling while urinating
A near-constant feeling of having to urinate, even if you just went, and often only going a small amount

Left untreated, these symptoms quickly intensify from annoying to painful.

If you start to feel the symptoms of a suspected urinary tract infection, don’t wait to see a doctor. The sooner you begin antibiotics, the better.

Along with an antibiotic, what you drink and eat during a UTI can help you get better faster.

Drink

DO drink a lot of water, even if you’re not thirsty. This will help flush out the bacteria.

DON’T drink coffee, alcohol or caffeine until the infection is gone. These drinks can irritate your bladder.

DO drink a shot of sugar-free cranberry juice, if you like it. Cranberry juice may help fight infection, though the effectiveness is still being studied.

Eat

DO eat blueberries. They may have the same effect as cranberries, which is keeping bacteria from sticking to the lining if your urinary tract.

DON’T eat spicy food. It could irritate your bladder.

DO eat probiotics — plain Greek yogurt and fermented food such as sauerkraut and pickles. They contain “good” bacteria that can help keep the bad bacteria at bay.

DON’T eat a lot of acidic fruit, such as oranges, lemons or limes during the infection. They can irritate your bladder. However, once your infection is gone, eating acidic fruit with vitamin C can help prevent future infections. Add grapefruit and strawberries to your diet, along with spinach and green peppers.

Once you are prescribed an antibiotic, take the entire course. Don’t stop, even if you feel better.

During the infection — and after — make sure to drink a lot of water, at least 12 8-ounce cups per day. This will flush out your system and help prevent future infections.

If you feel like you’ve got to go, GO! Don’t hold it, as this simply delays getting rid of more bacteria. Holding your urine also provides the perfect environment inside your bladder for bacteria to grow.

Besides holding your urine, other causes of UTIs include sex (always urinate before and after), kidney stones or a lack of estrogen, which helps protect women’s bladders against bad bacteria. Some women are genetically more likely to get UTIs.

Urinary tract infections are very common. Knowing what to eat and drink can go a long way toward preventing these annoying infections from disrupting your life.

When your medical needs can’t wait, Edward-Elmhurst Health has board-certified providers ready to treat your non-emergency urgencies.

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Foods You Shouldn’t Eat When Treating a UTI

If you’re experiencing discomfort when you urinate, your cup of coffee, hot-sauce-drenched tacos, or some other food could be to blame.

By Diana RodriguezMedically Reviewed by Kacy Church, MD

Reviewed: December 22, 2017

Medically Reviewed

Thinkstock; Peter Dazeley/Getty Images

According to the National Kidney Foundation, one in five women will have at least one urinary tract infection (UTI) in her lifetime — 20 percent of them will have more than one. In fact, bladder infections result in nearly 10 million doctor’s visits each year as women seek treatment for the pain, pressure, and constant urge to urinate.

A bladder infection occurs when bacteria enter the urinary tract. The bacteria irritate the urinary tract, which often results in painful urination and even lower abdominal pain or cramping. Though certain antibiotics can treat a bladder infection, it’s important to know the symptoms of a bladder infection to help your body heal — and to prevent further bladder irritation.

Not everyone with a bladder infection has obvious symptoms. But according to the Mayo Clinic, common signs of a bladder infection may include the following:

Blood in the urine (urine that looks red, bright pink, or cola-colored)
Feeling of pressure or cramping in the lower abdomen
Foul smelling urine
Kidney or bladder stones
Low-grade fever or chills
Pain during intercourse
Passing frequent, small amounts of urine
Pelvic pain
Stinging or burning feeling when urinating
Strong persistent need to urinate
Urine that is cloudy

A bladder infection can be irritating and painful, but it can become a very serious health problem if the bacterial infection spreads to your kidneys. That’s why understanding your body is important and seeking treatment early on for bladder infections helps you manage the symptoms.

Women are 10 times more likely than men to get bladder infections because they have a shorter urethra. In women, bacteria can reach the bladder faster because of the shorter distance.

While being a woman puts you at greater risk for bladder infections, other risk factors that are common include:

Abnormal urinary tract shape or function
Certain types of contraception, particularly diaphragms with spermicidal agents
Diabetes
Genetic predisposition — bladder infections run in some families
Postmenopausal. In postmenopausal women altered hormone levels are linked to bladder infections.
Pregnancy. Changes in a woman’s hormones during pregnancy increase the risk of a bladder infection.
Sexual activity. Bacteria is pushed into the urethra during intercourse. Also, having multiple sex partners increases the risk of bladder infections.

Additionally, a number of common foods and drinks — artificial sweeteners, spicy foods, alcohol, coffee, acidic fruits, citrus, or caffeinated drinks — can irritate your bladder, and may worsen UTI symptoms — so you should steer clear of them if you have signs of a bladder infection.

Take a Break From Coffee to Ease Bladder Infection Symptoms

Thinkstock

Sure, your morning cup of java perks you up, but it may also make your UTI symptoms act up again. Caffeine is known to irritate the bladder and worsen bladder infection symptoms. A study of people with interstitial cystitis (chronic inflammation of the bladder) found that people who drank coffee experienced worsened symptoms. Try a mug of noncaffeinated herbal tea to replace your morning coffee ritual until you are UTI-free.

Can Drinking Alcohol Cause a UTI?

Thinkstock

You may know that beer, wine, and liquor can irritate your stomach if you’ve got reflux or an ulcer, and alcohol can irritate the bladder, too, particularly if you have a bladder infection. Though you want to get plenty of fluids when you’ve got a UTI, it’s important to avoid alcohol. So, take a hiatus from cocktails — at least while you’re trying to flush out the bacteria and recover from a urinary tract infection.

Skip Citrusy or Caffeinated Sodas Irritate the Bladder

Thinkstock

Sodas in general have been found to irritate the bladder in people with chronic bladder inflammation, and they could aggravate symptoms in someone with a bladder infection. Citrus-flavored sodas (think your favorite lemon-lime concoction) and caffeinated sodas are the culprits when it comes to worsening urinary tract infection symptoms. So, when you’re struggling to overcome a bladder infection, stick to water or cranberry juice as your drink of choice.

Acidic Fruits Can Worsen Symptoms of a Bladder Infection

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Fruit may be an essential part of a healthy diet, but fruits containing a lot of acid can irritate the bladder — and worsen your UTI symptoms. So try to avoid lemons, oranges, grapefruits, and tomatoes when you’re treating a UTI. Other fruits that may cause bladder irritation and worsen a urinary tract infection include apples, peaches, grapes, plums, strawberries, and pineapple. You should also steer clear of juices made from these fruits.

Do Spicy Foods Irritate a Bladder Infection?

Shutterstock

Whether you top your nachos with jalapeños, sprinkle your pizza with red pepper flakes, or love your curry chicken extra hot, you’ve got to skip the spice when you have a UTI. Spicy foods are known to irritate the bladder and worsen UTI symptoms, so cool down your meals and opt for blander choices to treat a urinary tract infection.

Artificial Sweeteners May Worsen Bladder Symptoms

Thinkstock

When you’re trying to cut calories at every corner, artificial sweeteners may seem like a healthy replacement for sugar. But if you’ve got a urinary tract infection, it’s possible that your bladder infection symptoms may worsen if you use artificial sweeteners. While one study found that artificial sweeteners worsened bladder symptoms in people with chronic interstitial cystitis, there’s no real proof they irritate the bladder when you have a simple UTI. But if these fake sweeteners bother you, skip them.

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