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How to Treat a UTI at Home With 4 Natural Remedies

To treat a UTI at home, it’s important to drink lots of water, and consume cranberries and Vitamin C.
Often, you will need antibiotics to effectively treat a UTI, and you should check in with your doctor first to determine if you’re able to treat one at home.
Antibiotics will likely be more effective at treating a UTI after it’s occurred, but with these natural remedies, you can help reduce your risk and prevent future UTIs.
This article was medically reviewed by S. Adam Ramin, MD, urologic surgeon and medical director of Urology Cancer Specialists in Los Angeles.
Visit Insider’s Health Reference library for more advice.

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One of the most common bacterial infections is a urinary tract infection, or UTI. If left untreated, a UTI can develop into serious health problems, such as a kidney infection.

To treat the UTI, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic, including:

Bactrim (trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole)
Keflex (cephalexin)
Monurol (fosfomycin)

However, antibiotics can also increase bacterial resistance, and in some cases, your doctor may recommend that you can safely and effectively treat a UTI at home, without antibiotics.

Here’s how to tell if you have a UTI and when it’s OK to treat one at home.

UTI symptoms

This painful infection occurs when bacteria, usually Escherichia coli (E. coli), enter the urinary tract through the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of your body.

These are some of the common symptoms of a UTI:

A constant urge to urinate
Pain or a burning sensation while urinating
Only being able to urinate small amounts
Cloudy or strong-smelling urine
Pressure in your pelvic area

It’s important to see a doctor if your symptoms persist for more than 48 hours, or if you have a fever, back pain, or blood in your urine.

Both men and women can get a UTI. However, it’s more common in women because they have shorter urethras, making it easier for bacteria to reach their bladders. In fact, almost half of all women will have at least one UTI in their lifetime.

Can you treat a UTI without antibiotics?

If you’re experiencing the symptoms of a UTI, you should always check in with your doctor first.

Because they’re at higher risk for complications, men and pregnant women should never try to treat a UTI at home, according to Rena Malik, M.D., a urologist and director of female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

But for some women with no other serious health problems, it can be possible to treat a UTI at home, without antibiotics. For instance, mild or uncomplicated UTIs may clear out of the bladder naturally, as a strong immune system can help resolve these infections.

To boost your immune system and help reduce your risk of severe UTIs, it’s important to stay well-hydrated and incorporate essential vitamins and nutrients into your diet. And while these methods won’t treat your UTI as effectively as antibiotics after it’s occured, they can help prevent future ones from occurring.

Drink lots of water

Drinking water and staying hydrated can help prevent and treat a UTI. This dilutes your urine so you’ll pee more frequently, helping to flush out the bacteria that’s causing your infection.

“We recommend that all our patients who have recurrent UTIs drink about 2 to 3 liters of fluid per day,” Malik says. “This can include water, flavored water, and non-caffeinated beverages.”

For example, a study of 141 girls from three to 18 years old showed that inadequate fluid intake and infrequent urination were linked to recurrent UTIs.

You should also avoid drinking fluids that could irritate your bladder and worsen symptoms, such as alcohol and caffeinated beverages.

Consume cranberries

There is some evidence that cranberries may help prevent UTIs. That’s because they contain proanthocyanidins (PACs), which may stop bacteria from sticking to your urinary tract lining.

One study found that it’s most effective to consume 36mg of cranberry PAC daily to help prevent a UTI.

“You can drink a very concentrated juice that’s 100% cranberry with no sugar added, or you can take a capsule or tablet that has that dosing in it,” Malik says.

However, she warns that many cranberry juices contain a lot of sugar but not enough PAC, and many cranberry supplements don’t contain enough PAC to be effective — so make sure you know what kind of cranberry products you’re consuming.

For reference, an 8-ounce (240-milliliter) serving of an Ocean Spray cranberry juice drink has about 33 to 36mg of PACs, according to a 2017 article in the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) Journal.

Get vitamin C

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) may increase the acidity of your urine, which can help kill the bacteria causing your UTI. There have been few studies, with mixed results, on whether vitamin C is effective for preventing UTIs.

In one study, pregnant women who took 100mg of vitamin C daily for three months had significantly fewer UTIs than pregnant women who didn’t take vitamin C. However, in another study, participants with spinal cord injuries who took 2,000mg of vitamin C daily did not have fewer UTIs than participants who didn’t increase their vitamin C intake.

“[Vitamin C] certainly won’t hurt you in a short period of time, but if you’re taking it over a long period of time, you should discuss that with your doctor,” Malik says.

Fruits and vegetables especially high in vitamin C include oranges, grapefruit, and red bell peppers. You can also take a vitamin C supplement.

Try probiotics

Probiotics are microorganisms that help balance the “bad” bacteria that can cause infections in your body, such as E. coli, with the “good” bacteria that assist in digesting food properly.

In addition, the probiotic strain lactobacillus may help prevent UTIs by stopping the bad bacteria from adhering to your urinary tract. That’s because lactobacillus produces antibacterial hydrogen peroxide, which makes it difficult for certain bacteria to survive.

Lactobacillus is available in supplements. It’s also found in yogurt and fermented foods such as kimchi, miso, and sauerkraut.

In one small study, lactobacillus was found to be effective in preventing UTIs in premenopausal women. But another review didn’t find enough evidence to recommend its use.

Malik says “the jury is still out” on how effective probiotics are for preventing UTIs, and you should talk with your doctor to see if using them could be right for you.

The bottom line

These at-home remedies may help prevent or treat a UTI, as long as your doctor deems them safe for you.

Additionally, there are a few general lifestyle behaviors you can practice to help prevent UTIs before they occur, including:

When you feel like you have to urinate, go — don’t hold it.
After urinating and especially after a bowel movement, wipe from front to back to prevent bacteria from entering your urethra.
Urinate before and after having sex.
Avoid using scented soaps, bubble baths, or douches.
Don’t wear tight pants.

If you do experience the symptoms of a UTI, it’s important to check in with your doctor before attempting to treat it yourself. Together, you can determine whether you’ll need antibiotics, or if you can treat your UTI at home.

What to Do and When to See a Doctor

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are very common, particularly in women. A UTI is an infection of the urinary system, which includes your kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Usually, UTIs are an infection of the lower urinary tract, which is your bladder and urethra.

Urinary tract infections happen when bacteria enter your body through the urethra and then spread and multiply in the bladder. The growing bacteria can cause an infection of the urinary tract.

While some people with a UTI don’t experience symptoms, others do. Symptoms may include:

A strong, constant feeling that you need to urinate
A burning feeling when you urinate
Cloudy urine
Blood in the urine (including pink, red, or brown urine)
Pain in the pelvis, especially in the center

You may be able to cure a mild urinary tract infection at home.

Remedies and Treatment for UTI

Uncomplicated urinary tract infections sometimes go away on their own. In one study, 21 out of 28 women’s infections disappeared without treatment.

Here are a few UTI remedies you can try at home to relieve symptoms and speed your recovery:

Consume Cranberries

Cranberries have been used to treat UTIs for centuries. This is because cranberries contain proanthocyanidins, chemicals that prevent bacteria from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract. Cranberries also contain quinic acid, which works to kill bacteria in the urinary tract.

While some studies have found that cranberry juice or pills may help treat UTIs, other studies have found no positive effects of cranberries. Even if cranberries don’t actually help treat UTIs, the fruit is unlikely to cause you harm. However, don’t drink cranberry juice if you’re on blood thinners, like warfarin.

Avoid Diuretics and Irritants

Certain drinks may irritate the bladder, including coffee, alcohol, citrus and caffeinated drinks. Avoiding these liquids may help you relieve some symptoms, such as burning during urination. These drinks also act as diuretics, which will make you need to urinate more frequently, possibly making the UTI symptoms more irritating.

Incorporate Probiotics

Probiotics, live bacteria found in some foods and supplements, are important in maintaining natural balance in the vagina, urethra, and bladder. Probiotic supplements help avoid an overgrowth of E. Coli, the bacteria that commonly cause UTIs. Not only can probiotics help treat UTIs, but they also help you prevent UTIs in the future. Probiotics can be found in foods like yogurt. Probiotic pills can also be taken by mouth or inserted into the vagina.

Use a Heating Pad

Another simple home remedy is placing a heating pad on your abdomen. This can help lessen your discomfort.

Hydrate

Make sure you are drinking plenty of water to help flush out your urinary system.

Prioritize Prevention

Instead of only treating UTIs, you can make a point to avoid them. There are several actions you can take to help avoid urinary tract infections in the future. Follow these tips to help prevent UTIs long-term:

Urinate after having sex to help flush out any bacteria
Stay hydrated, and don’t resist the urge to urinate
Wipe from front to back after urinating or defecating
Avoid diaphragms and spermicide condoms
Avoiding scented products near your genital region, as they can irritate the urethra

Increased levels of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in your diet may also help prevent urinary tract infections. Scientists believe that this is because vitamin C makes the urine more acidic, which helps to prevent bacterial infections of the urinary tract.

When to See a Doctor

If your urinary tract infection does not clear up on its own, your doctor can prescribe antibiotics.

UTIs can be dangerous if the infection spreads to your kidneys. Go see your doctor if you experience fevers, shaking, nausea, or vomiting, as these may be signs of a more serious infection.

If a UTI is left untreated, kidney damage can occur. Sepsis, a life-threatening medical emergency, is also possible. In pregnant women, leaving a UTI untreated can lead to premature birth. In men, it can lead to narrowing of the urethra.

Treatment for Bladder Infection in Children

How do health care professionals treat bladder infections in children?

Bladder infections in children are treated with antibiotics, a type of medicine that fights bacteria.

Medicines

Which antibiotic your child takes is based on age, any allergies to antibiotics, and the type of bacteria causing the UTI. Children older than 2 months usually take an antibiotic by mouth—as a liquid or as a chewable tablet.

Your child may go to a hospital for intravenous (IV) antibiotics if the child is younger than 2 months old or vomiting. IV medicines are given through a vein.

Your child should start to feel better within a day or two, but it’s important to take every dose of the antibiotic on time and to finish all the medicine. The infection could come back if your child stops taking the antibiotic too soon.

The length of treatment depends on

how severe the infection is
whether a child’s symptoms and infection go away
whether a child has repeated bladder infections
whether the child has vesicoureteral reflux or another problem in the urinary tract

At-home treatments

Children should drink plenty of liquids and urinate often to speed healing. Drinking water is best. Ask your health care professional how much liquid your child should drink.

A heating pad on a child’s back or abdomen may help ease pain from a kidney or bladder infection.

How can I help my child prevent a bladder infection?

Drinking enough liquids, following good bathroom and diapering habits, wearing loose-fitting clothes, and getting treated for related health problems may help prevent a UTI in a child or teen.

Be sure your child drinks enough liquids

Drinking more liquids may help flush bacteria from the urinary tract. Talk with a health care professional about how much liquid your child should drink, and which beverages are best to help prevent a repeat UTI.

Drinking plenty of liquids can help ease or prevent bladder infections in children. Water is best.

Follow good bathroom and diapering habits

Some children simply don’t urinate often enough. Children should urinate often and when they first feel the need to go. Bacteria can grow and cause an infection when urine stays in the bladder too long. Caregivers should change diapers often for infants and toddlers, and should clean the genital area well. Gentle cleansers that do not irritate the skin are best.

Your child should always wipe from front to back after urinating or having a bowel movement. This step is most important after a bowel movement to keep bacteria from getting into the urethra and bladder.

Avoid constipation

Hard stools can press against the urinary tract and block the flow of urine, allowing bacteria to grow. Helping your child have regular bowel movements can prevent constipation.

Wear loose-fitting clothing

Consider having children wear cotton underwear and loose-fitting clothes so air can keep the area around the urethra dry.

Treat related health problems

When a child’s bladder doesn’t work exactly as it should—called dysfunctional voiding—treatments may help the bladder work better and prevent repeated infections. The muscles that control urination may be out of sync. Or, your child’s bladder may be overactive or underactive.

Health care professionals can treat these types of bladder problems with medicines, behavior changes, or both. Children often grow out of these bladder problems naturally over time.

If your child has vesicoureteral reflux, a urinary tract blockage, or an anatomical problem, see a pediatric urologist or other specialist. Treating these conditions may help prevent repeated bladder infections.

Diabetes and other health conditions can increase the risk for a bladder infection. Ask your child’s health care professional how to reduce the risk of developing a bladder infection.

This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
(NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. The NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by the NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.

The NIDDK would like to thank:
Saul P. Greenfield, MD, FAAP, FACS, State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine; Jeffrey M. Saland, MD, MSCR, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai

UTI Bath Remedies | Good Idea or Bad Idea?

UTI Bath Remedies and Other Treatment Options

Urinary tract infections (UTI) can be painful and distracting. A urinary tract infection is an infection in any part of your urinary system. Your urinary system includes your kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.

Will a Bath Help a UTI?

A bath may help relieve some pain from your UTI, but it will not cure it and could make it worse. Taking a bath in the tub may cause bacteria in the bathwater to enter into the urethra causing more harm.

A UTI bath remedy is often referred to as a “sitz bath.” A sitz bath is a warm, shallow bath used to cleanse the genital area, especially the area between your rectum and vulva. Sitz baths can ease the pain of a UTI but are not a reliable solution for UTI treatment and are not recommended by medical professionals.

Natural Remedies for a UTI

There are other natural remedies for UTIs that may be worth a try for symptom relief.

Natural remedies for a UTI are common. One common natural remedy for a UTI is to increase your fluid intake. That is, drink more water! Drinking more water will make you produce more urine, thus flushing out the bacteria from your urinary tract. This helps flush out the bacteria and helps you heal faster.

Probiotics are used as natural remedies for gut and vagina health. Your body is full of “good” and “bad” bacteria. When the “bad” bacteria overgrow the “good” bacteria, an infection is present. Probiotics help keep the good bacteria more colonized than the “bad” bacteria. A probiotic is a live microorganism that has health benefits. Probiotics can be found in yogurt, fermented foods, and dietary supplements.

If your urine passes through your urinary system, then making your urine acidic would also kill certain bacteria causing the infection. Taking vitamin C tablets can result in more acidic urine which will kill urinary bacteria. If you do not want to take a vitamin C tablet, these foods are high in vitamin C:

Oranges
Grapefruit
Kiwi
Citrus fruits
Tomatoes
Tomato juice
Red peppers
Green peppers
Broccoli
Strawberries
Brussel sprouts

Another home remedy for UTIs include drinking unsweetened cranberry juice. Cranberries work by preventing bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall lining. Cranberry juice is used to help reduce the risk of urinary tract infection and is only applicable with unsweetened juice, not the sweetened brands.

Having good hygiene is another remedy for a UTI. Women especially should practice cleaning themselves from front to back after using the restroom. If you wipe from back to front, you move fecal particles towards your urinary opening. Allowing bacteria to enter more freely. Good hygiene practices decrease the risk of recurrent UTIs.

How To Prevent UTIs

If you are prone to UTIs it is better to be proactive against UTI infections than reactive. Some proactive tips to prevent future UTIs include:

Drink plenty of liquids, especially water
Drink pure cranberry juice (low sugar)
Wipe from front to back after using the restroom
Empty your bladder soon after intercourse
Avoid potentially irritating feminine products such as sprays or deodorants
Wear cotton underwear
Avoid too tight-fitting clothes
Avoid bubble baths

What Are The Symptoms of a UTI?

Urinary tract infections are often associated with painful urination that has frequency or hesitancy. Some common signs and symptoms of a UTI are:

Burning sensation while urinating
A strong persistent urge to urinate
Passing frequent, small amounts of urine
Urine that appears cloudy
Urine that has a strong odor
Urine that appears bloody, bright pink, or cola colored.
Pelvic pain
Fever

Women are more at risk than men to developing urinary tract infections. Urinary tract infections usually occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract through the urethra and begin to multiply in the bladder or other parts of the urinary tract.

Read: What is Interstitial Cystitis?

How Can I Get Relief From a UTI?

Drinking liberal amounts of fluids daily will flush out the bacteria. It may be helpful to drink pure cranberry juice because it contains an ingredient called A-type proanthocyanidins that can prevent bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall.

It is best to avoid coffee, tea, colas, alcohol, and other fluids that are known to irritate the urinary system. Taking a vitamin C supplement may also help with UTIs because it makes your urine more acidic.

Pain relief such as a heat pack can be applied to the perineum area or lower abdomen to help relieve pain and spasms. This is also why prolonged warm baths relieve pain, but due to the risk of bacteria entering the urethra, they should be avoided.

How Do You Get Rid of a UTI in 24 Hours?

You cannot automatically get rid of a UTI in 24 hours, but you can get relief from symptoms within 24 hours. The pain associated with UTIs are quickly relieved once effective antimicrobial therapy is initiated.

Antibiotics are the first line of treatment for a UTI and work the fastest as they quickly eliminate bacteria. Many people report feeling relief from antibiotics in as little as 24 hours.

Untreated UTI and Complicated UTI

Ignoring the signs of a UTI can cause serious complications. Some complications of an untreated UTI include:

Urosepsis (severe urinary tract infection causing sepsis)
Sepsis (the body`s reaction to infection damages tissues)
Acute kidney injury (kidney damage)
Kidney infection (severe UTI infection)

These complications are potentially life threatening. Never let your UTI go untreated and seek medical help immediately if you experience symptoms of the above conditions.

How Can I Get Rid of a UTI Without Antibiotics?

If you frequently get UTIs you may be able to identify the early signs of a UTI and prevent it from getting more serious without antibiotics using the above natural remedies.

That said, some UTIs will require antibiotic treatment and it is important to know when to call a doctor in order to reduce the risk of serious complications.

If you catch your UTI early, some over the counter UTI remedies you can try for symptoms management are:

AZO urinary tract defense
AZO urinary pain relief
AZO urinary pain relief-maximum strength

That said, if your UTI does not go away or gets worse over time it is critical that you seek medical attention.

UTI online treatment online

If natural remedies are not providing relief, you need to see a doctor to talk about your urinary tract infection symptoms. You may need antibiotic therapy in order to cure the infection and not have complications.

A board-certified PlushCare doctor can work with you to diagnose your UTI and prescribe a treatment plan all from your phone or computer. The doctor will work with you to determine the best medication for you to take and will check on you to ensure the care plan is working. You can get this care without even leaving home.

Book an online appointment here, or download the free PlushCare mobile app. The average UTI appointment lasts just 15 minutes and 97% of conditions are successfully treated on the first visit. Don’t suffer with a UTI any longer, same day appointments are available.

Read More About UTI Treatment

Cystitis – Better Health Channel

What is cystitis?

Cystitis is an infection of the bladder that almost always follows (is secondary to) bacterial infection in the urine. It is the most common type of urinary tract infection (UTI), particularly in women.

The bladder is a muscular bag that stores urine from the kidneys. Urine leaves the body through a tube called the urethra. Cystitis occurs when bacteria travel up the urethra, infect the urine and inflame the bladder lining.

Most women will experience cystitis at least once in their lives. While it is painful and annoying, it isn’t dangerous or contagious, and the infection can’t be passed on to your partner during sex.

If left untreated, the infection can ‘backtrack’ deeper into the urinary system from the bladder and reach the kidneys. A kidney infection is serious and needs prompt medical attention as it can cause kidney damage or even kidney failure.

Symptoms of cystitis

Cystitis can be mild to severe. The symptoms include:

frequent urge to urinate, if only to pass a few drops
burning pain or a ‘scalding’ sensation on urination
strong-smelling urine
cloudy or bloody urine
pain in your lower abdomen
blood in your urine.

Treatment for cystitis

The earliest symptom of cystitis is usually a faint prickling feeling on passing urine. It is possible to get rid of mild cystitis if you take action immediately. Some suggestions include:

Drink plenty of liquids.
Take a commercial urinary alkaliser (ask your pharmacist for advice) or one teaspoon of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) in water.
Avoid acidic foods or drinks as they cancel out the effect of urinary alkalisers and can aggravate the burning when passing urine.

If self-help treatments aren’t working, seek medical advice quickly. Your GP will probably test your urine to check which micro-organism is present. Cystitis can be treated with a course (or more than one course) of antibiotics.

Regular or severe attacks of cystitis need to be investigated by a GP, because an underlying disorder such as kidney stones or a kidney infection could be the trigger.

Cause of cystitis

The most common bug or bacterium causing urinary tract infection is Escherichia coli (E. coli). The bacterium is often found when the urine is examined under a microscope – this test is called a microscopy and culture (M&C) of urine.

E. coli is commonly found in the digestive tract and bowel. Under normal conditions, it is harmless. However, E. coli thrives in the acidic environment of the bladder, where it multiplies and inflames the bladder lining.

Cystitis in women

Women in their late teens and older are most susceptible to cystitis, especially if they are sexually active. The female urethra is only 4 cm long, which gives bacteria easy access to the bladder.

Female sex hormones influence the vaginal secretions that affect the ability of bacteria to survive. This makes women more susceptible to infection:

during certain stages of the menstrual cycle
during pregnancy
during menopause
after a total hysterectomy.

Cystitis in men and older people

Men tend to get cystitis later in life. Where trouble with urine flow is a symptom, this may indicate that the underlying cause is a problem with their prostate gland.

Cystitis is common in older people, particularly if they are unwell. Bladder catheters and some urinary-tract operations may also increase the risk of cystitis.

Cystitis in children

Cystitis in a child always needs to be investigated, because it may indicate a more serious condition such as urinary reflux (also known as vesicoureteric reflux). This is a bladder-valve problem, which allows urine to flow back towards the kidneys.

Long-term prevention of cystitis

In some women, one bout of cystitis allows their urinary system to build up a type of immunity and further bouts are rare. For other women, cystitis can occur regularly.

Although not always backed up by research, some women have found that useful suggestions include:

Go to the toilet to pass urine as soon as you feel the urge, rather than holding on.
Drink plenty of water every day to flush your urinary system.
Wipe yourself from front to back (urethra to anus) after going to the toilet.
Wash your genitals before sex and encourage your partner to do the same.
Urinate after sex.
Wear cotton rather than nylon underwear.
Avoid wearing nylon pantyhose, tight pants or tight jeans.
Don’t use perfumed soaps, talcum powder or any type of deodorant around your genitals.
Avoid bubble baths.
Treat vaginal infections such as thrush or trichomoniasis promptly, since these organisms can encourage cystitis.

Cranberries (usually as cranberry juice) have been used to prevent UTIs. Cranberries contain a substance that can prevent the E. coli bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract lining cells. However, recent research has shown that cranberry juice does not have a significant benefit in preventing UTIs, and most people are unable to continue drinking the juice on a long-term basis.

Let your GP know if you’re having cranberry juice as it can alter the effectiveness of some antibiotics.

Where to get help

Cystitis – NHS

Cystitis is inflammation of the bladder, usually caused by a bladder infection.

It’s a common type of urinary tract infection (UTI), particularly in women, and is usually more of a nuisance than a cause for serious concern.

Mild cases will often get better by themselves within a few days.

But some people experience episodes of cystitis frequently and may need regular or long-term treatment.

There’s also a chance that cystitis could lead to a more serious kidney infection in some cases, so it’s important to seek medical advice if your symptoms do not improve.

Signs and symptoms of cystitis

The main symptoms of cystitis include:

pain, burning or stinging when you pee
needing to pee more often and urgently than normal
urine that’s dark, cloudy or strong smelling
pain low down in your tummy
feeling generally unwell, achy, sick and tired

Possible symptoms in young children include:

pain in their tummy
needing to pee urgently or more often
a high temperature (fever) of 38C or above
weakness or irritability
reduced appetite and vomiting

When to see a GP

Women do not necessarily need to see a GP if they have cystitis, as mild cases often get better without treatment.

Try some self-help measures or ask a pharmacist for advice.

See a GP if:

you’re not sure whether you have cystitis
your symptoms do not start to improve within 3 days
you get cystitis frequently
you have severe symptoms, such as blood in your urine, a fever or pain in your side
you’re pregnant and have symptoms of cystitis
you’re a man and have symptoms of cystitis
your child has symptoms of cystitis

A GP should be able to diagnose cystitis by asking about your symptoms.

They may test a sample of your urine for bacteria to help confirm the diagnosis.

What causes cystitis?

Most cases are thought to occur when bacteria that live harmlessly in the bowel or on the skin get into the bladder through the tube that carries urine out of your body (urethra).

It’s not always clear how this happens.

But some things can increase your risk of getting it, including:

having sex
wiping your bottom from back to front after going to the toilet
having a thin tube inserted into the urethra to drain the bladder (urinary catheter)
being younger than 1 or older than 75
being pregnant
using a diaphragm for contraception
having diabetes
having a weakened immune system

Women may get cystitis more often than men because their bottom (anus) is closer to their urethra and their urethra is much shorter, which means bacteria may be able to get into the bladder more easily.

How you can treat cystitis yourself

If you have been having mild symptoms for less than 3 days or you have had cystitis before and do not feel you need to see a GP, you may want to treat your symptoms at home or ask a pharmacist for advice.

Until you’re feeling better, it may help to:

take paracetamol or ibuprofen
drink plenty of water
hold a hot water bottle on your tummy or between your thighs
avoid having sex
pee frequently
wipe from front to back when you go to the toilet
gently wash around your genitals with a skin-sensitive soap

Some people believe that cranberry drinks and products that reduce the acidity of their urine (such as sodium bicarbonate or potassium citrate) will help.

But there’s a lack of evidence to suggest they’re effective.

Treatments for cystitis from a GP

If you see a GP and they diagnose you with cystitis, you’ll usually be prescribed a course of antibiotics to treat the infection.

These should start to have an effect within a day or 2.

If you keep getting cystitis, a GP may give you an antibiotic prescription to take to a pharmacy whenever you develop symptoms, without needing to see a doctor first.

Your GP can also prescribe a low dose of antibiotics for you to take continuously over several months.

Preventing cystitis

If you get cystitis frequently, there are some things you can try that may stop it coming back.

But it’s not clear how effective most of these measures are.

These measures include:

not using perfumed bubble bath, soap or talcum powder around your genitals (use plain unperfumed varieties)
having a shower, rather than a bath (this avoids exposing your genitals to the chemicals in your cleaning products for too long)
going to the toilet as soon as you need to pee and always emptying your bladder fully
staying well hydrated (drinking plenty of fluids may help to stop bacteria multiplying in your bladder)
always wiping your bottom from front to back when you go to the toilet
emptying your bladder as soon as possible after having sex
not using a diaphragm for contraception (you may wish to use another method of contraception instead)
wearing underwear made from cotton, rather than synthetic material, such as nylon, and not wearing tight jeans and trousers

Drinking cranberry juice has traditionally been recommended as a way of reducing your chances of getting cystitis.

But large studies have suggested it does not make a significant difference.

Interstitial cystitis

If you have long-term or frequent pelvic pain and problems peeing, you may have a condition called interstitial cystitis.

This is a poorly understood bladder condition that mostly affects middle-aged women.

Unlike regular cystitis, there’s no obvious infection in the bladder and antibiotics do not help.

But a doctor may be able to recommend a number of other treatments to reduce your symptoms.

Find out more about interstitial cystitis

Page last reviewed: 09 August 2018
Next review due: 09 August 2021

Home Remedies for UTIs | Health.com

Maybe you’ve heard other people’s UTI nightmares: the friend who gets one almost every time she has sex; the 70-something aunt who struggles with recurring infections now that she’s older. Or maybe you’re dealing with symptoms seemingly out of the blue or after a weekend of hot tubbing.

When symptoms surface, the cause doesn’t exactly matter; all you want to know is how to get rid of your UTI.

Antibiotics are the main treatment, especially if you have a raging infection. But when symptoms are mild or vague, it may be worth giving natural remedies for a UTI a try before popping a prescription pill or while you’re waiting for your meds to kick in.

So what exactly is a UTI? A urinary tract infection, or UTI, is a general term for any infection along the urinary tract. Infections usually start in the lower urinary tract, where the urethra (the tube that allows urine to pass out of the body) and bladder (where urine is stored) are located.

Sometimes UTIs travel to the ureters (the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder) and kidneys (where urine is produced).

Anyone can get a UTI and at any age, including babies, toddlers, and men—but these infections are much more common in women. Doctors say it’s an anatomy thing: Women’s urethras are shorter than men’s and closer to the anus, so it’s easier for bacteria to enter the body and ascend the urinary tract.

Most UTIs are bladder infections (also called cystitis). Common symptoms include burning; lower abdominal pain; and a frequent or urgent need to urinate, even if you barely have a trickle of pee to pass.

If the infection travels from the bladder to one or both kidneys, more worrisome symptoms can develop. Kidney infections (also called pyelonephritis) are a type of UTI that can spike a fever and cause back pain; nausea; vomiting; and bloody, cloudy, or foul-smelling urine.

RELATED: 7 Things Every Woman Should Know About UTIs

Thomas Hooton, MD, professor of clinical medicine at the University of Miami School of Medicine, tells patients with recurrent infections who have mild symptoms to “try to treat it naturally with increased fluid and some pain relief.” If UTI symptoms improve in a day or two, “well, then, you’ve saved yourself an antibiotic,” he says.

That’s important, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), because overuse of antibiotics can render these drugs ineffective against future bacterial infections, including recurrent UTIs.

If symptoms are bad or don’t improve, “by all means,” Dr. Hooton says, “call the doctor and get an antibiotic.”

Older, post-menopausal women experiencing repeated UTIs should speak with a doctor about a prescription for vaginal estrogen, adds Nazema Siddiqui, MD, assistant professor of urogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery at Duke University Medical Center. Research shows it can help by building the body’s defense against bad bugs.

If your child has urinary symptoms (which can differ from your own), consult your pediatrician and seek immediate care if fever and other signs of illness last more than 24 hours. Young children are at greater risk of kidney damage from UTIs than older kids and adults, says the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

That said, there are times when it makes sense for UTI sufferers to go the home-remedy route because some things may actually help. Here’s how to treat a UTI at home.

RELATED: What Does It Mean if You’re Peeing Blood? We Asked a Doctor

How to pluck a duck at home quickly and correctly (+ video)

Duck meat is a tasty and nutritious product. However, before preparing it, it is necessary to carry out a number of manipulations in the form of plucking feathers and proper cutting of the carcass. Experienced farmers already know how to pluck a duck quickly and efficiently, getting not only meat, but also excellent fluff. But for novice poultry breeders and hunter’s household, the article will help to understand this not very pleasant, but necessary procedure.

Contents of article

General recommendations

A suitable time for the slaughter of young domestic ducks is selected not only according to the fattening of the mass, but also according to the state of plumage. By this time, the birds should have finished juvenile molt, and the ducks are completely covered with feathers. As a rule, this is about 3 months for the Indo-breed and 2-2.5 months for the Peking breed. An adult bird is also checked before slaughter by plucking several feathers from it.

It is not recommended to slaughter ducks during molt.

If the feather comes off easily, the plucking process will be much easier and better. By slaughtering livestock during molt, plucking can be much more difficult, which will be uneven.To obtain meat without hemp in the skin, slaughter should be postponed for a week or two, allowing the new young feathers to grow long enough. If it is impossible to select, the pen is removed with the skin.

Plucking is started 2-4 hours after slaughter. During this time, the subcutaneous fat will freeze in the bird, which will avoid skin tears when plucking. Although, with the dry method, pinching the feather to the procedure can be started without delay.

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Plucking should begin with the largest flight feathers located on the tail and wings, which are removed in the direction of their growth to avoid damage to the skin.The back and chest, neck and finally the legs of the duck are cleaned alternately from the feather.

Small feathers can be pulled out in any direction, but do it carefully, especially on delicate areas of the skin, so as not to tear it. You should try to clean the entire carcass as much as possible, except for the cover on the neck and head. Jerks should be sharp and short. Feathers are trapped in small tufts, which will also keep the skin from tearing.

After plucking, the duck carcass is seared with a gas burner.

The remaining fluff is removed by clamping it between the blunt side of the knife and the thumb.A small sprinkle of water will help to avoid scattering of light fluff. If the bird’s feather is planned to be used in the future, then when pinching it is advisable to immediately sort it into different containers.

To completely clean the skin, burn the carcass using a gas burner. To remove excess moisture, the duck is pre-rubbed with flour. Straightening the skin folds and wings, the whole carcass is processed with fire. To do this, you can also use a bundle of straw, which, unlike the burner, will not leave an unpleasant smell, but, on the contrary, will give the aroma of a fire.At home, you can burn a bird over the burner of a gas stove or using dry alcohol. The flame treatment is carried out quickly to preserve the skin and not melt the fat.

Attention. Large feathers must be removed by hand before singeing to prevent carcass fires. It is best to use metal tongs to avoid accidental burns.

At the end, soot and flour residues are washed off with a large amount of water, and the carcass is wiped dry with a clean cloth.

Methods of plucking duck

There are several ways of plucking poultry. These are dry and hot processing methods. After reviewing all the options, each owner chooses according to his preference. For long-term storage of meat in the freezer, only the dry method of separating the feathers is suitable; with hot methods, the duck must be immediately processed into a food product.

After hot processing, the meat changes its natural color to red, moreover, in this case, it will no longer be possible to use the feather as a filler for clothes and bedding.Care must be taken when working with hot water, the carcass itself and the iron to avoid burns. The advantage of hot methods of plucking over dry ones is the ease of separation of the feather and the absence of flying fluff.

The duck can be plucked in a variety of ways.

Dry method

The dry method is the simplest and most common. Plucking can be started immediately after slaughter, while the carcass is warm. This is the opinion of hunters who use this technique for processing game.

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As the necessary equipment, you will need a deep container for down and a container with water for moistening in order to avoid it scattering in the air.

Milestones:

In front of you, you need to lay out a blanket, sheet or newspapers and sit down, placing the carcass between your knees upside down.
Holding the skin with one hand, the other makes sharp but neat jerks. If the skin breaks, then further plucking of the feather will become difficult.
A non-sharp knife is also useful, with the help of which unripened short feathers are plucked.
Down and feathers not removed by mechanical means are destroyed by singeing.
The washed duck is ready to be eviscerated.

Hot scalding

The method is also often used by poultry farmers. To some, it may seem more complicated than the previous one, but with the necessary skill, everything turns out easily and quickly. To do this, you will need a large saucepan or basin that can fully accommodate the duck. You can additionally use a kettle.

In the hot method, the duck carcass is first scalded in water.

Procedure sequence:

Heat the water in a saucepan to 80 degrees.The water should not boil because boiling water can burst the skin, and it will no longer be possible to pluck the feathers. Temperatures below this will not give the desired effect.
Place the carcass in the water. Young birds are kept in a container for 1 to 5 minutes. Old bird carcasses can be kept for up to 10-15 minutes. Longer processing is fraught with the fact that the skin can be cooked and subsequently removed along with the feathers.
Alternatively, you can pour the duck with heated water from the kettle, trying to get on all the feathers and leave it in the saucepan for 15 minutes.
The scalded carcass is removed from the water and immediately begins to pluck, hanging it by its paws for ease of processing. In this case, it is more convenient to remove the feather against its growth.
Further singeing will help get rid of the remaining lasts and lint.
Soot is removed by washing.

Hot method with bag and iron

This method of plucking also deserves attention, although it is used less often than the previous ones.

When scalding with an iron, the skin on the duck carcass does not tear, the feather comes off easily.

It is carried out with an iron, boiling water and natural fiber burlap in the following sequence:

Soak a canvas bag in boiling water and wring it out with care.
Place the duck in the bag, wrap it tightly and leave to lie for 10-15 minutes.
Using the maximum heated iron, iron the bundle evenly several times.
Unfold the burlap and start processing the carcass in the same sequence.

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The method is convenient in that the heated feather is easily removed, and the risk of damage to the skin is minimal. Therefore, it is used by hunters for wounded game with punctured skin. Unlike scalding, meat retains its color.

Important. Hot working methods, although simple, are traumatic. It is better to remove the carcass from the water with tongs. Be careful when starting the plucking process, as a wet feather remains hot for a long time. It is worth being careful with a hot iron.

Of course, the listed methods of freeing duck carcasses from feathers are suitable only in the presence of a small number of birds. The owners of large poultry farms know how to quickly cope with this task with a feathering machine. However, small feathering attachments for a screwdriver can facilitate the procedure and are quite affordable even for the owner of several birds in the yard.

The fastest way to pluck a duck carcass is to use a feather picker.

Preserving duck feathers and down

In addition to meat products, ducks are capable of producing wonderful material in the form of down and feathers.Duck down is less valuable than eider, swan or goose down. However, it also has excellent thermal insulation properties. Down and small feathers will serve as a good filler for blankets and pillows, and the rest of the feather will come in handy in the kitchen for greasing baked goods, various crafts and decoration.

As mentioned above, a recyclable material can be obtained by dry plucking.

Proper preparation of raw materials will allow them to be used for up to ten years or more:

Sorting .It is more convenient to carry out pinching during the process, immediately separating a small feather with down from a large one.
Wash . To get rid of grease, odor and dirt, the collected mass is soaked in a warm solution of soapy water for 2-3 hours. Then you need to thoroughly rinse the raw materials in a large amount of cool water and squeeze.
Drying . Clean fluff is dried in a cloth bag in a ventilated dry place or in the sun. To avoid rotting, the feather is subjected to periodic shaking and tedding.

Many poultry farmers retain duck down and feathers when plucked.

Rules for butchering duck

After plucking, singing and washing the duck, it is advisable to immediately start gutting it. The neck is cut off first. The first step is to remove the intestines to prevent spoilage of the product, especially in the warm season. To do this, you need to carefully make a hole at the cloaca and pull out the intestines through it, while cutting out the sebaceous gland.

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The esophagus and goiter are taken out through the opening in the neck.The abdomen is then cut open to gut the lungs, heart, liver, and stomach. These by-products are set aside separately for preparing various dishes from them. Fat is separated and deposited, which can later be melted and used for frying. The wings are cut at the first joint, the legs are cut just below the heel joint. You can also remove the neck, which is of little nutritional value.

The gutted carcass is thoroughly washed from blood residues with repeated water changes. After the water has drained and dried, the carcasses are ready for freezing.
If duck is supposed to be cooked in parts, then the next step will be cutting the carcass.

After plucking, the duck carcass must be gutted and cut.

Having felt the joints, cuts are made along them and first the hams are separated, then the wings. Laying the duck carcass on its back, make a cut along the keel and separate the loin. The remaining bone skeleton from the ribs and the spine is separated and further used to prepare broths.The skin is sent to the fat mass for melting.

Now you can start your final goal – cooking duck meat.

After getting acquainted with how you can manually pluck and butcher a duck, we hope that you will succeed quickly, efficiently and without unnecessary hassle.

In the video, the farmer shows the whole process of plucking and cutting a duck carcass.