Top Home Remedies for Bladder Infection

When You Just Want to Feel Better: 6 Home Remedies for a Bladder Infection

Description: These simple home remedies have helped many women ease the symptoms of and even eliminate frequent bladder and urinary tract infections.

Bladder infections, also known as urinary tract infections (UTI's), are a common occurrence for many women. An untreated bladder infection can become very painful very quickly. 

Many women have had success with treating their own bladder infections at home with these simple home remedies. First it is important to recognize the symptoms of a bladder infection.

Bladder Infection Symptoms

If you have never had a bladder infection before, you may not recognize when a bladder infection is starting. Common symptoms include a burning sensation when urinating, frequent urination, cloudy urine or urine that has a strong or bad odor, or a fever and chills. 

If you do have a fever or chills and you have been ignoring some of the other symptoms for several days or longer, you should immediately see a doctor. The bladder infection may have already progressed to a kidney infection, which requires immediate medical attention.

D-Mannose

Many people choose to take D-Mannose instead of taking prescribed antibiotics. D-Mannose has been shown to keep some types of bacteria from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract, which will often clear up and even prevent future bladder infections.

D-Mannose can be purchased in powder or capsule form at a health food store. 

If after using this remedy for three days the burning sensation during urination has not decreased or completely gone away, then see a doctor immediately.

Vitamin C

If you feel the first signs of a bladder infection, take 1000 mg of Vitamin C and drink lots of water. For many people this remedy alone can stop a bladder infection in its tracks.

Water

Drinking lots of lots of water throughout the day can help keep an oncoming bladder infection at bay. The water itself does not kill the bacteria, but it does wonders to help flush it out of your system. 

Cranberry Juice

A lot of people swear by drinking cranberry juice as both a way to ease the symptoms of a bladder infection as well as to help prevent future infections, especially if you are susceptible to frequent infections.

When you are drinking water throughout the day, every two or three glasses of water, substitute one glass of cranberry juice.

If you do not like the taste of cranberry juice, there are cranberry supplements you can purchase at your local health food store to take the place of the juice.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a great neutralizer for bladder infections. Although it will not clear up the infection itself, it will, however, provide temporary pain relief.

Place one to two teaspoons of baking soda in a tall glass of water and drink several times a day until the infection clears up.

Alka Seltzer

Before some of the newer remedies became available, many people swore by using Alka Seltzer to neutralize a bladder infection.

Just dissolve two Alka Seltzer tablets in a glass of water and drink when you feel a bladder infection coming on.

Bladder Infection Do's and Don'ts

While you are fighting a bladder infection, there are things you can do to keep your infection from getting worse and even prevent future infections. There are also things you definitely shouldn't do.

- Artificial sweeteners, white sugar, and caffeine worsen many people's symptoms and can extend the duration of the infection. It is best to avoid them as much as possible.

- Drink as much water as possible to help flush out your system. 

- Cotton underwear will help the body breathe and discourage the growth of additional bacteria. 

- Women prone to bladder infections should avoid taking bubble baths.

- Take care to urinate immediately after intercourse to remove any bacteria that may exist near the urethra.

Remember, although many people have had success with these home remedies during the beginning stages of a bladder infection, if the symptoms persist for more than three days it is essential that you see your doctor immediately. Some infections can be stopped before they worsen, but you want to be careful not to just take away the symptoms and not resolve the underlying cause of the infection.

Untreated bladder infections can quickly turn into kidney infections, which can cause very serious health complications. If there is blood in your urine you should also seek a doctor's attention immediately.

Lindsay Johnson is a professional blogger that shares information on how to get help from surgical mesh complications. She writes for SurgicalMeshHelp.com, the best lawyers to fight transvaginal mesh complications.