Are you feeling an increased need to urinate and a burning sensation while doing so? You might be suffering from Urinary Tract Infection (UTI).
UTI is the most common bacterial infection and can lead to serious health conditions. Around 400 million cases of UTIs are present worldwide, which has increased the expenses of the healthcare system. Both men and women suffer from this infection, however, women are 30 times more likely to suffer from this infection than men. They face many challenges when they seek urinary tract infection treatment.
The number of UTI patients keeps increasing day by day. It is due to the lack of awareness, inadequate medical training provided to the medical staff, and the provision of outdated information to the patients. Thus, there is an urgent need for change, such as spreading awareness and creating more treatment options to reduce the risk of this infection in everybody, especially women.
In this blog, we will provide you with information about symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and urinary tract infection treatment.
Table of Contents
What is Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
Urinary Tract Infection is an infection that affects any part of your urine system, which are kidneys, ureters, bladders, and urethra. This condition usually affects the lower urinary tract, the bladder, and the urethra. UTIs are caused when bacteria enter the urinary tract and are mostly caused by the bacteria named Escherichia coli (E.coli). Other bacteria such as Klebsiella, Enterococcus, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, and yeast Candida can also cause this infection.
As we know ‘Prevention is better than cure’, thus let’s understand urinary tract infection symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment to prevent UTIs.
Urinary Tract Infection Symptoms, Causes and Diagnosis
In the below table, you will get to know about the different types of UTIs, their symptoms and causes, and who is most affected by them.
| Type of UTI | Causes | Symptoms | Affected Most | Best Antibiotics |
| Cystitis (Bladder Infection) | – Bacterial infection (often E. coli)- Sexual activity- Use of certain birth control methods (e.g., diaphragms) -Urinary retention | – Frequent urge to urinate- Burning sensation during urination- Cloudy or strong-smelling urine- Pelvic discomfort- Blood in urine | Women | Nitrofurantoin, Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) |
| Urethritis (Urethra Infection) | – Bacterial infections (e.g., E. coli, Chlamydia)- STIs- Chemical irritants (e.g., soaps, lotions) | – Painful urination- Discharge from the urethra- Itching or irritation around the urethra | Men | Azithromycin, Doxycycline |
| Pyelonephritis (Kidney Infection) | – Ascending infections from the bladder- Bacteria traveling through the bloodstream- Kidney stones | – High fever- Flank pain (side or back)- Nausea and vomiting- Chills- Frequent urination- Burning sensation during urination | Women | Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin |
| Asymptomatic Bacteriuria | – Presence of bacteria in the urine without symptoms- Often seen in pregnant women or the elderly | – Typically no symptoms- May be detected during routine screening | Women | Not typically treated unless in pregnancy; Nitrofurantoin may be used if needed. |
| Complicated UTI | – Structural abnormalities- Catheter use- Immunocompromised status- History of recurrent UTIs | – Varies widely but may include typical UTI symptoms- Increased risk of severe symptoms like fever and chills | Both | Depending on culture results; options include Carbapenems, Aminoglycosides, or Fluoroquinolones. |
We can understand from this table that women are more prone to this infection than men. The above-given antibiotics are some of the strongest antibiotics for the particular type of UTI. Along with this, you can also consider UTI treatment at home, in the below section you will get to know about the same.
Urinary Tract Infection Treatment
After understanding the Urinary tract infection symptoms, and causes, here are urinary tract infection treatments that might help to take action as soon as you get diagnosed with this infection. There are many antibiotic medications, ayurvedic treatments, foods, and home remedies techniques one can follow to avoid UTIs. During the early stages of UTI, you can go with home remedies but always consult a doctor while you are treating yourself on your own.
Beat UTIs before they start: Effective UTI treatment at home
Can I treat urine infection treatment?
If you have this question in your mind, then the answer is ‘Yes. You can, by consistently following these tips you can prevent UTI during your early stages.
1. Keep your gut clean:
Stay hydrated and try to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water every day. It’s the best way to flush out the bacteria. Avoid spicy foods and drinks that contain caffeine, soda, and alcohol. Replace spicy foods with foods that are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, these foods reduce the risk of kidney stones that ultimately lead to UTIs
2. Health conditions, Hygiene, and Bathroom Habits:
To prevent UTIs, it is important to maintain good hygiene and healthy habits. Wear loose cotton clothes, especially underwear, and avoid staying in wet or sweaty attire, as moisture promotes bacterial growth. Trim your pubic hair instead of shaving to reduce bacteria transfer into the urinary tract. Always urinate when you feel the urge and try to urinate before and after sex to flush out bacteria. Wipe from front to back, and if you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar in check. Avoid douches, strong soaps, and cleansers that can disrupt the natural bacterial balance. Lastly, rest and manage stress, as it can increase the risk of infections.
3. Exercises:
You can keep yourself away from this infection by practicing yoga, aerobics, and pelvic floor exercises such as (Kegels), pilates, alternating leg lowers, dead bugs, ab brace, heel slides, deep squats (yogi squats) and glute bridges for 30 minutes or 1 hour every day.
4. Emsella Chair:
It is a high-tech option for UTI treatment at home, especially for women. As the risks of UTI increase in women after childbirth or menopause. It helps to strengthen your pelvic floor, reduces back pain, and improves orgasm. It is an expensive treatment, thus you can use it if it’s affordable else you can go with Keggel exercise.
Foods that will Prevent You from UTI’s
It is usually said that ‘we are what we eat’, here are some essential foods that we should have to avoid this infection.
- Drink lots of water and juices or smoothies made from blueberries, cranberries, or any type of berries. It will prevent the bacteria from entering the walls of the urinary tract.
- Other than berries you can water infused with cucumber, Indian lilac (neem) leaves, and mint to keep your gut clean. Vitamin C effectively cleanses our body and flushes all the toxins from our body, juices made from strawberries, lemons, oranges, and sweet lime help to reduce inflammation in our stomach.
- A bowl of veggies that are high in fiber and have lots of water content such as spinach, kale, dill leaves, green beans, radish, onion, beetroots, and cabbage improves our immune system and digestion. You can also add white eggs, and skinless chicken and cook food with olive oil in moderate amounts to get some protein and maintain your overall health
- Certain seeds such as pumpkin, barley, sunflower, flax, chia, sesame, fenugreek, hemp, and cumin are beneficial for your urinary tract health. You can eat them raw or roasted, or else you can crush all of them and have a spoonful of them every day. Mixing them in smoothies, and infusing them in water or your meals every day can also be a good way of having them.
- Ayurvedic herbs such as coriander seeds, basil leaves, ginger, garlic, turmeric, Goku, and Punarnava leaves can be boiled in water, strained, and drank at night or in the morning empty stomach. Drinking this kadha can detoxify your body and protect you from UTI.
We hope these tips will help you preventing any UTI’s (future or present).
Final Thoughts
Maintaining proper hygiene, a balanced diet, and having regular checkups can help you to avoid UTIs. If you are suffering from it you can follow the Urinary Tract Infection Treatment effectively for fast recovery and to keep your urinary system healthy.
