Bladder infections can often be treated at home with the self-care tips that follow. However, if your symptoms persist for more than 24 hours, if they don’t respond to home remedies, or if you suspect that your symptoms may be due to a sexually transmitted disease or other infections, see your physician. These tips were taken from The Home Remedies Handbook.
Load up on fluids. At the first sign of bladder infection, start drinking water and don’t stop. During the first 24 hours, Greenwood recommends drinking at least one eight-ounce glass of water every hour. People who suffer from recurrent bladder infections usually don’t drink enough liquids so even when you don’t have an active infection, you should make a habit of drinking eight tall glasses of water every day.
According to Lehman, drinking lots of fluid not only dilutes urine, giving bacteria less room to feed on, it also has a “washout” effect on bacteria. “The more bacteria you can wash out,” says Lehman, “the less there will be to reproduce.”
Clark warns however, that people who suffer from urinary leakage (incontinence) probably shouldn’t increase their fluids. She says it can make the bladder infection and the incontinence worse.
Have a cranberry cocktail. If you’ve never developed a taste for sweet tanginess of cranberry juice, now’s the time. Cranberry juice (without added sugar) may make urine more acidic and less hospitable for bacterial growth, says Clark. Drinking cranberry juice is also a way to increase your fluid intake.
Go, go, go. Lehman advises both men and women to avoid what he calls “L.A. free-way driver bladder.” “Many people don’t urinate when they first get the urge because it’s inconvenient or there isn’t the time or place,” he says. “Take a guy who gets off work, has a couple of cups of coffee or a couple of beers, and gets on the freeway in rush hour traffic. He feels the urge to urinate, but he can’t go off the freeway. When he finally gets home and urinates, it’s difficult and it burns. By the next day, he’s calling his doctor with a prostate infection.”
Holding urine allows it to concentrate in the bladder, creating a perfect medium for bacterial growth. In older men, holding urine can cause congestion, inflammation, and obstruction of the prostate and can eventually lead to a prostate infection or sometimes a bladder infection.
Not urinating at the first urge also causes the bladder to distend and stretch. “Essentially, the bladder is a hollow muscle,” says Lehman. “If you repeatedly stretch it, then it won’t void completely and creates a place for bacteria to grow.”
Heat up. For lower abdominal pain, use a heating pad or hot-water bottle or take a hot bath, advises Greenwood. Lehman says that heat not only relieves the symptoms, it also brings more white blood cells and other infection-fighting blood products to the affected area. (Pregnant women however should not sit in a hot bath or heat tub for too long, since raising the body temperature above 100 degrees Fahrenheit for long periods may cause birth defects or miscarriage.)
Take a bath. If you have a lot of burning sensation, a warm “sitz” bath (sitting in three to four inches of water) can ease the pain.
Take a break. Rest in bed, especially if you have a fever. You’ll conserve energy and speed healing.
Wear cotton underwear. Cotton underwear, cotton-lined panty hose, and loose clothing will allow the genital area to breathe and stay dry. For men, boxer-type shorts rather than jockey-style shorts are better if prostate and bladder infections are a problem.
Avoid alcohol. Alcohol is a urinary tract irritant for both men and women and should be avoided during a bladder infection.
What about spicy foods, tea and coffee? Clark says, “They really shouldn’t hurt a bladder infection.” However, the caffeine in coffee, teas and colas does stimulate kidneys to produce more urine and makes the bladder fill up faster during a time when urination is painful. If caffeine seems to make your symptoms worse, avoid it until the infection goes away.
Take a pain reliever. Bladder infection can be painful. Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin, especially if taken at bedtime, can ease the pain.
Wash up, lovers. Both partners should wash up before intercourse.
Urinate before and after lovemaking. If you suffer from recurrent bladder infections, urinate immediately before and after intercourse, advises Clark. This can help flush out bacteria that may have entered the urinary tract.
Switch birth-control methods. Women who use a diaphragm and suffer from recurrent infections should try switching to condoms or a cervical cap. “If you have recurrent bladder infections, see your doctor to have your diaphragm’s fit rechecked,” says Clark. “You may do better with a smaller diaphragm or a cervical cap.”
Keep a bladder-infection diary. If you suffer from recurrent bladder infections, keep a diary to discover what patterns precede an attack. Some people find that their infections are related to stress, menstruation, lovemaking, or other factors. Once you discover what precipitates your infections, you can make changes to alter those patterns.
Wipe from front to back. Most women wipe from back to front, which moves bacteria from the rectum dangerously close to the urethra.
Use condoms. Prostate infection, which can lead to bladder infection, is more common among men with multiple sex partners. Practice safe sex, and always use condoms with partners.
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