19 Home Remedies for a Urine Infection

A urine infection is caused by bacteria found inside your body that travels from your bowel or your anus into your urethra and then into your urine. A urine infection is generally known as interstitial cystitis which means that you have a need to frequently pee and you may have cloudy urine.

Pregnant women have to be aware of when they get this because it will affect their actual pregnancy and the baby. In this article, you will read about different types of urine infections and we will also look at different home remedies to help with the treatment of the infections.

Symptoms

The symptoms are feeling depressed, anxious, and feeling weak and tired. Most people get sick from their own body when it comes to developing a urine infection but it sometimes it also comes from a virus.  

Types of Urine Infections

There are different types of urine infections.  The first is what is known as an asymptomatic bacteriuria. This is the bacteria found in your urine but it does not make you sick.  

The second is cystitis, a type of bladder infection, which occurs mostly in women.  The symptoms of this infection are pain when peeing, peeing more often, blood in your urine, abdominal pain, and fever.  To read an article just on cystitis, click here.

The third is kidney infection (pyelonephritis) is when your cystitis or your asymptomatic bacteriuria develops another problem.  You then get pain in your side by your kidney, have a fever, feeling sick to your stomach, vomit, diarrhea, blood in your urine, cystitis symptoms, and general discomfort.

Home Remedies for a Urine Infection

To help you in fighting this infection here are 19 home remedies for you to try at home.

1. Spinach and Carrot Soup

Both spinach and carrots are loaded with healthy vitamins and minerals that can ease the symptoms of a urine infection. As a bonus, spinach is also high in fiber, which can make passing stool easier as well. To make a soup of out these ingredients, simply make sure there is at least one serving of each vegetable in the pot. You can also add other ingredients, like onions, garlic, and other vegetables, to make the soup even more beneficial. However, avoiding adding too much salt, as that could make your urine infection more painful. To flavor the soup, instead add seasoning, like marjoram.

2. Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated is one of the best ways to ease the pain when it comes to a urine infection. Often times, peeing can become painful if one has any kind of urine infection. While it may seem counterproductive, drinking more water can actually help. Of course, this will cause the drinker to use the toilet more often, but this is actually good. This can help the bacteria to be flushed out faster. Try to drink at least eight cups of water a day to get the most out of this home remedy.

 

3. Cranberry Juice

Drinking cranberry juice is a wonderful home remedy for anyone who is dealing with any sort of pain with urinating. Cranberry juice not only hydrate the body, but it is also filled with vitamins and antioxidants. Try to drink at least a glass of cranberry juice (sugar-free, if possible) to get the most out of this home remedy.

 

4. Watermelon

The watermelon fruit is made primarily of water. For this reason, it is great at keeping you hydrated and can make urinating less painful. It also has some fiber and vitamins, which is also great for your body. You can either eat a serving of watermelon or drink watermelon juice daily to help to ease the pain of your urine infection.

 

5. Onion

Onions work well for treating a urine infection because they are naturally anti-inflammatory. This means that it should be less painful to urinate. To use this home remedy, all you need to do is add more onion to your diet.

 

6. Garlic

Like onions, garlic is also known to be an anti-inflammatory super-food. Garlic is often mentioned in our home remedy articles because it can be used to treat many types of ailments, including urine infections. Also like onions, all you need to do to make this home remedy work is add more garlic to your meals. It works best when used as a seasoning. If you do not like the taste of garlic, you can instead take garlic supplements.

7. Cabbage

Like spinach, cabbage is another vegetable that can be used to treat urine infections. it contains vitamin K, as do many other leafy green vegetables. It also contains many healthy minerals, like iron. To use this home remedy to treat the pain of urine infections, simply add more of this food to your diet.

 

8. Pomegranates

Like cranberry juice, pomegranates are also filled with antioxidants and healthy vitamins. In fact, taking in enough healthy nutrients that come from pomegranates and other fruits may be able to prevent urine infections. Luckily, they are also a treatment. The more antioxidants you take in, the better your immune system. The better your immune system, the fast you will heal. Simply eat pomegranates or drink pomegranate juice to use this home remedy.

 

9. Citrus Fruits and Juices

Citrus fruits, like oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit, are full of wonderful nutrients that can help to boost the immune system. Perhaps their most powerful asset is that they contain vitamin C. Like pomegranates, eating citrus fruits or drinking juices made from them, can help to boost the immune system and heal the urine infection faster.

 

10. Yogurt

Yogurt is wonderful, as it is made with probiotics. These are are a type of good bacteria that can help to fight the bad bacteria that may be causing your urine infection. To use this home remedy, all you need to do is eat a serving or more of yogurt a day. Plain yogurt will work the best for this home remedy.

 

11. Parsley Tea

Parsley tea is a great anti-inflammatory beverage. Drinking this tea can make using the toilet less painful. All you need to do is drink parsley tea three times a day.

You can alternatively add parsley to your meals to get similar health benefits. This may not be as effective, as a cup of parsley tea uses about a tablespoon of parsley, while there is likely to be less in your meal.

12. Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol

Drinking beverages that contain caffeine (coffee, soda, energy drinks) or alcohol will exacerbate the symptoms of a urine infection. It is best to avoid these types of drinks entirely until your urine infection has cleared up.

 

13. Apple Cider Vinegar Bath

Apple cider vinegar is another cure-all that can be applied to treating urine infections. To use this home remedy, you will need to add two cups of apple cider vinegar to a bath of warm water. Soak in this bath for at least twenty minutes. This should help to reduce any inflammation that may make it painful to use the toilet.

 

14. Aloe Vera Gel

Aloe vera gel also works to fight inflammation. This home remedy will need to be applied on and around the area where your pee comes out. This can help to both reduce inflammation and the pain that comes with urinating. As a bonus, this will not sting, like other medications might. Use this home remedy up to four times a day to get relief from your urine infection symptoms.

15. Avoid Scented Soaps

Sometimes, people can be allergic to their soap and not even know it. While this isn’t likely to cause a urine infection, it can make the symptoms worse. For this reason, it is best to use unscented soaps until your urine infection clears up.

 

16. Avoid Triggers

For some people, certain foods or drinks might trigger a urine infection. Each time you get a urine infection, write what you were eating or drinking beforehand. If you notice a pattern, it will be best to avoid that food or drink in the future.

17. Good Hygiene

Maintaining good hygiene is one way to both prevent and treat urine infections. There are a few tips that can help with this. Firstly, try to shower or bathe at least once every other day. Also, when you use the toilet, wipe front to back so you lower the chances of spreading bacteria into your urethra.

 

18. Heating Pads

Using heating pads can help with the abdominal pain that sometimes comes with a urine infection. Not everyone who has a urine infection will also have this symptom, but for those who do, it can be a big help. Simply place a heating pad over the pained area as often and as long as you need to.

19. Wear Loose Clothing and Underwear

Wearing loose underwear and pants can help to let the affected area “breathe”. For men, this means you should wear loose cotton boxers. Women should wear loose cotton underwear as well, not thongs or “fancy” underwear. Both sexes should avoid wearing tight-fitting pants. Women may want to wear skirts or dresses.

To recap urine infection is a collection of different infections such as cystitis and kidney infection.   The symptoms are very similar and they also affect how the person who feels has them. The home remedies are similar across the board.  It is recommended that you also use your over the counter medication to help your body get over the urine infection.