A Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is one of the common types of infection. It affects more than 150 million people all over the world each year.
Although it is more common in women, it can also affect men. So, why is it more common in women? That is because a women’s urethra is shorter than men’s. This means that bacteria can enter and reach the bladder more easily due to the shorter distance.
Fortunately, there are plenty of treatments. This article will teach you about the best prescriptions and home remedies for UTIs.
Top UTI Treatments: The Best Prescriptions and Home Remedies
Before discussing the treatments, it’s important to remember that these drugs work by killing the bacteria that cause the infection.
You must take them exactly as your doctor instructed.
If you don’t treat a minor UTI, it can become a severe kidney or blood infection.
Prescription Medications For UTIs
First, let’s talk about prescription medications.
Depending on the severity of your UTI, there are different medications that your doctors can prescribe. These include the following:
- Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra)
- Amoxicillin/augmentin
- Levofloxacin (Levaquin)
- Nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin, Macrobid)
- Fosfomycin (Monurol)
- Ceftriaxone (Rocephin)
- Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
- Cephalexin (Keflex)
Remember, before taking any of these medications, check with your doctor first. Most of the time, pharmacies won’t sell you the medicine without a prescription.
Self-medication and self-prescription are not an option when it comes to antibiotics. This is because your health can have serious side effects if you take the wrong medication.
There are also different factors to consider that your doctors will examine before prescribing UTI treatment. These include the following:
- Your overall health
- Whether you’re pregnant or not
- Your age
- Allergies to medications and antibiotics
Home Remedies For UTIs
With that said, let’s move on to several home remedies you can try when you experience UTIs. Here are some of them:
Stay Hydrated
The easiest and most common home remedy for UTIs is staying hydrated. It’s also a great preventative measure against UTIs, other infections, and other health conditions.
Why is hydrating important? Because the more you drink water, the more you urinate. Regular urination can help prevent infection by flushing bacteria from the urinary tract.
When you’re dehydrated, you don’t urinate frequently, allowing bacteria to thrive. Drinking water throughout the day and whenever you’re thirsty is best to stay hydrated and meet your fluid needs.
Probiotics
Another home remedy you can try is probiotics. Probiotics may help prevent urinary tract infections and aid in the recovery of gut bacteria after antibiotic treatment.
Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms that are consumed through food or supplements. They can promote a healthy balance of bacteria in your gut. These are found in fermented foods like kefir, kimchi, kombucha, probiotic yogurt, and supplements.
Specific strains of probiotics have also been shown to reduce the risk of UTIs in some studies. Lactobacillus, a common probiotic strain, was found to help adult women avoid UTIs in a 2013 study.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C supplementation may reduce the risk of UTIs by increasing the urine’s acidity, killing infection-causing bacteria.
Moreover, vitamin C is thought to work by making the urine more acidic, killing the bacteria that cause infection.
Vitamin C is abundant in fruits and vegetables, and eating more of them is an excellent way to supplement your diet.
Red peppers, oranges, grapefruit, and kiwifruit in just one serving contain the recommended amount of vitamin C.
