Additionally, a number of common foods and drinks — artificial sweeteners, spicy foods, alcohol, coffee, acidic fruits, citrus, or caffeinated drinks — can irritate your bladder, and may worsen UTI symptoms — so you should steer clear of them if you have signs of a bladder infection.
What foods calm the bladder? The American Urological Association also recognizes some foods as potentially having a calming effect on sensitive bladders. These foods include pears, bananas, green beans, squash, potatoes, lean proteins, whole grains, nuts, bread, and eggs.
Bananas and other high-fiber foods can be good for urinary tract health and preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs) by encouraging regular bowel movements and relieving pressure on urine flow.
Eat Yogurt
But not nearly as many people are aware that probiotics in yogurt could help their urinary systems, too. In fact, yogurt can help fight urinary tract infections, which could also help prevent the development of more serious urinary problems, including bladder cancer.
Bladder infections are a type of UTI, but not all urinary tract infections are bladder infections. A UTI is defined as an infection in one or more places in the urinary tract—the ureters, kidneys, urethra, and/or bladder. A bladder infection is a UTI that's only located in the bladder.
Common advice for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) of frequency, urgency and related bother includes elimination of potentially irritating beverages (coffee, tea, alcohol, and carbonated and/or artificially sweetened beverages).
Avoid too many fizzy, caffeinated or alcoholic drinks (water, tea, milk or fruit juice are all fine).
You'll have to take another pee test to make sure you're officially rid of that awful UTI. Never assume your urinary tract infection magically vanished on its own, because bacteria is “sticky,” and isn't easily removed from the urinary tract.
Many times a UTI will go away on its own. In fact, in several studies of women with UTI symptoms, 25% to 50% got better within a week — without antibiotics.
Antibiotics are effective treatments for UTIs. Sometimes, the body can resolve minor, uncomplicated UTIs on its own, without antibiotics. By some estimates, 25–42% of uncomplicated UTI infections clear on their own.
Drink plenty of water during the day to help flush out bacteria. Avoid alcohol, coffee, and soft drinks that contain caffeine or citrus juice. These tend to irritate your bladder and aggravate the urgency and frequency of your need to urinate. Avoid drinking a lot of fluids before bed.
Patients with urinary tract infection (UTI) are usually advised to drink six to eight glasses (1.5 to 2 liters) of water every day to flush the infection out of the urinary system. The best way to get the infection out of the system is by drinking liquids until the urine is clear and the stream is forceful.
Of course, make sure your bladder is completely empty before going to bed. You might also consider setting alarms during the night so that you can wake up and use the bathroom. Tools like a hot water bottle, heating pad, or even over-the-counter pain relievers can all help you with nighttime discomfort, too.
-Drinking plenty of fluids: This will help to keep the urine diluted and reduce irritation. -Taking over-the-counter pain medication: This can help to relieve pain and inflammation. Tylenol is better than Motrin or Advil. -Using a heating pad: This can help to soothe pain and cramping.
Most of the time, UTIs go away pretty quickly—usually, symptoms stop within a couple of days, and the bacteria completely clear out after you've taken antibiotics for three to seven days, per AUA.
Many people choose natural and herbal supplements to treat their UTIs to avoid overexposure to antibiotic medications. Although research on their effectiveness is limited, D-mannose, uva ursi, cranberry, garlic, and green tea are popular choices for natural UTI treatment and prevention.
One of the first things to do when you have a urinary tract infection is drink plenty of water. That's because drinking water can help flush away the bacteria that's causing your infection, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).