UTI is an acronym for Urinary Tract Infection. It affects the urethra, bladder, ureters, and kidneys when a large number of bacteria enter them. When these bacteria get into these organs, which are collectively known as the Urinary System, they cause many problems. If your lower urinary tract (bladder and urethra) is affected, a UTI is called cystitis. It is known as pyelonephritis when it affects your upper urinary tract (the kidney and ureters).

The symptoms you can get may vary, depending on which UTI you have. Based on UTI classification, you can have the excess urge to pass urine, small quantity of cloudy urine with awful odor, burning sensation or pain whenever you urinate, lower abdominal and pubic bone pain if it is cystitis. With pyelonephritis, the symptoms may include high fever, chills, nausea and vomiting, and flank pain.

If you have ever had a UTI, you can bear witness to the extreme pain and discomfort this infection brings. During this period, all you will solely desire is how to get rid of UTI fast!

6 Proven Home Remedies for UTIs

1. Drink plenty of water

Whether your UTI treatment is with antibiotics or not, you should cultivate the habit of drinking plenty of fluids; it will help you flush off the bacteria causing your UTI and decrease your chances of developing the infection once you are cured. Depending on the weather, your condition, age, and exercise, you may need to drink up to 2 liters a day. Drink a glass of water every hour or every time you feel thirsty.

2. Urinate Frequently

Although the experience may be kind of discomforting, whenever you feel the urge to urinate, do not hesitate to do so as soon as possible. Failure to do this is like telling those harmful bacteria to go ahead and multiply. The reality is you get rid of some bacteria causing the UTI when you use the washroom.

3. Stay clean and dry

Always wear loose-fitting clothes and underwear so that your genital area will remain dry. Cotton underwear is recommended. Also, to ensure that bacteria don't get into your urethra opening, if you are a female, wipe from the front to back after you use the toilet.

4. Try cranberry juice

Some studies on how to get rid of a UTI propose that drinking cranberry juice may reduce the amount of UTIs an individual can develop over one year period, especially for women who have recurrent issues.

According to an experiment carried out by some researchers, cranberry metabolites prevented E. coli (bacteria) from sticking to other bacteria, therefore setting limitation of growth and multiplication in a petri dish. Cranberry juice will not only treat UTI's, it can also be a form of preventive measure.

Drink plenty of cranberry juice daily. It will fight the UTI quickly.

5. D-mannose

This is a natural and healthy sugar that is closely related to glucose. D-mannose can help you fight Urinary Tract Infection. Contrary to antibiotics which kill good and bad bacteria, D-mannose powder does not kill bacteria. What it does is ensure that the bacteria do not stay in your urinary tract.

Bacteria-causing-infection sticks to the walls of the urinary tract and can't be washed off when you urinate, but D-mannose has the ability to attract and attach these bacteria so that when you pee, they are excreted.

Contact your doctor about how to use D-mannose, especially if you are diabetic, pregnant or breastfeeding.

6. Eat Probiotic foods and Greek Yogurt

These contain good bacteria that contribute to intestinal flora. Eating probiotic foods and greek yogurt will restore the body's natural flora and fill the bladder with useful bacteria. These foods include raw cheese, kimchi, kefir, kombucha, and sauerkraut.

Best Medical Treatment for UTIs

If you are pregnant or diabetic or feel severe pain, seek help from your doctor immediately.

After you have been diagnosed with a UTI, your doctor will recommend antibiotics for treatment. They are effective and fast –they kill the bad bacteria that cause the infection.

Make sure you take antibiotics under the full supervision of your doctor in order to get effective results. Complete the prescribed dose even after you feel relieved so that the infection does not reoccur.

Aside from treating your UTI, antibiotics can also prevent the infection.

Side effects of antibiotics. In spite of the fact that a course of antibiotics can rid UTIs in less than a week, it actually comes with side effects that you may not like. In addition to eliminating the villains, they also kill healthy bacteria in the gut. The common side effects of taking antibiotics include loss of appetite, diarrhea, tiredness, nausea, and vomiting in some individuals, itchy skin, headaches, sore throat, feeling dizzy, wheeze and cough.

Antibiotics for UTI, such as Nitrofurantoin, Ciprofloxacin, and Fosfomycin, can lead to hives.

If you experience adverse symptoms such as swollen face, breathing difficulty, hives, chills or fever, or abdominal pain, stop the treatment and call your doctor.

Get in touch with your doctor if you do not notice any improvements after 2 days of medications.

On a Final Note

When you know that you have a Urinary Tract Infection, please ensure that any 'how to get rid of a UTI' method you opt for should be approved by your doctor. Visit your doctor at once if you feel worse.