Do You Need Antibiotics For Bladder Infection
If you’ve ever had a bladder infection, you likely remember the discomfort that came with it. A bladder infection is the most common type of urinary tract infection , and the symptoms can range from unpleasant to severe. UTI treatment typically involves taking antibiotics prescribed by a healthcare provider.
What Is A Urinary Tract Infection
A urinary tract infection refers to a condition that affects any portion of a persons urinary tract, such as the kidneys, urethra, or bladder. It typically affects women more often than men. This is because womens urethra is shorter than mens, making it easier for bacteria to travel up to the tract. Learn more about chronic / recurrent UTIs here.
Treatments For Cystitis From A Gp
If you see a GP and they diagnose you with cystitis, youll usually be prescribed a course of antibiotics to treat the infection.
These should start to have an effect within a day or 2.
If you keep getting cystitis, a GP may give you an antibiotic prescription to take to a pharmacy whenever you develop symptoms, without needing to see a doctor first.
Your GP can also prescribe a low dose of antibiotics for you to take continuously over several months.
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Home Remedies For Urinary Tract Infection Symptoms
In addition to antibiotics, many people seek natural, at-home remedies to help UTIs. A heating pad can relieve pressure and pain, and wearing loose cotton clothing is recommended. For those with recurrent UTIs, modifying certain habits may help: Choose fragrance-free personal care products to reduce the risk of irritation, and cut back on foods that can irritate the bladder caffeine, alcohol, spicy food, raw onions, citrus fruits, carbonated drinks, and artificial sweeteners.
What Should I Do
The first thing you should do upon realizing you have a UTI is seeking out medical attention. Have your doctortest your urine for UTIand listen to the doctors recommendations and advice. The typical course of action will be to takeantibioticsin order to fight the infection. Cranberry is often recommended as it seems to fight the bacteria that tends to cause UTIs but do not expect cranberry juice to be a cure.
If you think you might be suffering from a UTI, contactUrgentMEDto get evaluated. We pride ourselves on our convenience, efficiency, and cost. Our 18 walk-in urgent clinics are conveniently located throughout Southern California, providing fast, professional service without a long wait. Visit us at the location closest to you today.
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For Those Who Experience Frequent Utis Managing Risk Factors May Help With Prevention
In some people, urinary tract infections come back again and again. Women, especially, are likely to have recurrent UTIs. While recurrences usually develop within three months of the original infection, having more than two within six months is technically considered a recurrence.
Besides precautions and at-home strategies to help prevent UTIs, sometimes antibiotics are used as a preventive measure for those with frequent UTI recurrences.
Managing risk factors by maintaining good hygiene, such as wiping from front to back for women and avoiding spermicides can lower your likelihood of repeat UTIs.
Why Visit A Doctor For Treatment
Sometimes a bladder infection will clear up on its own within a few days. If not, its important to visit your doctor for a round of antibiotics. The antibiotics can last anywhere from 3-10 depending on the severity of the infection.
Left untreated, a bladder infection can cause much more serious symptoms such as kidney problems.
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Early Intervention Is Key
From my reading and research, it sounds like its important to get your symptoms under control early. Dietary changes when you first experience symptoms can prevent your condition from progressing. Patients who have had an irritated bladder for a longer period of time experience less relief from dietary changes.
If it turns out you do have interstitial cystitis, there are medications and treatments that may be beneficial to you.
Urinary Tract Infections In Babies And Young Children
Babies and children are at risk of UTIs. These infections always need to be investigated as they may indicate a serious underlying condition, such as urinary reflux. Reflux is caused by a bladder valve problem allowing urine to flow back into the kidneys from the bladder. Reflux can cause the urine to stay inside the body increasing the risk of infection. It may lead to kidney scarring, which in turn leads to high blood pressure and sometimes kidney problems.
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How Is A Uti Diagnosed
To find out whether you have a UTI, your doctor or nurse will test a clean sample of your urine. This means you will first wipe your genital area with a special wipe. Then you will collect your urine in midstream in a cup. Your doctor or nurse may then test your urine for bacteria to see whether you have a UTI, which can take a few days.
If you have had a UTI before, your doctor may order more tests to rule out other problems. These tests may include:
- A cystogram. This is a special type of x-ray of your urinary tract. These x-rays can show any problems, including swelling or kidney stones.
- A cystoscopic exam. The cystoscope is a small tube the doctor puts into the urethra to see inside of the urethra and bladder for any problems.
How To Prevent An Urinary Tract Infection Or Kidney Infection
Whether you are at risk of a bladder or kidney infection, methods reducing the likelihood of bacteria entering the urethra and spreading to the bladder are effective ways to prevent either infection from developing. The primary way to prevent urinary tract infection is to pee when you need to and trying to empty the bladder.
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Take An Epsom Salt Bath
Both Epsom salts and warm water can ease pain. This can help make the uncomfortable side effects of the kidney infection a little more tolerable while you wait for the antibiotics to take effect.
Since abdominal pain is sometimes a symptom of antibiotics, as well as kidney infections, Epsom salts could also help even after symptoms from the kidney infection are resolved.
What Is The Urinary Tract
The urinary tract makes and stores urine, one of the bodyâs liquid waste products. The urinary tract includes the following parts:
- Kidneys: These small organs are located on back of your body, just above the hips. They are the filters of your body removing waste and water from your blood. This waste becomes urine.
- Ureters: The ureters are thin tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to your bladder.
- Bladder: A sac-like container, the bladder stores your urine before it leaves the body.
- Urethra: This tube carries the urine from your bladder to the outside of the body.
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Should Uti Treatment Vary According To Whats Causing The Infection
Your UTI treatment may vary according to whats causing the infection. Certain UTIs, especially chronic and recurring ones, will need antibiotic treatment as opposed to simple home remedies.
If youre prescribed antibiotics to treat a UTI, a healthcare professional may choose an antibiotic thats specific to the type of bacteria thats triggering your infection.
Seek Medical Attention For Utis
It is important to seek medical attention if you think you may have a UTI particularly if you think you may have a bladder or kidney infection, both of which are very serious conditions. Early treatment of urinary infection can help to prevent infection spreading to the bladder or kidneys.
Your doctor will test your urine to check which micro-organism is present. Urinary tract infections usually respond quickly and well to antibiotics.
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What Causes Bleeding During A Uti
When you have a UTI, the bacteria infect the lining of your urinary tract. This leads to inflammation and irritation, causing red blood cells to leak into your urine.
If theres a tiny amount of blood in your urine, it wont be visible to the naked eye. This is called microscopic hematuria. A doctor will be able to see the blood when they look at your urine sample under a microscope.
But if theres enough blood to change the color of your urine, you have whats called gross hematuria. Your pee might look red, pink, or brown like cola.
If you menstruate, you might wonder if your bloody urine is caused by a UTI or menstruation.
Along with urinary bleeding, UTIs and periods share symptoms like:
- lower back pain
To determine which one you have, consider your overall symptoms. Youre likely menstruating if you have:
- bloating or weight gain
These symptoms arent typically associated with UTIs. Plus, if you have your period, you wont see blood only when you pee. Youll also have red or darker clumps of blood continuously accumulating on your underwear with menstruation.
What Causes Urinary Tract Infections
Normal urine is sterile and contains fluids, salts, and waste products. It does not contain bacteria, viruses, or fungi. A UTI occurs when germs, most often bacteria from the digestive tract, get into the opening of the urethra and start to multiply.
Most UTIs are caused by E. coli bacteria, which normally live in the colon.
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Preventing Future Urinary Tract Infections
BATHING AND HYGIENE
To prevent future urinary tract infections, you should:
- Choose sanitary pads instead of tampons, which some doctors believe make infections more likely. Change your pad each time you use the bathroom.
- Take showers instead of baths. Avoid bath oils.
- Urinate before and after sexual activity. Drinking 2 glasses of water after sexual activity may help promote urination.
- Wipe from front to back after using the bathroom.
- Avoid tight-fitting pants. Wear cotton-cloth underwear and pantyhose, and change both at least once a day.
DIET
The following improvements to your diet may prevent future urinary tract infections:
- Drink plenty of fluids, 2 to 4 quarts each day.
- Do not drink fluids that irritate the bladder, such as alcohol and caffeine.
RECURRING INFECTIONS
Some women have repeated bladder infections. Your provider may suggest that you:
- Use vaginal estrogen cream if you have dryness caused by menopause.
- Take a single dose of an antibiotic after sexual contact.
- Take a cranberry supplement pill after sexual contact.
- Have a 3-day course of antibiotics at home to use if you develop an infection.
- Take a single, daily dose of an antibiotic to prevent infections.
Is There A Utimedicine Available Over The Counter
While antibiotics have to be prescribed by a healthcare provide, there are over-the-counter medicines for UTIs, such as phenazopyridine for the temporary relief of pain or discomfort while urinating. Although OTC medications may help ease symptoms of a UTI, they wont make the infection go away. You should not take an OTC medication for a UTI without first talking to your healthcare provider.
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Healing An Irritated Bladder
The healthy bladder is coated with a mucosal tissue called the glycosaminoglycan layer, generally referred to as the GAG layer. This layer protects the bladder from direct contact with urine. The GAG layer can become damaged by bacteria or other trauma, such as pelvic surgery, repeated infections, or a complicated pregnancy. I went on a regimen designed to heal the GAG layer.
First of all, go on a low-acid diet. If you look up an Interstitial Cystitis diet or IC diet, you will get varying advice on this. Different people seem to have different triggers. The ones I mention in the âcommon food triggersâ section, should be avoided. Most of them definitely affected me.
One book I read said, âIf you wouldnât put it on an open wound, donât eat it,â and this resonated with me. So things like hot spices, lemon and vinegar would be off limits. If I ate acidic food, I could feel my bladder burning within 10 minutes.
This list is a good starting point. Pay attention to you body. If you feel worse, ask yourself, âWhat did I eat?â
Urination That Disrupts Sleep
The urge to urinate at night can be so strong with a bladder infection that it rouses you from sleep and disrupts your sleep several times throughout the night. You may wake frequently throughout the night with the urge to pee, but only do so in small amounts. This can be frustrating because it feels like youre holding a lot of urine, and even when you urinate, you will likely still feel the pressure and weight, as if you didnt completely drain your bladder of urine.
As you fight a bladder infection, its vital to drink plenty of fluidswater and herbal teas are bestin an attempt to flush the bacteria out of your bladder. Your doctor may also recommend drinking cranberry juice to increase the acid levels in your urine, which may speed up the destruction of bacteria. However, as you increase your fluid intake, you will likely find you have to urinate more often, especially throughout the night.
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Complications Of Urinary Tract Infections
Delayed treatment for UTIs can lead to complications. Most UTIs cause no lasting damage if they are treated quickly. But if left untreated, UTIs can lead to complications that include:
- Recurring infections
- Narrowing of the urethra in men
- A potentially life-threatening infection called sepsis, especially when kidneys are infected
What To Expect At Home
UTIs can lead to infection. Most often the infection occurs in the bladder itself. At times, the infection can spread to the kidneys.
Common symptoms include:
- Pain or burning when you urinate
- Needing to urinate more often
- Hard to empty your bladder all the way
- Strong need to empty your bladder
These symptoms should improve soon after you begin taking antibiotics.
If you are feeling ill, have a low-grade fever, or some pain in your lower back, these symptoms will take 1 to 2 days to improve, and up to 1 week to go away completely.
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Benefits Of Antibiotics For Utis
Antibiotics are the standard treatment for UTIs because they kill the bacteria responsible for the infections. Most UTIs develop when bacteria enter the urinary tract from outside the body. The species most likely to cause UTIs include:
- E. coli, which cause of up to
- abnormal liver function, as indicated with testing
More severe risks of using antibiotics include:
Seeking Treatment For A Bladder Infection
If your bladder infection is mild and hasnt spread to your upper urinary tract, you may be able to wait out the infection at home. During this time, you should avoid sex and drink plenty of water you can also self-medicate with over-the-counter painkillers.
For more information on treatment visit our cystitis clinic.
References
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Warning Signs Youve Got A Bladder Infection
About 80% of women suffer from bladder infections and account for 8 million trips to the doctor each year. Men will also succumb to them more frequently after the age of 50. They are extremely common and can strike children also.
But what are the signs and symptoms of a bladder infection? How do you tell if its serious enough to warrant a trip to your doctor?
Read on to discover how to know if you have a bladder infection.
How Long Does It Take For A Uti To Go Away Without Antibiotics
Think you might have a UTI but really dont want to call your doctor to talk about it? We get it. UTIs can be uncomfortable to discuss, and who wants to take the time to go into a doctors office?
Know that what youre experiencing is totally common and normal. More than half of women experience a UTI in their lifetime. That means your doctor has seen a lot of patients in your situation. And if you dont consult with a professional, you risk sometimes serious complications.
The most straightforward method for treating a UTI is a course of prescribed antibiotics. But if youve done any Googling , you may wonder how long it takes for a UTI to go away without antibiotics or what to do if antibiotics dont work. Will you have to suffer for weeks or even months?
Dont panic! Were here to help. Lets take a closer look at how long it takes for a UTI to go away without antibiotics.
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How To Treat A Urinary Tract Bleed:
- If the blood appears after you have been hit, call your doctor. Your doctor will check to see if you have an injury inside your body. You may need an x-ray to be sure that your kidneys are not damaged.
- If the bleeding starts for no known reason, drink more water to flush out your kidneys and bladder. This helps prevent clots which could damage your kidneys or ureters . To flush your system, drink an eight ounce glass of water each hour during the day and one glass every couple of hours at night.
- If you still have symptoms after drinking the water or you think you may need to take factor, call your doctor.
- Rest flat on your back for 24 hours or as your doctor tells you. Get up only to go to the bathroom.
- Dont lift, pull, or push anything heavy for one to two weeks.