5 Signs Your UTI Needs More Than Home Remedies

Urinary tract infections, the broad term for infections that affect one or more parts of your urinary system, remain one of the most prevalent bacterial infections in America. According to recent research, over 8 million people see a doctor annually, 3 million go to the ER, and severe cases lead to over 400,000 hospitalizations.

How you manage a UTI depends on its severity; mild cases can often be treated at home before seeing a doctor. However, some symptoms indicate serious complications that need more urgent treatment. Let’s explore this issue by looking at the common causes of UTIs, the home remedies that can help, and when it’s time to get medical attention.

Dr. Shruti Patel and her dedicated medical staff at Low Cost Health Clinics are here to help the Anaheim, Riverside, Santa Ana, Corona, and Indio, California residents with many medical problems, including urgent issues that can come from problems like UTIs.

UTI causes and risk factors

A bacterial infection that infiltrates anywhere in the urinary system (kidneys, bladder, ureters, or urethra), UTIs happen most often in the lower urinary tract, and women deal with them more frequently than men due to anatomical differences. Bladder and urethral infections are the most common, with GI bacteria like E. coli leading to this problem in many cases.

The risk factors vary between the sexes; in addition to differences in anatomy, women also have bacterial changes during perimenopause and menopause, and due to changes in birth control methods. Factors common in men and women include low fluid intake, constipation, incomplete bladder emptying, and congenital urinary tract issues.

Home remedies for UTIs

Methods for preventing UTIs and managing them at home include many basic options, such as:

Hydration

Water plays a big role in how your body functions overall, and drinking regularly also helps to flush out harmful bacteria from your urinary tract.

Urinating regularly

Drinking more also helps you to pee regularly, which helps to keep harmful bacteria from sticking around long enough to infect you.

Urinating after sex

This also helps to keep bacteria from staying long enough to do any damage.

Food and supplements

Garlic extract has properties that help reduce harmful bacteria, and while cranberry juice and pills are common remedies, the actual evidence is still in question. Things like probiotics to promote healthy bacteria and vitamin C to increase acidity to destroy harmful bacteria are also useful.

Contraceptive changes

Vaginal estrogen helps to lower the risk of UTIs in postmenopausal women, while other common contraceptives like spermicides and diaphragms may actually increase it. Modifying the birth control you use can help control your chances.

Signs you should see a doctor

Most cases of UITs are mild, but complications can occur, and the chances of complications increase for pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, those who have other conditions that affect the urinary system, and those who use catheters or antibiotics. Even mild cases should be evaluated by a doctor to prevent them from worsening.

However, if you’re experiencing symptoms like:

• Fever: an immune system response that causes your body temperature to rise

• Chills: a cold sensation that typically happens with a fever

• Nausea and vomiting: digestive discomfort that can cause involuntary voiding of your stomach

• Pain: problems with pain in areas near the pelvis, such as the sides and lower back

• Malaise: the general feeling of unease or discomfort that infection or disease often brings

If you’re dealing with one or more of these signs while you have a UTI, get medical help as soon as possible. Left untreated, UTIs can cause kidney scarring, kidney damage, sepsis, and even bladder or prostate damage. 

To reduce your chances of your UTI worsening or to prevent future problems with this illness, make an appointment with Dr. Patel and Low Cost Health Clinics today.