There are various methods of urinary tract infection treatment all of which can be used to differing degrees of success. How effective each of the treatments will be depends on various factors, including the severity of the infection and how often the sufferer has had urinary infections. To give an example, a person who has suffered from repeated urinary infections who is given antibiotics may respond differently to someone who is taking them for the first time.
Antibiotics
On average, around a third of women who have taken antibiotics as a urinary tract infection treatment will find that the infection returns after around 6 months. Antibiotics work by killing off bacteria. The problem is that they cannot distinguish between the "good" and "bad" bacteria naturally present in the urinary tract. When you take antibiotics, there is an indiscriminate killing of bacteria. This would be fine if you only had bad bacteria in the urinary tract. However, the "good" bacteria is required to maintain the balance of the urinary tract and killing this off leads to an imbalance, making the sufferer susceptible to further bouts. In addition, antibiotics can cause many unpleasant side effects such as yeast infections, nausea and diarrhea which makes many women reluctant to take them.
The wider picture with antibiotics is that doctors are very concerned about "antibiotic resistance". There is evidence to suggest that bacteria treated by antibiotics is sometimes able to "mutate" into stronger strains, thus avoiding being killed. As a result, there are less and less antibiotics available as time goes on to treat even simple infections. As a urinary tract infection treatment, many women find that they need more than one course or even a change of tablet to cure the infection and this is often because of "antibiotic resistance".
Over The Counter Remedies
There are various over the counter urinary tract infection treatment drugs which can be bought. Many of them are only really intended to give symptomatic relief rather than provide a cure. A lot tend to work on the assumption that if the symptoms are managed, the urinary tract infection will go away on its own. Most women find that this simply does not happen and that when left untreated, the infection worsens. They may have their place as a quick fix method of pain relief but I have found personally that they have not been as effective as self-help home remedies.
Self-Help Home Treatment
Home urinary tract infection treatment can work remarkably well to relieve the symptoms and although more often than not, sufferers will need a good natural remedy to be completely cured, they certainly have their place.
There are various measures that can be taken immediately and all can help to give some pain relief and sometimes even cure a very mild infection
* Drink 8 glasses of water daily
* Take a vitamin C tablet to boost the immune system
* Place a heated pad on the abdomen
* Eat a pot of natural live yogurt daily
* Take a mild painkiller
* Wear cotton underpants-not synthetic
* Take a warm bath-this will give almost instant although not long lasting pain relief
* Drink 2 glasses of unsweetened cranberry juice each day or take a cranberry extract tablet
* Avoid using scented products around the vagina
A Tried And Tested Natural Urinary Infection Treatment
The good news is that in general, natural products tend to work in a completely different way to antibiotics but are nevertheless just as effective, if not more so. Natural urinary tract infection treatment works because it gives an enormous boost to the immune system which is then able to naturally kill off the bacteria. This means that if anything, the good bacteria is strengthened and the urinary tract is made healthier and in a much better position to fight off future attack.
