How To Prevent and Treat UTIs Naturally

 

Learning how to prevent and UTIs naturally is probably simpler than you think!

Last month I wrote a post about the time I had to take my 4 year old to the ER for symptoms that concerned me. Thankfully, she only had a urinary tract infection and it was easily treated with antibiotics.

Now, most of you are probably surprised that I gave my daughter antibiotics for a UTI, and frankly, I am too. 🙂 If anyone would NOT recommend antibiotics for a UTI it would be me. Antibiotics compromise the healthy bacteria and can cause the infection to reoccur over and over.

However, in my daughter’s case, I suspect her infection may have gone into her kidneys but the doctor did not want to put her little body through a CAT scan to know for sure, and neither did I. Because I didn’t catch her infection early enough, it became so severe and required stronger medication. Never hesitate to use antibiotics when needed.

As a side note, her UTI did come back again about a month after she took antibiotics, but this time I was armed with research and a remedy that I prayed would work. We hit it hard at the very beginning of her symptoms, and it worked!

Symptoms of UTI

As with any illness, the best thing is to catch it at the beginning. If you know what to look for and begin treating it immediately, you just might be able to avoid a trip to the doctor. Here is a list of symptoms that may let you know you are dealing with a urinary tract infection.

• Cloudy or strange smelling urine
• Frequent urination
• Feeling the urge to go when you don’t have to or only a little comes out
• Burning when you urinate
• Pain in back, side, or lower abdomen in general

Causes of UTIs

90% of urinary tract infections are cause by the E. Coli bacteria. E. Coli has the ability to stick to the inner walls of your bladder. They do such a good job of clinging to your bladder that they are not flushed out by urinating.

How To Prevent and Treat UTIs Naturally

Instead of beating around the bush, I’m just going to straight out tell you what my favorite remedy is for UTIs, then I’ll list a few more alternatives. What works for us may not be the best option for you. Each person can vary in what they need.

The natural remedy is D-Mannose.

You know how cranberry juice is often used to help urinary tract infections? {If you use the juice, I recommend buying the real juice from the health food store and not the kind at the grocery store. It will be more sour, but will help significantly more.} Well, D-Mannose is a simple sugar that naturally occurs in cranberries. It is also sometimes derived from peaches, berries, and apples.

When D-Mannose is extracted in its pure form and consumed, it is 10-50 times more powerful than drinking cranberry juice. When large amounts of D-Mannose are consumed, it coats the E. Coli and removes the bacteria from the bladder, flushing it out when you urinate. It is safe for pregnancy, small children, and does not affect blood sugar levels. {Source}

Dosage suggestion:

• 1 teaspoon every two hours every day until the symptoms have disappeared.
• Continuing to take it 4-5 times a day for 2 or 3 days after the symptoms have disappeared, will ensure the bacteria is gone.
• For very small children, you can reduce the dose to 1/2 a teaspoon. I used 1/2-1 full teaspoon for my 4 year old.

Other Natural Remedies for UTIs

Other remedies that some have found effective for this infection:

• Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
• Garlic
• Echinacea 

In the book, Be Your Own Doctor, Rachel Weaver tells of a woman that took (when she had a UTI) 1 tsp. of raw apple cider vinegar every 15 minutes, 2 garlic pills (or a fresh clove of garlic) every 6 hours, 2 cayenne pepper pills every hour, 1-2 droppers of immune booster every 2 hours, such as echinacea.

Prevent Urinary Tract Infections

Preventing these infections is always best!

• Be sure to teach your girls good hygiene when they use the bathroom. First of all, make sure they actually wipe. Many girls will jump off the toilet without wiping, which can lead to a UTI. Also, make sure they wipe from front to back. This is very important. I know of more than one person that never got infections again by making sure they always wiped correctly.
• Cut back on sugar. Too much sugar encourages bacteria to grow.
• Taking a maintenance dose of 1/2-1 teaspoon of  D-Mannose a day helps to keep the bacteria flushed out.
• UTIs are a common problem for some women soon after they get married. It is recommended to take 1 tablespoon of D-Mannose an hour before and right after intercourse if you suffer from UTIs. Also, urinate right after intercourse.

Caution:  If symptoms do not improve, or your child runs a high fever that does not improve after treating the infection, this may be a sign that the infection has reached the kidneys or is caused by something besides E. Coli. Seek medical help immediately if needed. E. Coli in the kidneys can become very, very serious. As I’ve already mentioned, I believe my daughter’s infection likely reached her kidneys because of how serious her symptoms were.

Do you suffer from UTIs?  How do you treat them?