Natural Urinary Infection Remedies

Natural UTI remedies can relieve the pain of bladder infections fast.

And surprisingly it is easy to make effective urinary infection remedies from basic kitchen ingredients.

By combining homemade remedies with simple diet changes we can also prevent UTIs recurring.

In this guide I will cover key tips on how to relieve UTI pain including:

This is NOT medical advice. UTI can be dangerous infections. See a doctor with these symptoms or if other symptoms persists.

If you are familiar with UTI symptoms & causes jump to the home remedies.

Common Symptoms Of UTI

Low level UTI can be relieved with natural home remedies but they can become dangerous infections and so it is important to recognise:

Common UTI Symptoms

The most common symptoms of urinary tract infections include :

Constant need to pee
Difficulty peeing
Pain peeing
Cloudy pee
Particularly pungent pee
Bloating
Inflammation in the urethra.

These symptoms may be treatable with natural UTI remedies.

Dangerous UTI Symptoms

Always seek urgent medical help for any of the following symptoms :

Fever
Very low temperature
Drowsiness
Confusion
Vomiting
Blood in urine
Pain around pelvis
Pain under ribs
Back pain
Pain during sex
Discharge.

Check here for medical advice.

UTI Symptoms In The Elderly

The elderly often experience specific UTI symptoms for which they will need additional support :

Sudden “strange” behaviour which may be verbally aggressive and even uncharacteristically violent
Hallucinations
Voracious appetite
Falling
Incontinence
Sleeping much more than usual.

Common Causes Of UTI

UTI are caused by bacteria like E. Coli entering our urethra to breed.

Our gut protects us from such bacteria but may fail due to diet, lifestyle and medical treatments.

Common triggers for UTI include :

Dehydration

Peeing frequently flushes out E. Coli and stops it attaching to our urethra.

Dehydration blocks this process.

It is a major cause of UTI in the elderly as they may not drink enough for fear of incontinence.

Constipation

Persistent constipation increases the risk of bacteria like E. Coli getting into our bladder and urethra.

For quick DIY relief try these simple natural constipation remedies.

Sugar

Sugar is a huge trigger for UTI – diabetics get more infections – just as it is for acid reflux, gastritis, back pain, poor sleep and more!!!

If you get recurrent infections cut right back on sugary food and juice.

Sex

Sex is a common cause of UTI as bacteria from the anus and genitals can enter and infect the urethra.

Staying hydrated, peeing pre and post sex and bathing after sex helps.

Poor Hygiene

Not wiping properly after the toilet lets anal bacteria enter the urethra.

This can be a challenge for the elderly and frequent UTI in elderly relatives in care is a red flag that they are not receiving the help needed.

Heartburn Medication

Long term use of antacids and PPI for acid reflux can increase gut infections from E. Coli as they lower our protective stomach acid.

To prevent recurrent UTI infections you can heal heartburn naturally with the 6 week acid reflux diet.

Repeat Antibiotics

Antibiotics are life saving but repeat use can destroy the bacteria that defend our digestive system.

Healing minor UTI infections with natural antibiotics and gut friendly food can break the cycle.

Quick Natural Remedies For UTI & Bladder Infections

Scientific research now shows traditional natural remedies relieve urinary tract infections because they:

Attack bacteria that cause UTIs
Stop bacteria sticking to urethra
Generate urine as natural diuretics
Trigger the release of urine
Flush bacteria out when we pee
Ease excess inflammation.

These DIY remedies made from kitchen ingredients all combine a number of these powers:

Green tea
Kefir
Natural yoghurt
Celery juice
Parsley water
Cucumber
Pineapple
Cinnamon water
Ginger
Garlic tea
Herbal teas including peppermint, sage & fennel seed
Cranberry juice
Cheese
Traditional herbal remedies

Natural UTI remedies have most impact taken at the first sign of symptoms. Combining different remedies can boost effectiveness.

Remember to seek medical advice if symptoms persist for more than 3 days or recur or you have any of these symptoms.

Green Tea

Green tea is a diuretic – it helps us pee – and has natural anti-microbial properties to relieve UTI and other infections such as gastritis.

Kefir

Kefir is fermented milk containing live bacteria that help our gut fight the bugs behind urinary infections.

You can drink it as is or add to porridge or smoothies combined with other UTI remedies.

Natural Yoghurt

Natural yoghurt includes bacteria such as lactobacillus bulgaricus and bifidobacteria that can fight the E. coli bacteria which causes UTI.

But make sure the yoghurt is sugar and additive free. One big “healthy” brand I checked out contained:

Water, Skimmed Milk (Reconstituted), Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Sugar, Maltodextrin & Flavourings.

This is the stuff that causes recurrent UTI infections in the first place!!

Your healthy yoghurt should ONLY contain milk and live cultures.

Celery Juice

Celery juice has natural diuretic & antiseptic properties that can both kill off and flush out infection.

You can easily make DIY celery juice as an alternative to sugary fruit juice.

Parsley Water

Parsley is a traditional remedy for all kidney related infections and drinking parsley water can clear UTI.

You can make DIY parsley water by:

Simmering roughly 20g of parsley
In a few of litres of water
For 5 minutes
Then leave it to cool
Before straining.

It is super easy to grow parsley so you always have some available.

Cucumber

Cucumber is a gentle diuretic that is easy to digest when you have a UTI.

For quick UTI relief blend a cucumber smoothie with :

Natural yoghurt
Parsley
Avocado
Almonds.

Pineapple Smoothie

Pineapple contains bromelain which can naturally ease inflammation.

If your urethra feels inflamed blend pineapple in a smoothie with :

Natural yoghurt
Ginger
Cinnamon.

Pineapple is acidic so cucumber is a better bet if you have heartburn.

Cinnamon Water

Cinnamon is an antibiotic that has been shown to inhibit E. coli growth.

Make cinnamon tea and drink 3 or 4 times a day warm or chilled :

Add 4 or 5 cups of water to a pan
Add 1/2 tsp of cinnamon per cup
Bring to boil
Simmer for 5 minutes
Strain and drink or chill.

Ginger

Ginger is antibiotic and anti-fungal and inhibits E. Coli and candida.

You can drink ginger tea or juice as a UTI remedy or chew raw ginger.

DIY ginger juice is easy to make even if you don’t have a juicer …

Garlic

Garlic has anti-microbial powers and was traditionally used to ease UTI.

You can treat UTI with plain garlic tea or try this garlic lemonade recipe :

Avoid garlic if you suffer with reflux, IBS or gastritis symptoms.

More Herbal Teas

Traditionally these herbal teas have all been used as natural remedies for urinary & bladder infections :

Peppermint – some people with acid reflux and heartburn find mint makes symptoms worse
Sage
Dandelion
Fennel seed
Nettle
Aniseed
Goldenseal – popular in North America but less easily available in Europe.

Cranberry Juice

Cranberries are one of the best known natural remedies for urinary infections and can help:

Stop bacteria attaching themselves to and breeding in urethra walls
Trigger urine release
Ease inflammation
Balance gut bacteria so our digestive system defends itself.

But most cranberry juice includes added sugar which feeds E. Coli. So make your own sugar free cranberry juice or just eat cranberries.

Cheddar, Parmesan & Gruyere

Parmesan, Cheddar & Gruyere As Natural UTI Remedies

Cheddar, parmesan and gruyere cheese all contain the bacteria Lactobacillus reuteri which can prevent and treat recurrent UTIs.

Cheese won’t be an instant remedy for your UTI but pasture fed cheese can help stop infections coming back by improving gut health.

Other Traditional Herbal Remedies For UTI

Traditional Herbal Remedies To Relieve UTI

A wide range of other herbs were traditionally used in Chinese and Indian medicine to treat UTI and can be bought in health stores.

Research is now evaluating if they could be a reliable alternative. to bug resistant antibiotics.

If you want to try these traditional remedies purchase from a trusted health store and check with your doctor before taking :

Bear berry – arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Self heal – prunella vulgaris
Common mallow – malva sylvestris
Golden seal – hydrastis canadensis
Chinese cinnamon – cinnamomum cassia
Bindi – tribulus terrestris
Haritaki – terminalia chebula
Green chiretta – andrographis paniculata
Purple cone flower – echinacea purpurea
Butterfly pea flowers – clitoria ternatea
Black jack daisy – bidens pilosa
Black mustard – brassica nigra
Chinese hibiscus – hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Java or malabar plum – syzygium cumini
Chinese date – ziziphus jujuba
Gale of the wind – hyllanthus amarusNeem – azadirachta indica
Holy basil / tulsi – ocimum sanctum
Punarnava – boerhavia diffusa
India mallow – abutilon indicum

How To Prevent Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections

Healthy Habits

5 simple healthy habits can help to stop urinary infections coming back over and over again :

Good toilet hygiene
Good sex hygiene
Staying hydrated
Eating plenty of fibre as part of a balanced diet to avoid constipation
Cutting down on sugar.

But the biggest thing we can do to prevent recurrent UTI is improve gut health so our digestive system can fight back against E. Coli.

Improving Gut Health

Gut Healthy Food As A Natural UTI Remedy

We can increase good gut bacteria with 6 easy changes to our diet :

Enjoy lots of different vegetables
Munch on nuts, seeds & pulses
Flavour with gut healthy herbs
Eat natural yoghurt
Savour proper cheese from farmers
Have a little fermented food daily :
- Kefir
- Kombucha
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi

You don’t have to chuck out all your recipes to make these changes. Just build this food into everyday meals.

But if you do want new ideas check out these gut healthy recipes for UTI.

Gut Healthy Recipes For UTI

Gut Healthy Food For Natural UTI Remedies

These UTI friendly recipes are all built around traditional ingredients for healing urinary infections …

Healing Mung Bean Soup

Mung bean soup is a traditional remedy in Chinese medicine to ease bladder infections. Use this simple recipe to quickly make your own …

Chicory & Blue Cheese Salad

This deliciously healing salad combines chicory, a traditional diuretic remedy, with blue cheese, rich in good gut bacteria …

Healthy Okra Stew

Okra is full of mineral and vitamins and believed to have anti-microbial & anti-inflammatory powers to help heal digestive infections …

Tasty Pomegranate Recipes

Pomegranate has been used as an anti-microbial remedy for thousands of year and research suggests it can treat UTI. For ideas try these tasty pomegranate recipes …

Roast Fennel

Fennel is a gentle diuretic that is great roasted with garlic and served with lots of gut healthy parmesan …

What To Do If You Need Antibiotics For A UTI

You should always seek urgent medical advice if your UTI persists for more than 3 days and if you experience any of these symptoms.

You may need antibiotics.

If you take antibiotics for your UTI remember to boost good gut bacteria after completing the course.

You don’t need probiotic supplements just a diet rich in:

Fermented food
Fibre from a wide range of vegetables & pulses.

They will help good bacteria thrive and prevent future urinary infection.

I do hope these natural remedies for urinary infections help you get on top of your UTI and stop them recurring. Let me know what works best for you.

For other digestive problems do check out my natural remedies for gut health including:

Quick Natural Urinary Infection Remedies

Photos: Woman holding abdomen, Pineapple slices by Marco Verch, rawpixel.com and sloely.com under Creative Commons 2.0