Urinary tract infections: What is the best remedy?

Urinary tract infections usually occur when bacteria enter the urethra and affect the bladder, kidneys and the urethra itself.

Here to provide a detailed guide to urinary tract infections is experienced consultant urologist Mr Matthew Liew. He explains symptoms, recurrent infections, and home remedies, among other important points.

What are the early warning signs of a urinary tract infection?

Urinary tract infections can be common.

Urine tends to be clear and light yellow, but once it becomes cloudy that might be an early sign of a urinary tract infection, which might trigger an assessment.

The second sign is the need to pee more often, called urine frequency.

Another sign is the urge to pee strongly, called urgency. This could be the result of inflammation within the bladder lining due to an infection. People may feel that they cannot empty their bladder very well, which could again, be related to the inflammation caused by the infection. They may notice dribbling when they pee, and they may feel that some urine remains in the bladder.

Burning sensations, also called dysuria, also indicate a urinary tract infection. People describe this as stinging when they pass urine or feeling like they are passing urine with glass within it. This is a typical complaint.

There may be discomfort in the lower abdomen, as part of the inflammation related to the infection or the impending infection.

Finally, people may also have less control over their bladder, and they may experience urine leakage.

Should people be worried about frequent urinary tract infections?

It is recommended to seek urology assistance and review. Recurrent infections could be a sign of significant issues within the urinary system and depending on the severity of the symptoms – certainly, to understand why you are having infections and preventing further problems - would be something that would recommend getting assessed.

Do urinary tract infections go away by themselves or do they require medical treatment?

People generally try to self-treat in the first instance and many have been successful. For example, increasing fluid intake, taking over-the-counter remedies and taking cranberry juice or tablets.

If symptoms have improved, then they may avoid the need to see their doctor.

Are there any useful or effective home remedies for urinary tract infections?

The use of home remedies has been studied for many years and there is some reasonably good data supporting their use.

Drinking plenty of fluids is the first approach. My advice would be to consider drinking 50 per cent more quantity than normal to really flush the system through. There has been good evidence on studies in different patient groups, in which the need for antibiotics can potentially be reduced by half if people drink sufficient fluid. It is also better to drink regularly throughout the day rather than remembering at night and drinking 1.5-2 litres in one go.

Another remedy that has been tried is cranberry juice. In fact, unsweetened cranberry juice or cranberry capsules is a better option because of the high sugar content in cranberry juice. Cranberry juice has been analysed extensively in urinary tract infections and there have been Cochrane reviews where it has been discovered that cranberry juice tends to make the urine area less favourable for bacteria to attach to the bladder lining. It is also generally quite safe to take.

The third option is probiotic supplements, which has been studied over the past 10 years. Results suggest that taking probiotic supplements does have an effect reducing the risk of infections, although this is not completely clear cut when looking at all the studies.

Not really a remedy, but an important lifestyle measure is emptying the bladder fully after intercourse. This is especially effective if sex is a trigger for infections.

In terms of other natural supplements that have been out in the market, D-mannose has been quite well studied and there is quite good support among my colleagues in urology to use that. We cannot prescribe it; it is something that must be bought over the counter and most health food stores have it. D-mannose works in a really nice way, where it mimics the lining of the urinary tract. The bacteria will attach to the d-mannose sugar excreted by the kidneys, and therefore reduce bacterial invasion causing urinary tract infections. This avoids the need and the complications associated with the use of antibiotics, especially when antibiotics must be taken long-term.

There are several non-antibiotic treatments that can be prescribed at the urology clinic. One such treatment is called Hiprex, which has recently been proven to be as effective as antibiotic treatment in a UK trial. Hiprex works by reducing the acidity in the urine, making it less favourable to bacteria to cause symptomatic infections.

Another treatment performed in the urology clinic is bladder installations, whereby the chemicals in the bladder are placed through a temporary catheter. These chemicals will replace the natural bladder lining, which tends to be lost in patients who suffer from recurrent urinary tract infections.

If you suffer from a urinary tract infection, or recurrent ones, and wish to receive expert assistance, do not hesitate to visit Mr Liew’s Top Doctors profile today.