How to Treat Urinary Infection

A urinary infection is a common condition that may cause burning and pain upon urination, abdominal or back pain, blood in the urine, cloudy urine, fever, chills and nausea. You will need to see your doctor so he can evaluate your symptoms and test a sample of your urine. If you get persistent urinary tract infections, your doctor may send you for further medical tests such as X-rays of your urinary tract or blood tests. There are a number of steps you can take to treat a urinary infection.

Things You'll Need

• Physical examination
• Antibiotics
• Pain relievers
• Plenty of water
• Cranberry juice

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Instructions

• 1

  See your doctor. You will need to visit your doctor so he can check your urine to determine what organism is causing your infection. Your doctor may recommend additional tests if you get frequent urinary infections.

• 2

  Take antibiotics. Your doctor will prescribe antibiotics based on the type of organism found in your urine specimen. Once your infection is resolved, your symptoms will go away. Always take your full course of antibiotics. If you do not complete all your medication, your infection may not fully resolve. Even though your symptoms may disappear after a few doses of antibiotics, it takes a full course of treatment to effectively eradicate the infection and prevent antibiotic resistance.

• 3

  Ask about pain relievers. Ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter pain reliever aimed at treating the pain of urinary infections. These medications will not get rid of the infection, but they will ease the pain. Urinary tract infection pain relievers will turn your urine bright orange. This is a harmless condition and is caused by the dye in the medication.

• 4

  Drink water. Drinking plenty of water will help the antibiotic clear your system of infection. Stay away from drinks containing caffeine, because it is a urinary tract irritant and will worsen your symptoms.

• 5

  Try cranberry juice. Cranberry juice may help the symptoms of your urinary tract infection. If you do not like the taste of cranberry juice, or if you feel too sick to drink it, you can take cranberry supplements. Cranberry supplements are available over the counter, however, check with your doctor before taking them to make sure they are appropriate for your situation.