Home Cures for Urinary Pain

Urinary tract infections (UTIs), and the pain that accompanies them, affect 10 million individuals a year. This accounts for nearly 8 million doctor visits yearly. Not everyone is able or willing to see a physician for their symptoms. More and more individuals are now opting for a home cure. The following home treatment plan includes supplements as well as dietary and lifestyle changes.

Treating the bacteria

• There are dietary supplements that work by dislodging bacteria from the bladder wall. Reducing bacteria resolves the infection along with the pain. Supplements include D-mannose and cranberry extract. D-mannose, a natural sugar, is a powder whose usual dose is one teaspoon in liquid every three to four hours. Cranberry extract tablets are taken three times a day or as directed on the label.

Treating the symptoms

• Corn silk tea acts as a mild diuretic and reduces pain as it soothes the lining of the bladder. Corn silk is what we call those thread-like tassels running through an ear of corn.

  To make a tea, finely chop the silk and place one cup into two cups of boiling water. Steep for 15 minutes. Drink one cup three to four times a day. You can store corn silk tea for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Diet and lifestyle changes

• Drink plenty of water to assist in flushing your urinary system and reduce the stinging pain of urination.

  Incorporate foods rich in vitamin C into your diet. The vitamin C found in foods such as fruits and green leafy vegetables creates a hostile internal environment for bacteria to flourish. Also consider adding acidophilus to your diet, either through supplements or by eating yogurt, to encourage a proper balance of good bacteria in your digestive and urinary systems.

  Omit sugar and alcohol from your diet, as they foster the proliferation of bacteria. Sugar includes table sugar, honey, syrups (especially high fructose corn syrup), jellies and candies. Alcohol includes beer, wine and liquor.

  Sexual activity, spermicides, non-lubricated condoms, and diaphragms may increase your risk of getting a UTI. Emptying your bladder after sexual contact can help prevent infections. For women, wiping from front to back and wearing cotton underwear may help prevent them as well.

  Adding supplements, increasing water intake, modifying your diet and making a few lifestyle changes may help to treat or prevent recurrence of a painful UTI.

  NOTE: If you have blood in your urine or have a low backache or a fever, see your healthcare provider, as it is possible you are experiencing a more serious infection of the kidneys.