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How to Relieve UTI Symptoms Until Seeing a Doctor

How to Relieve UTI Symptoms Until Seeing a Doctor

The waiting is the hardest part.

When you’re in the grips of the agony that comes along with a UTI, every second feels like an hour. Before you can see a doctor, or until the antibiotic starts to work, you have some options to keep the pain in check. 

UTI SYMPTOMS

It may hurt or burn when you pee. You may feel a continual urge to go, even after you just went. Your pee may be really cloudy, have a particularly strong odor or it might have traces of blood. A fever, lower back pain and cramping are all also symptoms you might suffer. If it gets worse, you might experience night sweats, chills or shaking. Your fever may increase. That pain in your lower back may move further up (where your kidneys are) or to the side. Your skin might get flushed accompanied by fatigue, nausea and a generally crappy feeling all day long.1 

In short, a UTI can become a serious drag.

UTI RELIEF

There’s no doubt that most UTIs will respond very well to antibiotic treatment. If you think you have a UTI, save time with an at-home UTI test and then call your doctor with the results. It is especially important to speak with a healthcare professional as soon as possible if you are pregnant, have diabetes or suffer from frequent kidney stones, as these conditions can be further affected by a UTI.2 

In the meantime, there’s a lot you can do to lessen the duration of your UTI and the severity of your UTI symptoms.3 

A hot water bottle is a great way to help relieve some of the aches that come with cramping or lower back pain. Keep the heat low and only use it for 15 minutes at a time to avoid any burns. The moist heat is especially effective in working through the dense tissue of your abdomen. Your diet can play a big part in UTI relief. Try cutting out caffeine, alcohol, carbonated drinks and nicotine, which are all irritants to your bladder and have the ability to make the healing process harder and potentially slower. Plus, caffeine is a stimulant and a diuretic, which may increase blood pressure, making your kidneys work harder. With more blood to filter through the kidneys, the body needs more fluid to expel the extra waste, running the risk of dehydration. Caffeine can also hinder the body’s ability to maintain homeostasis in the bloodstream (the balance between sodium and water).4 

Though caffeine will cause you to use the bathroom more often, the healthiest way to flush out the infection-causing bacteria in your urinary tract is to make sure you stay hydrated with plain ol’ water. Drinking plenty of water is going to make you pee more, sure, but that’s good––it will help your body process the bacteria and all the by-products of fighting an infection.5

FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE

If you’re just feeling the first hint of a UTI, you can get ahead of the infection with AZO Urinary Tract Defense®. It includes a pain reliever to help soothe and a powerful antibacterial agent to help control your infection. If you’re beyond that stage, relieve painful UTI symptoms FAST with an over-the-counter urinary pain reliever like AZO Urinary Pain Relief® or for a higher dose of the active ingredient, AZO Urinary Pain Relief® Maximum Strength.

Remember: There’s no over-the-counter cure for a UTI. Only your doctor can prescribe a UTI antibiotic to rid the bacteria causing the infection.

OTHER WAYS TO HELP MANAGE A UTI:

  • Drinking plenty of water may help to dilute your urine and help flush out bacteria that causes UTIs. 
  • Avoid coffee, alcohol and soft drinks that contain citrus juices and caffeine. They can irritate your bladder and aggravate your need to urinate. No thanks. 
  • Place a heating pad over your abdomen to help ease pressure and discomfort.
  • Once your UTI is treated, maintain a healthy urinary tract with a cranberry supplement from AZO, in the form of your choice: caplets, softgels or gummies.* Or try New AZO D-Mannose or AZO Dual Protection.

PHEW, IT’S OVER. BUT, WILL IT COME BACK? 

There’s good news … and there’s bad news. The bad news: one out of five women who get a UTI will get another one. (Source: US Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health.) If you do get another UTI, speak with your doctor about UTI treatment options, he or she may prescribe a longer course of antibiotics or have other UTI treatment options for you. The good news: changing up some of your daily habits and following some of our tips above may also help you protect yourself. When it comes to keeping UTIs away, knowledge is power.