Urinary tract infection causes very unpleasant symptoms of burning, constant urge to urinate... So, how to treat it quickly so as not to remain in this state?

The first thing to do is drink water!

When a urinary tract infection appears, there are bacteria in the bladder. They irritate its wall and multiply there. They must therefore be driven out of this place. The simplest solution is to pass them out by urinating. For this, you need to drink a lot of water. What is drinking a lot? It's taking a 1.5 liter bottle and drinking it in 30 minutes. Within an hour, the bladder will fill with urine several times and you will urinate often, flushing out the bacteria.

The other advantage of drinking is that urinary burns decrease, because when you drink a lot, the urine becomes less concentrated and therefore less aggressive for the bladder wall.

Step two: take your temperature

There are actually two kinds of urinary tract infections:

  • UTI where you have a high temperature.
  • Urinary tract infection where the temperature is normal.

If you are a woman and your temperature is high, it is essential to consult a doctor quickly because the increased temperature is a sign that your kidney is affected by the infection. You need antibiotics fast so that kidney doesn't get damaged. It is not a cystitis, but a pyelonephritis (infection concerning the kidney). Drink a lot while waiting to get to your doctor, it can only do you good.

If you are a man and your temperature is high, it is absolutely necessary to consult a doctor quickly. Because a priori, it is a prostatitis, an infection of the prostate which must be treated urgently with a suitable antibiotic treatment for 3 weeks.

If your temperature is normal, it is cystitis, an infection affecting only the bladder.

You have cystitis, what to do?

If this is the first time you have had a urinary tract infection, drink of course, but above all go see your doctor. He will prescribe a urine analysis to be done quickly, and an antibiotic treatment to start before having the results of your analysis. Once the results are obtained, he will see whether or not the prescribed antibiotic was effective and he will change it if necessary.

You can also take an analgesic (painkiller) medicine such as paracetamol (acetaminophen).

Be careful, the doctor can try to understand where your cystitis comes from, especially if it recurs.

If you have ever had cystitis. And you know it's nothing serious.

Your doctor may have prescribed antibiotics for you to take when needed. (but the problem will be that afterwards, you will not be able to do any more urine analysis, because it would be distorted by the treatment). So take them.

Your pharmacist can also sell you a urinary disinfectant without a prescription. And of course, drink a lot! And if the burns last more than 6-7 days, see your doctor.

Treatments for cystitis in complementary medicine

Cranberry juice is reputed to act on cystitis. It is true, but it has demonstrated an effect only in prevention for recurrent cystitis. Not to treat installed cystitis.

Echinacea is a plant that can also help prevent cystitis.

Applying a warm clay poultice to the lower abdomen can help soothe the pain.

Watch out for sexually transmitted infections.

In both men and women, some urinary burns may be due to a sexually transmitted infection. Also if the urinary burns appeared following unprotected sex with a new partner, consult a gynecologist for a woman or a urologist for a man.