Anyone who's experienced a UTI, or a urinary tract infection, knows the discomfort and pain that it can bring. A UTI can be in any part of the urinary system, from the bladder to the kidneys to the urethra. Although they are more common in women, anyone can suffer from a UTI. There are many home treatments for these annoying and painful infections, one of the most common being cranberry juice. Another UTI natural remedy is baking soda, however, research shows it might do more harm than good.
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UTI Symptoms and Prevention
Bladder infections, also called cystitis, are the most common type of UTI. The most noticeable symptoms of a UTI are a strong, frequent need to pee, and a painful burning sensation when urinating. They can also cause back pain and lower abdomen pain, along with feeling tired, shaky, or chilled. This is definitely not something you want in your life!
To prevent a UTI from developing, it's recommended by healthcare professionals to drink plenty of water. Along with drinking lots of water, it's important to empty your bladder when you need to pee, avoid scented bath products, keep your genital area dry with cotton underwear, and wipe front to back after going to the bathroom to avoid spreading E.coli (or escherichia coli).
Scented products like douches and sprays can be irritants, and keeping everything dry will prevent the buildup of bacteria. Another thing to keep in mind is choosing showers over bubble baths. It's important not to ignore a UTI, because if untreated, it will travel to the kidneys and become a kidney infection.
Baking Soda and Other Home Remedies
To aid the pain of a UTI, it's advised to take ibuprofen and use a heating pad, along with continuing to drink lots of water to get the bacteria out of your bottom. As for the treatment of the actual infection, one option is to go to your doctor and obtain antibiotics.
However, because antibiotics are used so frequently to treat UTIs, antibiotic-resistant bacteria are adapting, which means that the antibiotics will eventually stop working. To prevent this, many people who suffer from UTIs opt for home remedies, which have a somewhat successful rate in curing UTIs. Baking soda is one of the go-tos, along with cranberry juice, apple cider vinegar, and essential oils.
How to Use Baking Soda for a UTI
Those who swear by the baking soda treatment say that the baking soda neutralizes the acidity in your urine, allowing the body to get rid of the bacterial infection. It also detoxifies the kidneys, ensuring that the infection doesn't spread further.
To use baking soda as treatment, dissolve a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water. It's most effective to use warm water, which dissolves particles faster. Drink this on an empty stomach. Then, continue to drink a 1/2 teaspoon dissolved in 4-8 ounces of water every two hours until your UTI goes away.
The only disclaimer when using baking soda as a home remedy is that too much baking soda can be harmful and even dangerous to ingest. It's essential not to dissolve any more than 1 teaspoon in your glass of water, because baking soda poisoning can occur with too much. In fact, 4-7% of poison cases in California in 2013 were due to using baking soda for UTIs.
So stay away from the baking soda and call up your doctor.
