Are You Dealing With a UTI? These Tips Will Help!

If you’ve ever had a urinary tract infection (UTI), you know how painful and uncomfortable they are. A UTI is an infection that targets your urinary system, so it can affect your ureters, kidneys, bladder, and urethra. A UTI can potentially cause serious health problems if left untreated. A severe UTI can even cause permanent kidney damage. 

When patients throughout the West Covina and Santa Clarita, California, area have a UTI, they visit SmartClinic Urgent Care. Our team of medical experts specializes in treating and managing UTIs.

If you’re dealing with a UTI, these tips can help improve your symptoms until your antibiotics kick in.

Common UTI symptoms

A UTI causes different symptoms depending on which part of your urinary tract it affects. However, the most common symptoms of a UTI include:

• A strong, frequent urge to urinate
• Cloudy urine
• Pain or burning when urinating
• Frequently passing small amounts of urine
• Urine with a strong odor
• Abnormal urine color
• Pelvic pain in women

If you spike a high fever, vomit, or experience shaking and chills, you may have acute pyelonephritis, a type of UTI that affects your kidneys. Come to SmartClinic Urgent Care right away if you have these symptoms.

Most types of UTIs respond well to antibiotics, but it can take a few days before your symptoms start to improve. The following tips can help offer some relief until your medications start working.

Drink plenty of water to remove bacteria

Staying hydrated is one of the keys to managing a UTI. Drinking water helps your body flush out toxins and remove waste from your urinary tract. Drinking plenty of water promotes regular urination, which makes it harder for bacteria to attack your cells.

Try not to hold in urine

Urinating often when you have a UTI can reduce the risk of a worsening infection. This happens because urination puts pressure on the bacteria. The longer you hold urine, the higher the risk for bacteria to build up in your system. Make sure to use the restroom as soon as possible if the urge arises.

Drink unsweetened cranberry juice

One of the most well-known UTI treatments is cranberry juice. Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant found in cranberry juice. They contain antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, which can help treat and prevent infections.

Studies show that cranberry juice can help relieve UTI symptoms, as well as reduce how often you get them.

Up your vitamin C intake

Vitamin C boosts your immune system function and can even kill bacteria in urine by lowering the pH. This powerful antioxidant may offer some relief from UTI symptoms.

Use a heating pad

Pelvic and abdominal pain is a common UTI symptom for women. Using a warm heating pad on your stomach can help with discomfort and pressure on your bladder.

Treating a UTI early can prevent them from recurring. But UTI symptoms don’t always show up, so it’s important to get regular health checkups to catch them early.

If you’re experiencing pain or discomfort from a UTI, start your treatment at SmartClinic Urgent Care. Give us a call or go to our website to schedule a visit. Our clinics also accept walk-ins.