Your family doctor, nurse practitioner or other health care provider can treat most urinary tract infections. However, don't drink cranberry juice if you're taking blood-thinning medication, such as warfarin. For most people, drinking cranberry juice is safe, but some people report an upset stomach or diarrhea. If you enjoy drinking cranberry juice and feel it helps you prevent UTIs, there's little harm in it, but watch the calories. Researchers continue to study the ability of cranberry juice to prevent UTIs, but results are not conclusive. There's some indication that cranberry products, in either juice or tablet form, may have infection-fighting properties. Many people drink cranberry juice to prevent UTIs. Apply a warm, but not hot, heating pad to your abdomen to minimize bladder pressure or discomfort. They can irritate your bladder and tend to aggravate your frequent or urgent need to urinate. Avoid coffee, alcohol, and soft drinks containing citrus juices or caffeine until your infection has cleared. Avoid drinks that may irritate your bladder.Water helps to dilute your urine and flush out bacteria. Urinary tract infections can be painful, but you can take steps to ease your discomfort until antibiotics treat the infection. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic Clinical trialsĮxplore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition. Vaginal estrogen therapy if you're postmenopausalįor a severe UTI, you may need treatment with intravenous antibiotics in a hospital.A single dose of antibiotic after sexual intercourse if your infections are related to sexual activity.Self-diagnosis and treatment, if you stay in touch with your doctor.Low-dose antibiotics, initially for six months but sometimes longer.If you have frequent UTIs, your doctor may make certain treatment recommendations, such as: Your doctor may also prescribe a pain medication (analgesic) that numbs your bladder and urethra to relieve burning while urinating, but pain usually is relieved soon after starting an antibiotic. But whether this short course of treatment is enough to treat your infection depends on your particular symptoms and medical history. Take the entire course of antibiotics as prescribed.įor an uncomplicated UTI that occurs when you're otherwise healthy, your doctor may recommend a shorter course of treatment, such as taking an antibiotic for one to three days. But you may need to continue antibiotics for a week or more. Often, UTI symptoms clear up within a few days of starting treatment. In some cases, such as a complicated UTI or kidney infection, your doctor might prescribe a fluoroquinolone medicine if there are no other treatment options. The group of antibiotic medicines known as fluoroquinolones - such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro), levofloxacin and others - isn't commonly recommended for simple UTIs, as the risks of these medicines generally outweigh the benefits for treating uncomplicated UTIs.

Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra, others).Simple infectionĭrugs commonly recommended for simple UTIs include: Which drugs are prescribed and for how long depend on your health condition and the type of bacteria found in your urine. Our caring team of Mayo Clinic experts can help you with your Urinary tract infection (UTI)-related health concernsĪntibiotics usually are the first line treatment for urinary tract infections. The cystoscope is inserted in your urethra and passed through to your bladder. If you have recurrent UTIs, your doctor may perform a cystoscopy, using a long, thin tube with a lens (cystoscope) to see inside your urethra and bladder. Using a scope to see inside your bladder.Your doctor may also use a contrast dye to highlight structures in your urinary tract. If you are having frequent infections that your doctor thinks may be caused by an abnormality in your urinary tract, you may have an ultrasound, a computerized tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Creating images of your urinary tract.This test tells your doctor what bacteria are causing your infection and which medications will be most effective. Lab analysis of the urine is sometimes followed by a urine culture. Growing urinary tract bacteria in a lab.To avoid potential contamination of the sample, you may be instructed to first wipe your genital area with an antiseptic pad and to collect the urine midstream. Your doctor may ask for a urine sample for lab analysis to look for white blood cells, red blood cells or bacteria. Tests and procedures used to diagnose urinary tract infections include: Surgical tools can be passed through the cystoscope to treat certain urinary tract conditions. Cystoscopy allows your doctor to view your lower urinary tract to look for abnormalities in your urethra and bladder.

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