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How do I Choose the Best Bladder Infection Treatment?

Anna T.
Anna T.

If you think you are suffering from a bladder infection, you should first see your doctor before attempting any method for bladder infection treatment. There is always a chance that you could have some other problem instead of a bladder infection, and in most cases doctors and other trained medical specialists are the only people qualified to determine the presence of a bladder infection. If your doctor confirms that you do have a bladder infection, he will probably prescribe antibiotics as well as recommend some over-the-counter pain relievers to take for helping you manage your symptoms. There are also a few home remedies you can attempt to help with your symptoms once you are certain that you have a bladder infection.

When you see your doctor about possible forms of bladder infection treatment, he will probably want to take a sample of your urine to check for the presence of bacteria. If bacteria is present in your urine, it is likely that you do have a bladder infection. Your doctor will probably prescribe a round of antibiotics for you to take. In addition to antibiotics, your doctor might also give you some recommendations for pain-relieving medicines that are specifically designed to help with the uncomfortable symptoms you may be experiencing as a result of your infection.

Cranberry pills can help with a bladder infection.
Cranberry pills can help with a bladder infection.

To ensure successful bladder infection treatment, you should be sure to take all of your prescribed antibiotics even if you begin to feel better before you are done with them. If you don't take all the antibiotics prescribed to you, you can't really be sure that your bladder infection is completely gone. Your bladder infection could return within as little as a week or two, and when it does come back, it may be more severe than it was the first time you experienced it. This is why doctors usually stress the importance of finishing all antibiotics once they are prescribed for bladder infection treatment.

Drinking cranberry juice may help fight bladder infections.
Drinking cranberry juice may help fight bladder infections.

It could take your antibiotics a few days to start helping your symptoms. While you wait for your antibiotics to start making a noticeable difference, you can take some over-the-counter pain relievers designed for bladder infections. These pain relievers are available under a variety of different brand names, and they usually help a great deal with urinary urgency and the burning sensation you may be experiencing when you try to urinate. One side effect of this type of pain reliever is that it may turn your urine a dark brown or orange color, but this effect is not harmful and should go away once you stop taking the pills.

A cutaway of a female body showing the bladder in dark pink.
A cutaway of a female body showing the bladder in dark pink.

In addition to medicine, both prescription and non-prescription, you can also do a few things at home to help with your bladder infection symptoms. You have probably heard people recommend cranberry juice as a form of bladder infection treatment, and while cranberry juice usually isn't always strong enough on its own to get rid of a bladder infection, it may help speed up the process. You can drink several glasses of cranberry juice per day to help get rid of your infection, but be sure to ask your doctor before doing this. In addition to cranberry juice, it's also a good idea to make sure you are drinking plenty of water because water can also help to flush out the infection.

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    • Cranberry pills can help with a bladder infection.
      Cranberry pills can help with a bladder infection.
    • Drinking cranberry juice may help fight bladder infections.
      By: Galina Mikhalishina
      Drinking cranberry juice may help fight bladder infections.
    • A cutaway of a female body showing the bladder in dark pink.
      By: kocakayaali
      A cutaway of a female body showing the bladder in dark pink.
    • A bath in apple cider vinegar and water may help relieve a bladder infection.
      By: rimglow
      A bath in apple cider vinegar and water may help relieve a bladder infection.
    • It is essential to see a doctor prior to self-treating a bladder infection.
      By: Gabriel Blaj
      It is essential to see a doctor prior to self-treating a bladder infection.