Treat a Bladder Infection

If you have a bladder infection, then you need to take action quickly before the infection spreads to your kidneys, where it can cause permanent damage. Follow these steps to treat a bladder infection.

Steps

Bladder Infection Treatment

1. Ask your doctor about antibiotics. Doctors prescribe a variety of antibiotics for bladder infections including amoxicillin, ampicillin and ciprofloxacin.
   • Your doctor may place you on a short regimen of antibiotics or on a longer regimen depending on the severity of the infection.
   • Take all of your medication even if your symptoms disappear. Doing this will help ensure that the infection is completely eradicated. If you don't take all of your medication, you run the risk of getting a more serious infection.
2. Take an analgesic. Analgesics help to numb your bladder and urethra to lessen pain that you may feel when urinating.
3. Try cranberry juice. Cranberry juice may have infection-fighting properties to relieve your bladder infection. Just make sure to count your calories, and stop drinking the juice if you experience stomach discomfort or diarrhea.
4. Drink water. Drinking large quantities of water will help to dilute your urine and to flush bacteria from your urinary tract.
5. Avoid drinks that can irritate your bladder. Skip alcohol, caffeine and citrus juices until your infection clears up.
6. Use a heating pad. Apply a warm heating pad to your abdomen to ease bladder discomfort.

Bladder Infection Prevention

1. Drink 8 8-ounce (237 ml) glasses of water daily.
2. Stop using irritating feminine products. Douches, deodorant sprays and powders can all irritate your urinary tract.
3. Use sanitary napkins instead of tampons. Some doctors believe that tampons make bladder infections more likely. Change the pad every time you go to the bathroom.
4. Empty your bladder after you have sexual intercourse. Also, drink a glass of water to help flush your urinary tract.
5. Wipe from front to back when you go to the bathroom. Doing this will keep you from dragging rectal germs toward your urethra.
6. Urinate as soon as you feel the urge. Emptying your bladder frequently will prevent bacterial growth.
7. Take a shower instead of a bath. Sitting in a tub filled with bubbles or with excessive soap or shampoo suds can wash away your urethra's protective mucus layer and invite infection.
8. Wear comfortable pants and underwear. Tight pants or underwear may irritate your urethra. Cotton underwear is the best choice if you have frequent bladder infections.

Tips

• If an infant has frequent bladder infections, he or she may have an abnormality in his or her urinary system. Talk to a pediatrician about getting an ultrasound or other test to check for anatomical issues.
• As soon as it happens, take a shower to clean the feminine area of any previous bacteria.

Warnings

• If you experience back or side pain, fever, vomiting or chills, call your doctor right away. You may have a kidney infection.
• Do not take antibiotics that your doctor didn't prescribe you for your current infection, even if you've been prescribed them in the past. Bladder infections can be caused by various types of bacteria, and if you take an antibiotic that you don't need to take, all that will happen is that your body will become more resistant to that antibiotic in the future.
• Avoid cranberry juice if you're taking a blood thinning medication. The interaction between the juice and the medication may cause bleeding. Also, skip cranberry juice if you or a family member has a history of kidney stones.
• If your doctor prescribes you antibiotics, make sure you finish them all. You will start to feel better before you finish the antibiotics, but that doesn't mean the infection is gone. If you don't take all of the antibiotics, the infection can come back, but it will be stronger and likely resistant to the antibiotics. This is one of the reasons that infections like MRSA exist.

Things You'll Need

• Antibiotics
• Analgesics
• Cranberry juice
• Water
• Heating pad

Related Articles

• Heal a Urinary Tract Infection Naturally
• Lessen the Likelihood of Kidney Infection
• Treat a Urinary Tract Infection
• Get Rid of Chronic Cystitis for Good

Sources and Citations

• Urinary Tract Infection
• Bladder Infections
• Urinary Tract Infection - Adults

See also

• Make Yourself Pee
• Urinate when on an Automobile Trip
• Get Rid of Kidney Stones
• Get Rid of a UTI Fast
• Prevent a Bacterial Infection
• Avoid Dehydration
• Irrigate a Foley Catheter
• Insert a Catheter
• Treat Cystitis
• Prevent Kidney Disease

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What links here

• Get Rid of a UTI Fast
• Hold Your Bladder As a Woman