Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common type of bacterial infection. It affects over 150 million each year. If you’re the type of person who doesn’t like taking antibiotics to treat an infection, then drinking herbal tea for UTI might help your situation.
UTIs are typically treated with antibiotics. Unfortunately, infection recurrence is common.
If you overuse antibiotics, it can have long-term side effects. Furthermore, it may contribute to the development of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
On the other hand, if you suspect you have a urinary tract infection, you should talk to your doctor ASAP. A mild infection can be serious if left untreated.
If you experience recurrent UTIs, you may want to drink herbal tea instead.
Herbal Tea as UTI Treatment
1) Green Tea
This tea has several health benefits. And yes, this tea can help in treating UTI. It has a high amount of polyphenols that are known to have anti-microbial effects.
According to this test-tube research, the EGC in green tea has powerful antibacterial effects. It means that it can fight against the strains of E. coli that cause UTI.
A cup of green tea contains 150 mg of EGC. It’s enough to inhibit bacterial growth in the urinary tract.
Read: Tea and Fat Loss
2) Chamomile Tea
It’s commonly known to have sedative effects. That’s why it’s ideal if you suffer from insomnia.
But that’s not the only health benefit of chamomile tea. You can also use it to treat your UTI. It has diuretic effects and antibacterial properties.
Read: Making Herbal Teas Less Acidic
3) Dandelion Tea
It has diuretic effects that can increase your urine quantity. In that case, it can help flush out the bacteria that have been causing UTI.
To use this herbal tea for UTI, you may add 15 grams of dandelion to boiling water. Allow the leaves to steep for ten minutes before straining them. You may drink it up to three times a day.
4) Parsley Tea
Just like dandelion tea, parsley tea can also increase your urine quantity to help in flushing out the bacteria out of your urinary tract.
You may combine this tea with garlic and cranberry extra to prevent UTI. It’s especially useful if you have a chronic UTI.
5) Uva Ursi
Also known as bearberry leaf, it’s another herbal tea that can help your UTI. If you wish to use this tea, make sure to dry the leaves after harvesting them.
Steep the dried leaves to make tea. Test-tube studies also showed that this plant has potent antimicrobial properties.
This plant has arbutin that has UTI-healing properties.
You may drink up to 200 mg of uva ursi.
What Causes UTI?
It is caused by bacteria that enter the urethra and bladder. If the infection is left untreated, the bacteria can go up the ureters and cause a kidney infection.
Symptoms of UTI
The most common symptoms of UTI are the following:
- Frequent urination
- Dysuria or painful urination
- Hematuria or blood in the urine
- Foul-smelling urine
- Pain in the pelvic area
- Pressure in the pelvis
- Fatigue
- Vomiting and abdominal discomfort
When to See Your Doctor
If you think that you have a UTI, you should consult your doctor immediately. Keep in mind that mild infections can worsen if you left them untreated.
You may talk to your doctor about trying out these herbal teas instead of taking antibiotics.
However, before your doctor can give you antibiotics, you need to submit a urine sample for urinalysis. If you have UTI, the RBCs and WBCs present are high.
To know what antibiotics to take, your doctor may also request a urine culture. This is necessary because if the antibiotic given can’t attack the bacteria causing your UTI, then the treatment will be pointless.
What’s worse is that you may develop bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
That’s why a urine culture is necessary before prescribing you anti-bacterial medicines to ensure that you are getting the right treatment.
On the other hand, if your UTI doesn’t respond to antibiotics and you experience recurrent UTIs, you may need to undergo an ultrasound, cystoscopy, or CT scan.
If you are given antibiotics, you should complete the duration of the treatment. If you stop the medication early, your UTI can lead to a more serious infection.
As mentioned, the bacteria can travel to your kidneys causing infection. Furthermore, you may develop an infection caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which can be difficult to treat.
Prevention is Better
You can prevent UTI by practicing good hygiene. Since women are more vulnerable to UTI because their urethra is shorter than in men, women must practice good personal hygiene.
After a bowel movement, make sure to wipe from front to back.
After sexual intercourse, it’s ideal to wash your genital area.
During the menstrual cycle, you should use good hygiene products. Change your pads and tampons frequently.
Drink plenty of fluids to help flush out the bacteria. But you must avoid fluids that could irritate your bladder. These would include caffeinated drinks.
Final Thoughts
Drinking herbal tea for UTI can help treat the infection. However, it’s still highly recommended that you use antibiotics to avoid the infection from worsening. Then again, excessive use of antibiotics can also cause negative health effects.
To find more herbal teas that can treat certain medical conditions, check this out.
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