UTIs (urinary tract infections) can be a nuisance, but there are plenty of natural remedies to speed up recovery and ease your symptoms without medical intervention. These are remedies that don’t require medical or surgical intervention, such as diet and exercise, that you can safely try at home. If you would like to know about the symptoms of UTIs, check out our article here.

Dietary changes for UTIs

Some natural remedies you could consider for a UTI include dietary changes and supplements. Since a UTI is a microbial infection, drinking eight glasses of water a day³ will help to flush the germs through your body. Also, some foods and drinks may irritate the bladder; while you have a urinary tract infection, you should avoid:

• caffeinated drinks, such as coffee, tea and cola
• alcohol
• spicy food
• acidic foods, such as citrus (oranges and lemons) and tomatoes⁴

On the other hand, plenty of foods and drinks can help relieve urinary tract infection symptoms. For example, you could try increasing your intake of:

• Vitamin C, either through supplements or by eating fruit and vegetables, such as red peppers and kiwis
• unsweetened cranberry juice; though there are conflicting studies on the effectiveness of cranberry juice in preventing UTIs, drinking extra fluids is a plus! You could also try cranberry extract
• probiotics, found naturally in cultured yoghurt and fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha. These increase the good bacteria in your gut and help you fight infections
• garlic extract – garlic is shown to have antimicrobial properties and may prevent the growth of further bacteria
• D-Mannose.This is a sugar, found in cranberries and other foods like seaweed, that may be effective in treating UTIs⁵

Exercise as natural remedy for UTI

Exercise should be a part of any balanced lifestyle, but can it help a UTI? A 2016 study has shown that getting regular exercise could help to prevent getting a UTI.⁶  There is little evidence to show that exercise actively helps recovery from a UTI; nonetheless, it is safe to continue exercising. Bear in mind, if you are doing high-impact exercise that makes you sweat⁷, ensure you rehydrate and wash promptly after finishing. Alternatively, you could try a lighter form of exercise, such as pilates⁸ or swimming⁹, which are gentler on your pelvic floor. In this article, we also talk about 5 easy exercises for bladder weakness!

Lifestyle changes for urinary tract infections

Another way to naturally remedy UTIs to make some lifestyle changes. You could try:

• weeing when you need to and not ‘holding on’
• applying a heat pack to any sore areas (though make sure not to apply heat directly to skin; always wrap the heat pack in a towel)
• take paracetamol to treat the pain and high temperature
• avoid tight clothing and synthetic materials around the pelvic area¹⁰
• wipe from front to back after using the toilet
• urinate after intercourse to flush out any potential bacteria¹¹

If you experience leaks because of a UTI, using continence products can make you more comfortable. iD has a range of dermatologically tested, discreet and leakproof products that will keep you dry and secure. Shop the range here.

Keep your bladder healthy

The changes mentioned above aren’t the only natural remedies for managing UTIs; maintaining a healthy bladder will also help to improve your symptoms and to prevent reoccurrences. Some general tips for bladder health are:

• avoiding smoking
• avoiding constipation by eating a fibre-rich diet
• doing pelvic floor exercises

If you have any concerns about your bladder health, iD recommends speaking to a doctor.

---

¹ “Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), NHS, 18 November 2020, Source: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/urinary-tract-infections-utis/

² Ibid

³ “Lifestyle Changes to Manage a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)”, Adrienne Carmack, 20 September 2018, Source: https://www.winchesterhospital.org/health-library/article?id=20431

⁴ “What to eat (and what to avoid) during a UTI”, Edward-Elmhurst Health, 13 May 2019: Source: https://www.eehealth.org/blog/2019/05/what-to-eat-during-a-uti/

⁵ “6 Home Remedies for Urinary Tract Infections”, Rachael Link, 23 April 2017, Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/uti-home-remedies

⁶ “Exercise May Lower Risk of UTIs and Other Infections”, Amanda MacMillan, 28 September 2016, Source: https://www.health.com/condition/sexual-health/prevent-utis-infections-exercise

⁷ “UTI: should you skip your workout if you have a urinary tract infection?”, Miranda Larbi, n.d., Source: https://www.stylist.co.uk/fitness-health/wellbeing/uti-working-out/475754

⁸ “10 ways to stop leaks”, NHS, 7 November 2019, Source: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/urinary-incontinence/10-ways-to-stop-leaks/

⁹ “Swimming and Interstitial Cystitis – Is it safe?”, Jill H. Osborne, 4 June 2014, Source: https://www.ic-network.com/swimming-interstitial-cystitis-safe/

¹⁰ “10 home remedies for UTIs”, Debra Rose Wilson, 24 June 2020, Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318048

¹¹ “Seven ways to treat a UTI without antibiotics”, Debra Rose Wilson, 11 January 2020, Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322411#_noHeaderPrefixedContent