What is the best thing to do for a urinary tract infection?
The best thing to do for a urinary tract infection is to see a healthcare provider. You need antibiotics to treat a UTI. Your provider will select an antibiotic that works best against the bacteria responsible for your infection.
Once you get a prescription for antibiotics, it’s very important that you follow the directions for taking them. Be sure to take the full course of antibiotics, even if your symptoms go away and you start feeling better. If you don’t finish all your medicine, the infection can return and be more challenging to treat.
If you get UTIs a lot, a provider may recommend that you take antibiotics:
- Every day.
- Every other day.
- After sex.
- At the first sign of symptoms.
Talk to a provider about your best treatment option if you have a history of frequent UTIs.
What specific antibiotics are used to treat a urinary tract infection?
Healthcare providers commonly prescribe the following antibiotics to treat UTIs:
- Nitrofurantoin.
- Sulfonamides (sulfa drugs), such as sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim.
- Amoxicillin.
- Cephalosporins, such as cephalexin.
- Doxycycline.
- Fosfomycin.
- Quinolones, such as ciprofloxacin or levofloxacin.
If you get UTIs often, a healthcare provider may give you low-dose antibiotics for a short time to prevent the infection from coming back. The provider may recommend this cautious approach to treat frequent UTIs because your body can develop resistance to the antibiotic, and you can get other types of infections, including C. diff colitis. This practice isn’t very common.
Can I become immune to the antibiotics used to treat a UTI?
Sort of. Every time you use antibiotics to treat a UTI, the infection adapts and can become harder to fight (antibiotic resistance). But the infection becomes immune to the antibiotics, not you. Antibiotics may not always be the best solution. As a result, a healthcare provider may suggest alternative treatments if you get frequent urinary tract infections. These may include:
- Waiting. Your provider may suggest a “watch and wait” approach to your symptoms. During this time, it’s a good idea to drink plenty of fluids (especially water) to help flush out your system.
- Intravenous (IV) treatment. In some complicated cases, a UTI may be resistant to antibiotics, or the infection may move to your kidneys. You may need treatment at a hospital, where providers will give you medicine through a needle they insert into a vein, usually in your arm (intravenously). Once you return home, you may need to take oral antibiotics for a period to rid yourself of the infection completely.
Does cranberry juice prevent a urinary tract infection?
Cranberry juice that you can buy at the grocery store doesn’t prevent a UTI. However, cranberry extract supplements (vitamin pills) may decrease your chances of getting a UTI.
If you get UTIs often, methenamine hippurate is another nonantibiotic alternative that helps prevent infections.
Can a UTI go away on its own?
Minor urinary tract infections can sometimes get better on their own. However, most UTIs need antibiotics to go away. You absolutely need antibiotics if you have a UTI as well as:
- A fever.
- Chills.
- Nausea and vomiting.
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How soon after treatment will I feel better?
Most people feel better within a few days after starting antibiotics to treat a UTI.
