1. Treat a Simple Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
After your doctor uses some combination of blood tests, urine tests, medical imaging and a physical examination to confirm your urinary tract infection, you'll be directed to treat it using oral antibiotics. Disclose any medicinal allergies you may have to help your doctor prescribe the correct drug. Amoxicillin, nitrofurantoin and trimethoprim combined with sulfamethoxazole are the most frequently prescribed antibiotics. These drugs cure most infections, but women usually see results faster than men. Most women report feeling better relatively rapidly, usually within three days. Men can take up to 10 days or longer to get back to normal, since short-term treatment takes longer to have an effect on bladder infections in males. Remember to keep taking drugs until your doctor tells you to stop, since infections can recur even after you've started to feel better.
2. Use a More Aggressive Approach for Recurrent and Chronic Cases
Your doctor will treat recurring cases more seriously, as this can be a sign of an underlying medical condition. If you report chronic UTIs, you'll be referred to a urologist who will perform a series of tests to determine the cause of your condition and seek a cure. Most urinary tract infections in women are the result of bacteria introduced to the body through the urethra. Men most often contract them as the result of unprotected sexual intercourse. While your doctor seeks to pinpoint a cause of your UTI, you might be treated with intravenous antibiotics if your infection is severe. However, you'll manage less severe but nonetheless recurrent cases on your own, by combining preventative drugs with antibiotics when your symptoms start to appear.
3. Special Treatment for Sex-Related UTIs
Some people, particularly women, have infection flare-ups following sexual activity. Tell your doctor if your UTI symptoms seem to coincide with sexual intercourse. If so, your doctor may instruct you to take an antibiotic directly after you engage in sex to ward off any bacteria introduced to your body as a result.
4. Manage Your Discomfort
You're likely to experience some pain as the result of a urinary tract infection, but there are a couple of strategies you can use to minimize it. First, stay well hydrated by drinking a lot of water. This will thin out your urine, making it easier to pass and expelling higher volumes of bacteria. Until your symptoms clear up, it's best to avoid caffeine and alcohol since these substances are diuretics that drain your body of hydration. Some patients also report that applying a heating pad over their bladders helps ease the physical discomfort of battling a UTI.
