Bladder infections and other urinary tract infections affect millions of Americans each year, according to the National Women's Health Information Center. Old wives' tales and contemporary articles recommend cranberry juice as a preventive measure or a cure, but scientific research doesn't definitively bear out that advice. Moreover, because there are so many variations in urinary tract diseases, seeing your doctor becomes even more important to ensure that your infection doesn't involve the kidneys or isn't a more serious disease.
Bladder Infections
Sometimes your body can fight off the bacteria that find their way into your urinary tract without an infection occurring. Other times, the bacteria cause infections in the bladder, the kidneys or the urethra tube. If you are a woman; have diabetes; have any conditions that block your flow of urine, such as an enlarged prostate; or are pregnant or bedridden, your chances of getting a bladder infection increase.
Cranberry Juice as a Treatment
Despite widespread belief that acidic cranberry juice cures bladder infections and other urinary tract infections, scientific support for that theory doesn't exist. A review of scientific trial studies published by the "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews" in 2004 found no evidence to support using cranberry juice to treat UTIs. A 2010 article at the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine website echoed that finding.
Cranberry Juice for Prevention
Unfortunately, drinking cranberry juice does not prevent UTIs from occurring. A study published in the January 2011 issue of "Clinical Infectious Diseases" found that drinking cranberry juice twice daily did not decrease urinary tract infections. This study used double-blind, placebo-controlled methods instead of the observational and smaller, randomized studies, such as the 2004 study in the "Cochrane Database." In fact, the 2011 study found that women drinking cranberry juice had a higher recurrence rate of infections, at 20 percent, than did the placebo group, at 14 percent.
Other Prevention Methods
Your doctor can prescribe an antibiotic both to cure your bladder infection and to keep future infections from occurring. Some doctors prescribe a single dose of antibiotics after sexual intercourse as a preventive measure for women who have recurrent infections. The most common advice to prevent bladder infections includes drinking lots of water every day, not holding your urine, taking showers instead of baths, wiping from front to back and avoiding feminine sprays and douches.
References
- National Women's Health Information Center; Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome; Philip Hanno, M.D., M.P.H.; April 2010
- MedlinePlus: Urinary Tract Infection -- Adults
- "American Family Physician"; Cranberry for Prevention of Urinary Tract Infections; Darren M. Lynch, M.D.; December 2004
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Cranberry; July 2010
- National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse; Cranberry Juice Fails to Prevent Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection: Results from a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial; C. Barbosa-Cesnik, et al.; January 2011
- "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews"; Cranberries for Preventing Urinary Tract Infections; R.G. Jepson, et al.; 2004
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