Painful, Urgent, Frequent Urination? Likely Urinary Tract Infection–4 Essential Steps for Treatment

Urinary tract infection is a prevalent phenomenon in the urinary system, caused by viral, mycoplasma, chlamydia, or bacterial infections. Its incidence rate is particularly high, second only to respiratory tract infections. Especially in adult women, the probability of urinary tract infection occurrence is much higher than in men, with a ratio of 8:1.

Urinary Tract Infection

Once someone develops a urinary tract infection, they may experience recurrent abnormal urination symptoms in daily life, such as dysuria, urgency, and frequency, which significantly impact their life and health. So many people wonder what to do when a urinary tract infection occurs.

What to do when a urinary tract infection occurs?

1. Targeted Antibacterial Treatment

After a urinary tract infection occurs, targeted antibacterial treatment is necessary. Depending on the type of pathogen, antibiotics can be taken for treatment. For example, cephalosporin antibiotics or macrolide drugs can be selected, and quinolone or tetracycline antibiotics can also be chosen.

These antibiotics have good elimination effects on the pathogens causing urinary tract infections, but their usage should be adjusted according to the patient's constitution and the severity of the urinary tract infection.

2. Traditional Chinese Medicine

Many traditional Chinese medicines have good effects in improving and treating the symptoms caused by urinary tract infections. For example, Diuretic and Anti-inflammatory Pill has multiple functions such as diuresis, alleviating stranguria, clearing heat, and detoxification. They have good therapeutic effects on symptoms such as short and red urine, urgency, frequency, and painful urination caused by urinary tract infections. Moreover, they also have good therapeutic effects on urinary tract infections caused by bladder damp-heat.

3. Increase Water Intake

Regardless of the pathogen causing the urinary tract infection, patients must increase their water intake in their daily lives. Especially when a urinary tract infection has just occurred and antibiotic treatment has not yet been administered, increasing water intake appropriately can dilute urine and promote diuresis.

Because during urination, some pathogens in the urinary system can be quickly flushed out of the body, which can effectively prevent the spread of inflammation, slow down the progression of the disease, and alleviate symptoms.

During the treatment and recovery period, attention should also be paid to replenishing a certain amount of water. In addition to drinking plain water, it is also suitable to drink some light green tea, honeysuckle tea, chrysanthemum tea, dandelion tea, and corn silk water, all of which have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects.

However, if there is a decrease in kidney function, do not drink a large amount of water, as it will increase the burden on the kidneys and cause other problems.

4. Increase Vitamin-Rich Foods

For patients with urinary tract infections, dietary adjustments are crucial. Avoid consuming spicy foods, as they can exacerbate internal heat and worsen urinary tract infection symptoms.

It is advisable to increase the intake of foods rich in vitamins, especially winter melon, cucumber, tomatoes, etc. These foods contain a large amount of water and vitamins, which have diuretic effects and can help improve urinary inflammation. Additionally, consuming foods such as dandelion or purslane can have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, providing some therapeutic benefits for urinary tract infection symptoms.

For those suffering from urinary tract infections, it is essential to seek proper medical treatment and refrain from self-medicating. Especially with antibiotics, indiscriminate use can lower immunity and exacerbate urinary tract infection symptoms.

Apart from the above four points, maintaining personal hygiene is crucial during treatment and recovery. It is necessary to wash the perineum and other areas with warm water daily and change underwear frequently to effectively prevent bacterial reinfection and aggravation of the condition.