While there are millions of things to love about being a woman, developing painful UTI is certainly not in this list. Did you know that women are approximately thirty times more likely to develop Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) when compared to men?

What is UTI?

UTI is caused by a bacterial infection on the urinary tract. When you don’t treat the small symptoms associated with UTI, chances are it could spread to your kidneys and develop to some serious infection. Despite the general knowledge that UTI is more common among females.

Factors that increase the risk of developing UTI

• Sexual activity
• Menopause
• Diabetes
• Catheter placement
• Kidney stones
• Pregnancy
• Using spermicides as birth controls
• Conditions that cause urine to get stuck in your urinary tract

How to Diagnose UTI

The causes may look simple and straight forward, but are you able to know when you have UTI? You can only treat something that you know; otherwise, you may be treating the wrong infection. Below are some common symptoms associated with UTI;

• Tiredness or general weakness
• Fever
• Abdominal pain especially below the ribs or near your back
• Smelly, blood-tinged, or red-coloured urine.
• Painful and burning urination
• Frequent urge to urinate; this happens even when no urine comes out

When you start experiencing fever and pain in your back areas, chances are the infection has reached your kidney. These symptoms may mean a different infection all together; have your doctor run some urine tests to confirm if it is truly UTI.

4 Ways of Treating Painful UTI symptoms

Now that you have an idea on some of the UTI symptoms, these are some of the things you can do about them:

1. Avoid irritating beverages.

   If you have to hydrate your body, I would advise you to consider water instead of alcoholic or caffeinated drinks. Caffeine in beverages such as alcohol, tea, and coffee may build up in your urine. When this happens, the chances of experiencing pain when urinating are increased when you have UTI.

2. Drink a lot of water.

   One way of making sure your urine remains always diluted is by drinking a lot of water. Have at least eight glasses of water daily to stay hydrated. When you are hydrated, you urinate more often, meaning you continue to get rid of the bacteria that may cause infections in your bladder.

3. Over the counter pain medications.

   While many people go for over the counter medications to treat UTI, the truth is that they can only relieve the pain. Some of the medications that can help relieve pain include ibuprofen and acetaminophen. If you want to completely get rid of UTI, try antibiotics like cephalexin and trimethoprim.

4. Try a heating pad.

   Have you considered trying out the simple tactic that your grandmother ones taught you on how to reduce abdominal pain? This may be the reason to try it out. Low-level heat can help reduce abdominal pain.

If you are experiencing any UTI pain, try these simple home remedies, and you will be able to stay stronger for longer.