Home Remedy UTI

December 8, 2007 – 9:00 pm

By Brian Benjamin Carter, MSci, LAc

If you have a urinary tract infection, or get them frequently, you may be prescribed antibiotics. Antibiotics are great, and important, especially because an improperly treated UTI can lead to a kidney infection, which is very serious - it can even create chronic and life-threatening kidney problems.

I’m going to present you with a more than one Home Remedy UTI - first we’ll talk diet and western herbs, and then I’ll tell you about a Chinese medicine Home Remedy UTI that you probably haven’t heard of.

Dietary Home Remedy UTI Options:

Reduce your sugar intake - there is evidence that sugar can reduce the effectiveness of the immune response.
Reduce your intake of carbonated beverages - In one adult study the use of carbonated beverages was associated with more than twice the risk of developing UTIs.
A vegetarian diet reduces the growth of certain bacteria in the urine.

Herbal Home Remedy UTI Options:

Cranberry juice or its extract can prevent the adherence of bacteria to the bladder and reduce how many urinary tract infections you get. Drink one cup per 60 pounds of body weight daily. For those who don’t like cranberry juice, or would rather avoid the sugar, there are concentrated cranberry extracts available in capsule form.
Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), an immune stimulant which also has some antibacterial properties, can be s helpful Home Remedy UTI. A typical dose in children is 125 milligrams per 60 pounds of body weight three times daily of an extract standardized to 8% alkaloid.
Uva-Ursi (Arctostaphylus) has a mild diuretic effect and antibacterial properties, which may be helpful in urinary tract infections. A reasonable dosage in children is 125 milligrams per 60 pounds of body weight three times daily of an extract standardized to 10% arbutin.

Nutritional Supplement Home Remedy UTI Options:

Digestive enzymes may help break down the proteins that allow bacteria to adhere to the bladder.
Mannose inhibits bacterial adherence.
Probiotics (”friendly bacteria” like lactobacillus) displace the bacteria which are likely to cause UTIs and thus can help prevent UTIs (6,12,13). A reasonable dosage in children is 500 milligrams per fifty pounds of body weight twice daily.

Chinese Herbal Home Remedy UTI:

The traditional remedy here is ba zheng san, also known as the 8 Rectification Powder, and Dianthus Formula.

It contains 8 herbs (surprise, surprise): talcum (hua shi), dianthus (qu mai), akebia (mu tong), polygonum (bian xu), juncus (deng xin cao), gardenia (zhi zi), plantago (che qian zi), and licorice (gan cao).

Altogether, they restore the bladder to its normal, unblocked, bacteria-free state.

It’s traditionally indicated for these symptoms: fever, abdominal pain, small amounts of dark burning urination, dry mouth, and thirst. It shouldn’t be used long-term, because it can cause light-headedness, palpitations, and reduced appetite. Do not take if pregnant.

For more information on the Dianthus Formula, click here.