Urinary Tract Infection Treatment?>

A one to two week prescription of antibiotics usually clears up a urinary tract infection. While most infections respond to treatment with urinary tract infection antibiotics within one or two days, the symptoms of infection often subside before the bacteria causing the infection are completely eliminated. Consequently, doctors stress the importance of finishing the entire course of medication to be certain the infection has completely cleared up. After a course of antibiotics, a urinalysis and possibly a urine culture are often performed to ensure that the infection is gone.

Bladder Infection Cures and Treatment

In the absence of other complications, such as an enlarged prostate or bladder stones, bladder infection treatment usually only involves antibiotics. Depending on contributing factors, bladder infection cures may include surgery to help disintegrate bladder stones or remove obstructions.

Treating a Kidney Infection

A kidney infection generally requires more medical care than other urinary tract infections. Several weeks of antibiotics are required to clear up a kidney infection and patients with severe infection may need to be hospitalized to receive intravenous fluids and antibiotics. Given the importance of healthy kidneys, kidney infections are generally treated aggressively.

Recurrent Infections

Some women suffer from recurring urinary tract infections, sometimes as many as three or four a year. As a cure for recurrent urinary tract infections, a physician may prescribe a low-level dose of antibiotics for an extended period of time. Other women may be advised to take a day or two of urinary tract infection antibiotics whenever they experience the symptoms of infection.

The Preventive Approach as a Cure for Urinary Tract Infection

A few tricks can be used to avoid urinary tract infections:

• Drink lots of fluids to help flush bacteria out of the urethra. Some doctors recommend cranberry juice to acidify the urine and slow bacterial growth.
• Urinate when you feel the need; holding urine in the bladder increases the chances of infection.
• For women, showering rather than bathing may reduce the chance of urinary tract infection.
• Women should wipe from front to back after using the toilet; this wipes bacteria away from the opening of the urethra.
• Women should urinate before and after sexual intercourse to help clear the urethra of potential infection-causing bacteria.

Resources

Jones, C.L. (nd). Urethritis. Retrieved March 13, 2002, from www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/g2601/0014/2601001424/p1/article.jhtml.

National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information. (updated 2001). Urinary tract infections in adults. [NIH Pub. No 04-2097]

Rowland, B. (nd). Kidney infections. Retrieved March 13, 2002, from www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/g2603/0000/2603000073/p1/article.jhtml?term=kidney infections.

urologychannel.com. (updated 2002). Urinary tract infections.Retrieved March 13, 2002, from www.urologychannel.com/uti/index.shtml.