Women's Health Articles

The first thing to do about a bladder infection is to visit a doctor immediately. Based upon your symptoms, the doctor will confirm that it is indeed a bladder infection by examining your urine sample. If any infection is found in the urine, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics based on a test called a urine culture, where another sample of your urine is studied to watch the growth of bacteria during a period of 48 hours.

Antibiotics usually take a week to 2 weeks to completely fight the infection, and a full course of the antibiotics must be taken in order to completely eliminate the bacteria from your bladder and ensure that the infection does not reappear. If you observe any adverse reaction from taking the antibiotics, like a rash or a feeling of breathlessness, the medication should be stopped immediately and you should immediately consult your doctor.

It is also very important to drink a lot of water during and after treatment, because each time you urinate, the bladder cleanses itself. Most people find immediate relief from their symptoms by flushing their bladder after drinking a lot of water.

Cranberry juice is also recommended for bladder infections and has been shown to have positive effects on urinary tract infections. You must make sure that you drink 100 % pure cranberry juice rather than those where a lot of sugar is added to sweeten the juice. Pure cranberry juice produces hippuric acid in the urine, which makes the urine acidic and prevents bacteria from sticking to the bladder.

If for some reason you cannot find pure cranberry juice, you can substitute it with cranberry capsules found at most health stores. These should always be taken with lots of water to be completely effective. It is also recommended that Vitamin C be taken to clear the infection.

Sexual intercourse should be avoided until the symptoms have completely gone away, since that can aggravate your infection.