What to Do If You Get a Bladder Infection

Bladder infections are the most common form of UTI (urinary tract infection). They are very painful to experience and can also have serious repercussions if not diagnosed and treated correctly.

Read on as our team at AFC Urgent Care NC walks you through what to do if you believe you have a bladder infection.

• Here’s what to do: Monitor your symptoms. If you experience things like painful urination, cloudy urine, a constant urge to urinate or strong-smelling urine, you likely have a bladder infection. Check with your doctor to make sure as it’s important to diagnose your symptoms correctly.
• What to do next: Figure out if you want to beat the infection at home or with doctor-prescribed medication. Antibiotics are an effective medical remedy but there are things you can do at home that are effective at battling the infection as well. Unsweetened cranberry juice.
• What to do after: If you have chosen to deal with the infection at home, start with drinking lots of water. Water helps flush out bacteria in your bladder, which will help get rid of the infection faster. It also dilutes your urine, which will make urinating less painful if you have a bladder infection.
• Something else that can help: Drinking unsweetened cranberry juice. Cranberry has been used as a natural treatment for preventing bladder infections for generations. Cranberries work by preventing harmful bacteria from entering the urinary tract, thus lowering the risk of infection.
  
• Another tip: Use a heating pad. Putting low heat across your abdominal region or back may soothe the constant ache and discomfort that sometimes occurs during bladder infections.
• If at-home remedies don’t work: Call your doctor or primary care physician if your symptoms last longer than two days. You’ll likely need antibiotics to treat your bladder infection.
• Doctor’s recommendations: If you have prescribed antibiotics, it’s important to take your medication for the full course, even if you feel better before it’s done. Taking the full dose will make sure all the harmful bacteria are out of your system.
• Action steps to take for the long run: Try changing up your wardrobe a bit if you deal with frequent bladder infections. Bacteria thrive in warm and moist environments, so wear cotton underwear and loose pants or skirts to promote air circulation and reduce bacterial growth.

We hope you’ve found this helpful! If you do find yourself with a bladder infection or have any other questions, don’t hesitate to visit us one of our AFC Urgent Care NC centers today.