UTI: Treatments

Doctors usually offer antibiotics to manage urinary tract infections (UTIs). The type of the antibiotic and the duration of the treatment depend on the type of bacteria found in the urine and your health condition.

Single isolated urinary tract infection

A single isolated UTI can be treated with an antibiotic. However, it is important to collect a urine sample for culture before antibiotic therapy.

Doctors offer an antibiotic for three to five days for a simple urinary tract infection. Symptoms of an uncomplicated urinary tract infection usually disappear in a few days of therapy. Amoxicillin, Nitrofurantoin, Trimethoprim, or a type of antibiotics called cephalosporin can be used for the initial therapy. Sometimes, the treatment regimen is modified according to the urine culture and sensitivity test, and/or the clinical response.

Certain urinary tract infections occur due to bacteria, which are resistant to some antibiotics. Ciprofloxacin or Co-amoxiclav is offered to eliminate the resistant organisms.

A single-high dose of Amoxicillin or Co-trimoxazole is used for the patients with bladder symptoms (cystitis) of less than 36-hour duration, who have no history of urinary tract infection.

You should consume an adequate amount of fluids (2 L) daily throughout the antibiotic treatment and for some subsequent weeks. Your doctor will recommend repeating urine culture five days following the treatment.

If you are ill with a high fever and loin pain, you may have an acute (short-term) pyelonephritis. Therefore, you need intravenous antibiotics such as Cefuroxime, Ciprofloxacin, Aztreonam, or Gentamicin, followed by an oral antibiotic therapy for further seven days. Sometimes, the doctors may offer intravenous fluids to maintain an adequate urine output. For intravenous treatments, you need to admit into a hospital.

If you have a high fever and loin pain (pyelonephritis) for the first time, your doctor may offer an urgent ultrasound scan to exclude an obstructed urinary tract with pyelonephritis (obstructed pyonephrosis), because it should be drained through a soft, small plastic tube called percutaneous nephrostomy tube. A percutaneous nephrostomy is a surgical/interventional radiology procedure in which the tube is placed through your skin into the upper urinary tract.

It is important to take the entire course of therapy recommended by the doctor to make sure that the UTI is completely gone. Your doctor may offer certain pain medications (analgesics) to relieve your pain or burning sensation while passing urine, loin pain, and lower abdominal pain.

Frequent urinary tract infections

If you are suffering from frequent episodes of urinary tract infections, your doctor may offer different management plans. You may need a long course of antibiotic therapy. Sometimes, they may prescribe a short course of therapy at the beginning of each episode of UTI.

Your doctor will ask to perform pre-treatment and post-treatment urine cultures to confirm the diagnosis. They help identify whether recurrent infections are due to re-infection or recurrence of the same infection.

You may be asked to perform home urine tests, by using dipsticks to check for a UTI.

If you get recurrent UTIs, which are related to your sexual activity, your doctor may ask you to take a single dose of an antibiotic following each sexual intercourse.

Certain women get recurrent UTIs following menopause due to low blood oestrogen levels. Therefore, doctors offer vaginal oestrogen treatment to minimise the risk for recurrent UTIs.

For a severe urinary tract infection, you need intravenous antibiotic treatments in a hospital.


Home remedies

Certain home remedies help ease the discomfort, which occurs due to a urinary tract infection. Drinking adequate amounts of water dilutes the urine and flushes out pathogenic bacteria. Some drinks like alcohol, soft drinks containing caffeine and citric acid, and coffee can irritate the bladder. They increase the frequency of urination. Therefore, it is better to avoid such drinks. You can apply warm, heating pad to the lower abdomen, because it can minimise the discomfort.



 Related Links:

How to Recognise a Urinary Tract Infection?
Urinary Tract Infection: Causes
Who Is at Risk of UTI?
UTI: Complications and Diagnosis
How to Prevent a UTI?
How to Manage Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) in Children?