The treatment of bladder infection can be considered into two separate categories: antibiotic and naturopathic.
The type of the treatment for bladder infection depends on the medical history and the urine test.
Bladder Infection – Antibacterial Treatment
The use of antibiotics is the basis for bladder infection treatment. The antibacterial treatment involves a wide range of antibiotics, but the selection depends on the severity (complicated or uncomplicated) and the type (primary or recurrent) of the infection.
Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole: It is also known as TMP-SMX (Bactrim, Cotrim, Septra). It is a combination drug that effectively kills the causal bacteria of bladder infection, as the powerful chemicals of these drugs targets the urinary tract and attacks the bacteria in the bladder itself. TMP/SMX is a three-day course drug with 80-85 % success rate.
As the cells of the bacteria usually produce folic acid (an essential chemical) to increase its growth, the drug ‘Sulfamethoxazole’ obstructs the folic acid production and kills the bacteria [Benefits Of Folic Acid].
Trimethoprim: This single drug is usually preferred to those who are sensitive to the drug sulfonamides. The drug ‘trimethoprim’ with its powerful chemicals kills the bacteria in the bladder.
Fluoroquinolones: It is also known as quinolones. Ofloxacin (Floxacin), gatifloxacin (Tequin), sparfloxacin (Zagam), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), levofloxacin (Levaquin), and norfloxacin (Noroxin) are the most common forms of quinolones.
These antibiotic drugs of quinolones family effectively attack the bacteria responsible for the development of bladder infection. These drugs directly attack the urinary tract and kills bacteria in the bladder.
It kills the bacteria by targeting the genetic material that helps in the bacteria replication.
Amoxicillin – It is among the class of penicillin antibiotics. It doesn’t kill the bacteria rather it impedes the replication of the bladder infection bacteria by keeping the bacteria away from developing its outer wall, which acts as a protection from their surroundings and to the bacterial cell contents. Without a cell wall, the bacteria cannot continue to exist.
Fosfomycin (Monurol) – It is an antibiotic drug that effectively destroys the bacteria that develops bladder infection in women. The drug is usually preferred as a single dose. The drug should be taken as a primary drug therapy for bladder infection.
Bladder Infection – Naturopathic Treatment
Naturopathic treatment deals with the underlying source of the infection and restores the body functioning into its normal state by improving the body’s ability to heal on its own.
It enhances the body’s curative power through very safe and useful non-pharmaceutical drugs. The naturopathic treatment reduces the bladder infection by changing foods in the diet and natural remedies.
Dietary Changes
Maintaining a healthy diet with certain changes in the food help alleviate the signs associated with infection. Prevent food sensitivities; stay away from dairy products, junk foods, sugar, and caffeine.
Use fresh, whole, and healthy foods (whole grains, vegetables, nuts, fruits, and salmon fish, and tuna fish). Drink one glass of water/ hour for about eight hours.
Natural Remedies
Natural remedies provide effective results when taken regularly in appropriate doses.
Cranberry
The cranberry or cranberry juice is an effective remedy to treat and keep away from bladder infection. The cranberry turns urine into acid.
“Proanthocyanins,” an active ingredient of cranberry keeps the bacteria away from staying on the urinary tract walls. With this, the bacteria are driven out of the body through urine.
“D-mannose”,another active ingredient of cranberry moves out of the body through the bloodstream and collects in the urine, where it passes through the urinary tract and spoils the lectin, a protein that helps bacteria to adhere to the urinary tract walls.
Uva Ursi
It is a natural remedy that disinfects the bladder infection bacteria. It is also known as bearberry.
It aids to kill the bacteria by releasing a complex compound called polysaccharides, which prevents the bacteria from adhering to the lining of the bladder and flushes out the bacteria along with the urine.
Therefore, antibacterial and naturopathic treatments are both useful in treating bladder infection.
