How to get rid of uti in 24 hours
People often ask what they can to do get rid of a urinary tract infection (UTI) within 24 hours. A UTI isn’t guaranteed to be cleared up within 24 hours, however, the sooner a person recognizes the symptoms and sees a doctor, the more likely they’ll be able to have their UTI cured.
Can You Get Rid of a UTI in 24 Hours?
You may be able to get rid of many of the symptoms of a UTI within 24 hours, but the UTI itself may not go away that fast. The doctor will prescribe antibiotics that will introduce good bacteria into your body and strengthen your immune system as soon as you start taking them. But, that doesn’t mean you’ll be completely back to normal in 24 hours.
But, in addition to the antibiotics, there are other things you could do to help improve your overall health.
How Long Does Treatment Typically Take?
The course of treatment for a UTI depends on different factors. Typically, women receive a 3-day course capsule or tablet treatment. Depending on the severity of their infection, men, pregnant women, and people with more severe symptoms may require a longer course.
The antibiotic treatment course will also be influenced by whether the person has shown a previous history of recurrent or chronic UTIs. Recurrent UTIs occur when someone has two UTIs within six months, or three UTIs within a year. Chronic UTIs, on the other hand, occur when a UTI continues after a five-day antibiotic treatment.
Where Does a UTI Occur?
A UTI is able to occur anywhere along the urinary tract — which is from the kidneys to the urethra. Each part of your urinary tract plays a different role in moving fluids through your body and can react differently to bad bacteria.
What Are the Common Signs of a UTI?
AÂ urinary tract infection (UTI) is typically recognized by feeling a burning sensation when you pee. But, there are a few other signs that you may have a UTI, and the symptoms depending on whether you have an upper or lower UTI.
If you’re showing signs of a lower UTI (infection of the bladder or urethra), you’ll most likely experience some of the following symptoms —
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Pain low down in your tummyÂ
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A need to pee more frequently than usual
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Feeling unable to empty your bladder completely
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Urine that’s cloudy, foul-smelling, or contains blood
But, if you’re showing signs of an upper UTI (the kidneys and ureters) you’ll experience these symptoms instead
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A fever of 100.4
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Shivers and chills
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Confusion
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Agitation and restlessness
As you can see, an upper or lower UTI can cause the body to have very different experiences. But, these symptoms can also be signs of other issues, which is why it’s important to see a doctor. Seeing a doctor will help to rule out that what’s happening may not be a sign of something more serious effecting the immune system.
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Other UTI Symptoms
The key symptoms of a UTI are frequent urination and painful urination. The process of peeing can also become complicated. A person may find themselves peeing more frequently, or feeling the urge to pee, but not being able to.
Other signs of a UTI are abdominal pain, lower abdomen pain, and lower back pain. But, these pains can also be signs of other conditions, which is why it’s important to get checked out by a healthcare provider.
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Why It’s Important to Act Fast
If you show signs of a UTI, it’s important to act fact. The reason being us that the longer you wait, the worse the infection can become. By going to the doctor as soon as you show signs of having a urinary tract infection, the easier it should be to get your infection treated.
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How UTI Treatment Works
Getting UTI fast results are typically easy. By seeing a healthcare provider, you’ll be able to have tests conducted that can identify if you’re experiencing a UTI or a more serious condition.
Seeing a doctor will also enable you to receive treatment and discover how a UTI occurs. The doctor will explain how a decrease in your urine’s acidity can enable a bacteria like e. coli to grow and infect your urinary tract.
If your test results determine that you have a UTI, your healthcare provider will prescribe a course of antibiotics. The antibiotics will work to resolve your UTI fast by eliminating harmful bacteria. The antibiotics will do more than flush bacteria out of your system, they’ll also introduce healthy bacteria.
Depending on what conclusions your doctor comes to after reviewing your test results, they’ll try to rule out if you may have a bladder infection, pyelonephritis (kidney infection,) kidney stones, or other potential issues such as sepsis.
Because of the fact that many symptoms of a UTI are similar to other conditions, only a urinalysis will be able to determine if someone has a UTI.
UTI Tests: Understanding Results
The results of the different tests that the doctor performs will also enable them to determine if you may be susceptible to recurrent UTIs.
 ‌Women have a greater risk of getting a UTI. Their risk also increases depending on their age and stage of life. A woman has a greater chance of getting a UTI after she enters menopause. A decrease in vaginal estrogen also causes a decrease in good bacteria surrounding the urinary tract.
A woman’s genital area can also cause her to run a greater risk of contracting a UTI. Both spermicide and certain types of birth control have the ability to increase a woman’s chances of getting a UTI.  The use of diaphragms can lead to UTIs as well since diaphragms can block the urethra and prevent the bladder from fully emptying.
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What Antibiotics Work the Fastest to Treat a UTI?
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Macrobid is one of the most popular antibiotics for treating UTIs and typically cures the infection within 5 days.
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Bactrim is another popular antibiotic capable of curing a UTI within 3 days.
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Cipro is a strong and effective antibiotic, but tends to only work for 25% of people.
Things That Can Help You Cure a UTI Faster
Once it’s determined that you do have a UTI, there’s a short list of things you can do to help speed up your recovery time.
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Drinking Plenty of WaterÂ
When getting rid of cystitis – more commonly known as a urinary tract infection – one piece of medical advice you’ll hear from a healthcare provider is to make sure you’re drinking plenty of water. It’s typically recommended to drink 6 – 8 glasses of water a day. This ratio becomes even more important when you have a UTI.
Depending on your overall health, hydration, good hygiene, and potential lifestyle changes may be required in order to cure your current UTI and prevent future occurrences. After seeing your healthcare provider, the antibiotics they provide will be doing the majority of the work to eliminate the bad bacteria causing your urinary tract infection.
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Additional Measures You Can Take
Though a healthcare provider will suggest that you use antibiotics to clear up a UTI and improve your immune system, there are several home remedies you can also use to improve your health and treat your urinary tract infection. For instance, taking supplements, over-the-counter probiotics, and vitamin C can each aid in helping clear up your UTI. Drinking cranberry juice – containing both vitamin C and d-mannose can aid in stopping your UTI by reducing bacteria’s ability to stick to your bladder wall.
Apart from these home remedies, you can also use over-the-counter (otc) pain relievers and other natural remedies to help resolve your UTI.
Garlic, a warm compress, drinking fluids and peeing frequently, can all aid in your ability to cure your UTI more quickly. Yogurt, kefir, and apple cider vinegar are all also known to help aid in curing a UTI.
Drinking green tea can also aid in helping cure your UTI. The drink contains polyphenolic catechin, which is able to help get rid of E. coli, the main bacteria that causes UTIs.
To help speed up your recovery time, you should also avoid anything that could potentially aggravate your bladder. It’s suggested that you don’t drink coffee, alcohol, or have any caffeine, as all of three of these could put stress on your urinary tract.
Other drinks that can help you while combating a UTI, are milk, weak tea, herbal teas, cranberry juice, and water.
What Effects Does a UTI have on the Urinary System?
Typically, the urinary system works by having the ureters (tubes found in the kidneys) carry liquid from the kidneys to the bladder. During a UTI, the ureters can be infected by bacteria, which causes the urinary tract infection.
Also , other parts of the body can increase a person’s chance of getting a UTI. Women’s chance of developing a UTI increases if they have a shorter urethra and a man’s chances increase chance if he has an enlarged prostate.
What Else Increases Your Chances of a UTI?
There are several other things that can potentially increase your chances of a UTI.
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General difficulty emptying your bladder
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Diabetes
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A weakened immune system (like from HIV or chemotherapy)
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Conditions that obstruct your urinary tract
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A urinary catheter
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Using condoms coated in spermicide
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Why It’s Important to Take a UTI Seriously
A UTI, apart from being a painful experience, can also cause further complications for the body if it goes untreated. A urinary tract infection can lead to a kidney infection, permanent kidney damage, or pregnancy complications.
An untreated UTI can also lead to blood in urine, nausea and vomiting, and a rapid heartbeat.
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Key Takeaways
A UTI may not be able to be cured within 24 hours, since it takes the antibiotics longer to introduce healthy bacteria back into the immune system.
Cranberry juice with d-mannose, probiotics, and supplements all play a vital role in helping the body recover from a UTI.
The standard UTI antibiotic treatment takes 3 - 5 days.
The symptoms of your UTI depend on whether your infection is in the upper or lower tract.
Many of the home remedies suggested will help to flush bad bacteria from your body and help strengthen your immune system.
References
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Mayo Clinic - Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) - Urinary Tract Infections
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American Urological Association - Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
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WebMD - Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
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Cleveland Clinic - Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
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Johns Hopkins Medicine - Urinary Tract Infections
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Urology Care Foundation - Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
