Contracting a urinary tract infection, also known as UTI, is not an easy subject to discuss. The infection affects part of the urinary tract, which consists of the kidneys, bladder, and urethra. Although UTIs can occur through a sexual act, it isn't considered an STD, sexually transmitted disease, however, it can lead to a kidney infection if it isn't treated.
Like many infections, there are some homemade remedies that have been recommended to treat UTI's; the most popular one being cranberry juice.
However, new draft rules from the National Institute for Health Care and Excellence, also known as NICE, is now urging people to stop using cranberry juice to cure UTI's.
Signs Of A UTI
About 150 million people develop a UTI each year and it is more common that women get than men. The ages in which they most appear are from 16 years old to 35 years old.
A person will know if they have a UTI if they have the following symptoms:
- If the person has pain while urinating
- If the person's urine is dark, cloudy, or smelly
- If the person has pain in the lower abdomen
- If the person feels unwell, achy, or tired
- If the person has the urge to urinate frequently
Cranberry Juice No More
Contrary to various other reports from experts that claim drinking cranberry juice is one of the best things to do when having a UTI, NICE suggests there isn't enough evidence to prove that this is true.
Because a UTI mainly consists of bacteria, experts from NICE claim that a person can simply just drink water and take painkillers to get rid of the infection. Often times, the body itself can fight off the infection without any medication. If antibiotics are needed, the most effective ones to take would be the ones that would reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance.
The Director of the Center of Guidelines at NICE, Professor Mark Baker, states that people need to be more aware of the severity of UTI's and that pain medication may be needed to treat it.
Baker continued that NICE will also be more hands-on with the use of their antibiotics to ensure that people do not experience side effects from medicines they do not need to take.
"Our new guidance will help healthcare professionals to optimize their use of antibiotics," Baker stated.
The new guidelines in this draft will be presented in England in June of this year.
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