Doterra Oils For Urinary Tract Infection

When To See A Doctor

Essential Oils for Urinary Tract Infection

If you suspect you have a UTI, its always best to contact your doctor before trying any treatment, whether thats a medication or a home remedy like essential oils. A health care provider can make sure you have a UTI, rather than a sexually transmitted disease, which can have similar symptoms. And a proper diagnosis leads to the proper treatment and feeling better faster.

In addition to remedying symptoms sooner, seeing a doctor immediately helps prevent the infection from spreading. You dont want a UTI to spread, or your risk developing a bladder infection or kidney infection. If you are considering essential oils for treatment, talk to your doctor during your visit or over the phone or video chat.

Top 12 Natural Home Remedies For Uti

By Christine Ruggeri, CHHC

Urinary tract infections are some of the most frequent clinical bacterial infections in women, accounting for nearly 25 percent of all infections. More than 50 percent of women will develop a UTI and UTI symptoms in their lifetimes, and because antibiotics are the most common conventional treatment for UTIs, bacteria have become antibiotic-resistant and recurring infections are a major concern. For this reason, its important to use home remedies for UTIs that eliminate bacteria completely and reduce the risk of developing recurrent urinary tract infections.

Some of the best home remedies for UTI include drinking plenty of fluids, staying clean and dry, and consuming things like cranberries, probiotics, vitamin C and using essential oils. Read on for all 12 of my top home remedies for UTI.

What Are The Symptoms Of A Urinary Tract Infection

UTIs are easily and commonly overlooked and mistaken for other conditions in adults. There can be absolutely no signs or symptoms of a UTI, or even just mild symptoms. The most common symptoms are:

Experiencing a burning sensation or pain when urinating
Having urine that smells strongly
Having urine that seems to look bright pink, red, or soda-colored- this is a sign of blood in the urine
Having urine that seems cloudy
Strong, persistent urges to urinate
Frequent urinations with small amounts of urine
Pain around the center of the pelvis and near the pubic bone.

While those are the more generalized symptoms, each type of UTI can have its own more-specific symptoms it just depends on which part of the urinary system is affected. Symptoms that are more specific for each area of the urinary tract include:

Bladder: painful/frequent urination, discomfort in the lower abdomen, pressure in the pelvis, and blood in the urine
Urethra: discharge and burning while urinating
Kidneys: nausea/vomiting, fever, shaking/chills, and upper back/side pain

Women seem to be more at risk for UTIs than men because the bacteria in female anatomy can spread easily. Women also have a shorter urethra than men, which means the bacteria have a shorter distance to travel to get to the bladder. Other factors that make women more at-risk for a UTI is sexual activity, using certain types of birth control , and experiencing hormonal/menopausal changes.

Avoid Coffee Alcohol Chocolate And Orange Juice

There are some kinds of foods that will worsen your symptoms. Try to reduce the amount of caffeine, alcohol, citrus, and chocolate that you are consuming. These foods stimulate the muscular walls of the bladder, increasing urinary urges and cause additional discomfort. Do not eat these foods when you are combating a UTI.

Strawberries, pineapple, orange juice and grape all have high acidity, which can increase the burning sensation during urination when you have a UTI. You can slowly reintroduce these foods into your diet after the pain and the urge for frequent urination has gone away.

Other Uti Treatment Options

Antibiotics are usually the first line treatment for UTIs. While the prescription takes time to set in, some complementary home remedies may help with UTI pain and discomfort. These include:

Drinking plenty of water. This will make you have to pee more, which can help flush the bacteria from your urinary tract.
Avoiding alcohol, caffeinated drinks, and anything with citrus juice. These can irritate the bladder, making you feel the need to urinate more often.
Applying a warm heating pad to your abdomen to ease bladder pressure and discomfort.

Also Check: I Feel A Urinary Tract Infection Coming On

How To Use Essential Oils For A Uti

Fighting UTIs with essential oils can be tricky. Using a diffuser to inhale essential oils is the recommended method.

If you choose to apply essential oils, you must dilute them before you apply them to your skin. To dilute an essential oil, place 1 to 5 drops in 1 ounce of a carrier oil.

Carrier oils include:

olive oil

In order to avoid irritation, be aware that:

Essential oils should not be applied to the mucous membranes of the vagina or urethra. This can irritate the female parts.
You shouldnt apply essential oils directly to the skin, always dilute them in a carrier oil.
The mixture of essential oil and carrier oil can be applied to areas around the inner thighs, mons pubis, and outside the labia.
You can also try blending a few of your favorite oils and using them in a hot compress placed on your lower abdomen. To do this, dilute one drop of essential oil with one drop of carrier oil.
You can use essential oils dropped into a diffuser for inhaling. Essential oils are meant to be inhaled in aromatherapy.

One essential oil thats helpful for any type of bacterial infection is a blend from Young Living called Citrus Fresh. This oil blends many different types of citrus oils, including orange peel, tangerine peel, grapefruit peel, lemon peel, and spearmint leaf extract. The blend of citrus oils is a powerful anti-bacterial agent.

Other Beneficial Herbs And Supplements

You can also customize your bladder infection home remedy regimen with additional or alternative herbs:

Buchu: An antiseptic and diuretic, it has shown to have good effects on the urinary system.
Goldenseal: Probably the most widely known antibiotic, Goldenseal helps to fight infections of all kinds .
Vitamin C: Your immune system needs all the support it can get.
Horsetail : Primarily a diuretic, it may help cleanse out the urinary system.
Nasturtium/Watercress: This one acts as a natural antibiotic, as well.
Marshmallow, mullein, and parsley all help with inflammation, which commonly occurs with UTIs of any sort.

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Homemade Cranberry Juice Recipe

If you buy this drink in the beverage aisle of the grocery store, chances are what youre buying is a cocktail. What that basically means is that you are buying the juice and extra stuff generally high fructose corn syrup if youre buying the leading brand.

Im not a huge fan of starting each morning off with a hefty helping of high fructose corn syrup so, for me, fresh is the way to go.

While I can buy a jar of this beverage that isnt sweetened, its so tart that even if I wanted to spend $8 a bottle, I wouldnt.

You can make this homemade fresh cranberry juice recipe in a large or small batch. Since Im the only one drinking it, I make just enough for a few days.

Remember that it has no preservatives in it. So, it should be used within 3 days. You can freeze it for longer-term storage if you want to. Check out my Cranberry detox water

This recipe is very easy and quick. I use real maple syrup from the trees in our back yard. If you dont have an easy source of maple syrup, you can use honey or stevia to keep it Paleo.

If you dont mind the tartness, you can drink it without the sweetener. It isnt super sweet this way, but its enough so it doesnt make you pucker.

Just store it in the refrigerator for easy access.

This is a really easy juice to make from scratch. If you want to enjoy it with breakfast, make it the night before so it can refrigerate overnight to get cold.

Here are a few more easy Paleo recipes.

Lemongrass Oil For Uti

Bladder and Urinary Support with Essential Oils – Healthy Wise with Melody Watts

The usage of lemongrass oil to cure UTI is not very traditional oil that majority of the people reach out for. For the most part, this essential oil is predominantly used in mental healing, but, with the amazing mild antimicrobial and soothing properties, it helps in relieving the associated pain and aids in relieving any form of inflammation caused because of the infection.

Lemongrass oil is considered as one of the best essential oils for UTI mainly because it not just helps heal the condition it also prevents the further induction of any new infection.

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Bladder Infection Home Remedy Regimen

This is my personal complete bladder infection home remedy regimen used at the first sign of an infection and beyond. It’s been the most effective I’ve found.

IMPORTANT: If you’re pregnant or nursing, talk to your doctor or an herbalist about which herbs or supplements to take. And just because your symptoms recede doesn’t mean your infection has gone. A urinalysis never hurts and can help tremendously.

What Causes Bladder Infections Most Often Is Ecoli Bacteria

Infections are especially common in women for two reasons:

The urethra is shorter which may make it easier for bacteria to reach the bladder.

And since the vagina is so close to the rectal area, the transfer of bacteria from your stool to your vagina is extremely easy.

Although bacteria is what causes bladder infections, knowing what causes the bacteria is important!

These possible causes of bacterial infections include:

Now that we’ve looked at what causes bladder infections and some ways to prevent them, let’s look at the home remedies that work to support your body through them.

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Essential Oil For Bladder Infection

If youve suffered from a bladder infection, you may have wondered whether Essential Oils can help you.

While you may be familiar with the benefits of Essential Oils, you may not know what they do or how to use them.

In this article, well review the properties of Essential Oils, learn how they can help you deal with your Bladder Infection, and discover which oils are best for you.

Determination Of Minimal Inhibitory And Bactericidal Concentrations

MIC/MBC determinations were performed according to the CLSI- and EUCAST-Standards. Broth microdilution assay was used for determination of the MIC in artificial urine . Essential oils were first diluted in absolute ethanol and afterwards added to AU in the 96-well plate with a starting concentration of approximately 50 mg/mL . Afterwards, 2-fold serial dilutions in AU were performed. The MIC was defined as the lowest concentration inhibiting visible growth after incubation at 37 °C for 20 ± 2 h. For determination of MBCs, in a second step, 3 µL of each well of the cultured plate were transferred onto CAMHB agar supplemented with 5% blood using a one-time inoculator . The plates were incubated overnight at 37 °C. The number of colonies subsequently grown was used to determine the bactericidal endpoint. MBC was defined as a > 99.9% reduction of the initially inoculated colony counts. MIC/MBC determinations were performed thrice.

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When To See Your Doctor

ANY bladder infection home remedy has its limits. If your symptoms persist past a day or reoccur frequently, if you’re pregnant or nursing, if you’re wanting to treat anyone non-communicative , if you’re getting constant or chronic infections, or your symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting, chills, or pain near your kidneys, these are all signs to see a doctor PRONTO.

Remember frequent, untreated, or mistreated infections can cause serious long-term damage to your urinary tract, including your bladder and kidneys. It can result in scarring, and even cancer or death.

Take your health seriously! Know when a bladder infection home remedy is warranted and when it’s not. Know your body. And know your doctor well. Choose one you trust deeply, who doesn’t overprescribe antibiotics , and who supports seeking natural and alternative remedies whenever possible.

(P.S. If you do choose to take an antibiotic, be sure to follow it with a regimen of probiotics for at least 6 months to completely restore the good bacteria to your system.

The Best Essential Oils For Uti

Oregano oil

Thanks to its rich content of carvacrol and thymol, oregano essential oil is often referred to as Natures Antibiotic.

Oregano oil has high antibacterial activity that seems to be useful for bacterial strains showing antibiotic resistance, like E.coli.

When tested against 11 strains of multi-drug resistant bacteria, the researchers concluded that oregano oil was a potential alternative to antibiotics for wound infections.

Clove oil

Clove essential oil is a stealth killer of parasites, viruses, fungi, and bacteria while also being a strong pain reliever.

It can combat E.coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans too.

Clove oil has also been shown to increase total leukocyte count while also restoring antibody immunity in mice whose immune system was compromised.

Tea tree oil

This powerful oil has been used medicinally by Australias Aboriginal people for hundreds of years.

Its antiseptic and antimicrobial properties make it effective at accelerating healing.

As an antibacterial, its proven effective against E.coli, Staph infections, Klebsiella, Prevotella, Streptococcus pyogenes, and many other pathogens.

Lemongrass oil

Lemongrass is a pain-reliever, antioxidant, antiseptic, and a calmative.

A 2010 study found that lemongrass was effective at killing harmful bacteria like E.coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

Other essential oils that are known to boost immune function and possess antibacterial properties are:

Frankincense

How Essential Oils Combat Utis

Many popular essential oils have natural antibacterial properties. That means that they can naturally kill the bacteria responsible for bladder infections.

What’s more, some preliminary studies show that essential oils can be effective at combating bacteria even after it has become resistant to antibiotics. It turns out that many of the spiciest, tangiest essential oils are the ones that are the best at fighting bacteria and treating UTIs.

The oils highlighted below have been chosen specifically because they can kill E. coli bacteria, which is typically responsible for bladder infections.

Fact Or Myth: Utis Can Be Treated With Essential Oils

Best oil for PTSD, UTI, and Kidney challenges

Essential oils can be used to both support healing and make you feel better when you have a UTI. You dont want to use them in place of a drug, Chesla says. But essential oils are uniquely helpful because chemical constituents within the aromatic oils create physiological responses in the body, and because theres a direct connection with the sense of smell and the limbic system in the brain, where your emotions arise, she says.

Essential oils have not been scientifically studied for UTIs. However, some small studies have shown they can help battle other types of bacterial infections. For example, a review published in December 2019 in Complementary Therapies in Medicine on topical aromatherapy for the skin infection MRSA found significantly lower level of new MRSA emergence compared to routine care.

See A Doctor For Needed Drugs To Treat Infection

UTIs are potentially dangerous, because if the bacteria migrate further upwards, they can enter your kidneys and cause a serious infection there. For this reason, Chesla recommends that when you have a UTI you see your physician to get it treated.

Treatment for UTIs typically involve a short course of oral antibiotics, such as trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole .

Your doctor can also instruct you how to best prevent recurrent UTIs. For example, people should stay well hydrated, urinate before and after sex, and women should always wipe from front to back .

What To Do If You Have A Urinary Tract Infection

If you suspect you have a UTI, you should see your physician to confirm whether or not an infection is present. If test results confirm that you have a UTI, your doctor will most likely prescribe you an antibiotic.

There are also many purported home remedies for urinary tract infections on the Internet that may or may not be beneficial. However, regardless of the treatment methods you choose, there are some simple things you can do to help your support your body while it heals from the infection. Some of these include:

Also Check: What Are Urinary Tract Symptoms

Uti Causes And Symptoms

A UTI, or urinary tract infection, is caused by organisms that are too small to be seen without a microscope, including fungi, viruses and bacteria. Despite the bodys many natural defenses, certain bacteria have the ability to attach themselves to the lining of the urinary tract and inhabit the urethra, bladder and kidneys. The majority of UTI cases are caused by E. colibacterium that can live in the bowel and vaginal cavities, around the urethral opening, and in the urinary tract.

Other significant pathogens that can cause UTIs include Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Klebsiella pneumonia. In diabetic patients, Klebsiella and group B streptococcus infections are more common. Pseudomonas infections are more common in chronically catheterized patients.

Urinary tract infections are extremely common, especially among sexually active women ages 18 to 24. Although a UTI isnt typically complicated or life-threatening, it does cause pain and suffering and negatively impacts ones quality of life.

Generally, symptoms of a UTI in adults may include:

pain when urinating
a burning sensation in the bladder or urethra when urinating
a strong, frequent urge to urinate, but only passing small amounts
muscle aches
urine that appears red or bright pink
strong-smelling urine

people with suppressed immune systems
people with diabetes