10 Home Remedies For Kidney Infection
The kidneys are very important organs with functions including filtering blood to remove toxins, maintaining body fluid balance, producing urine, and maintaining a stable internal environment.
However, an infection can interfere with the workings of the kidneys. It can also cause symptoms like pain in the back, sides, groin, and the abdomen, frequent urination, fever, chills, and a burning sensation when urinating.
E. coli is the most common cause of a kidney infection. This usually starts elsewhere in the body and spreads to the kidneys. While you may need to visit a doctor for treatment, in many cases, you can get relief from the problem by using some of the following 10 home remedies for a kidney infection.
Home Remedy #1: Water
Water is essential for life and is the most abundant component in the human body. There are many benefits that come from drinking water, which include improving brain power, getting rid of toxins, and boosting the immune function. Water can also prevent headaches in addition to many other benefits.
To ensure that your body gets adequate water content, form a habit of maintaining a daily intake of about 8 glasses. This is especially crucial when you have a kidney infection. Keeping your body properly hydrated ensures that your kidneys flush out waste from your body by way of urine. The water can also help flush out the infection-causing bacteria, thereby alleviating the infection from the kidneys and the rest of the urinary system.
Home Remedy #2: Vitamin C
Vitamin C is another effective home remedy for a kidney infection besides other problems. Vitamin C helps to fight blood pressure, lower the risk of heart disease, and helps to reduce risks of chronic disease, among many others. Vitamin C can greatly help to prevent kidney infections because it increases the levels of acid available in the kidneys. It also helps to prevent growth of bacteria.
Fruits that are highest in vitamin C include lemon, pomelo, and orange. It is worth to note that a vitamin C-rich diet can greatly help to clear a kidney infection. You may also boost your vitamin C intake by taking vitamin supplements. For best results, if you have a kidney infection, take 1,000 mgs of vitamin C daily.
Home Remedy #3: Urinate Often
Urinating often has also been shown to help relieve kidney infection. As mentioned earlier, drinking plenty of water can help to remove bacteria and toxins from your blood. But how does water remove these bacteria? This happens through urine. Urinating is an excretory activity that cleanses the body internally. When you take steps to make sure you are urinating often, it helps to prevent any urinary tract infection.
What you need to do is to take a lot of water and other fluids and make sure that you urinate as often as possible. Avoid holding in urine. It is especially advised for women to use this home remedy to help reduce any risks of the urinary tract infection.
Home Remedy #4: Urinate after Intercourse
Another home remedy you need to consider is urinating after intercourse. It is highly recommended for you to urinate after having intercourse. As mentioned elsewhere, urinating helps to remove toxins and bacteria from the bloodstream. Therefore, when you urinate after a sexual encounter, you flush out bacteria that you may have acquired from your partner. This keeps your urinary tract free from infection-causing microorganisms.
Urinating after intercourse can also keep you protected from kidney infection. Bacteria are the main cause of kidney infection. Therefore, you need to exercise all possible ways to lower your chances of genitourinary tract infections. You can also consult your doctor for more information on this.
Home Remedy #5: Apples
You obviously know the saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. It turns out that apples are good home remedies for kidney infection. The reason is that apples have a dense nutrient profile. They have high acid content, which enables the kidneys to maintain urine acidity. By doing this, bacterial growth is greatly inhibited within the kidneys and the urinary tract.
Apples can also help heal kidney infections because they have anti-inflammatory properties, which are beneficial in the healing process. It is also worth to note that apple cider vinegar, which is made from apples, is another good remedy for kidney infections.
Home Remedy #6: Enough Sleep
You obviously know that sleep is an essential part of your daily life such that it is difficult to do without sleep. This is even more important when you have an infection. Sleep helps your body to recharge. It also boosts your body’s ability to keep its functions running smoothly. Adequate sleep has been shown to be an important component of home remedies for a kidney infection.
Inadequate sleep leads to many adverse effects, which include hypertension, depression, obesity, diabetes, stroke, and even heart attack. These ailments can worsen kidney infections and interfere with healing. If you have a kidney infection or any other infection, ensure that you are getting enough sleep every day to boost your immune function against chronic diseases.
Home Remedy #7: Shower Instead of Bathing
Are you wondering how this can help? Well, it may surprise you that taking a shower can come in handy in the fight against kidney infections. Although it is important to consult your doctor before you embark on any home remedy to help you do it effectively, taking a shower is natural.
Showers are a great way to prevent kidney infections. When you take a bath, chemicals and bacteria in your bath water can get into the urethra. When this happens, the harmful agents can lead to UTIs, infections that may spread to the urinary bladder, and ultimately to the kidneys. This is unlikely to happen when you opt for showers. This is even more critical if you share a bathroom with a lot of people.
Home Remedy #8: Wear Loose Clothing
Loose clothing can play a part in clearing a kidney infection. Many people today like to wear tight clothes. But even though this is the modern fashion trend, it can have serious drawbacks. Disadvantages of tight clothes can include feeling uncomfortable and finding it difficult to walk or carry out other physical activities, among others. Loose clothing allows for easy flow of blood so that the kidneys can filter out toxins and harmful microorganisms.
Studies have suggested that loose clothing is a good way to help you fight a kidney infection. It is recommended that you wear loose-fitting clothes and cotton underwear to help keep the genital area dry. Also avoid nylon clothes because they help bacteria to grow by trapping moisture.
Home Remedy #9: Cranberry Juice
Cranberry juice has been used for a long time as a home remedy for bladder infections and UTIs. The fruit juice has also been found to prevent UTIs. As you can clearly see, it is an effective home remedy to consider in case of infections of the kidneys. The sweet flavor of cranberry makes it even more preferable than drinking water, to some people.
What you need to avoid is cranberry juice full of added sweeteners, as it is not good for your health. You can consider taking pure cranberry juice or cranberry supplements. If you choose to take the supplements, it is best you consult your doctor first as a safety precaution.
Home Remedy #10: Peppermint Essential Oil
You can also use peppermint essential oil to help treat kidney infection. Peppermint is a hybrid of water mint and spearmint. It is one of the oldest European herbs and is mentioned in Greek mythology. Peppermint can also help relieve joint and muscle pain, provide respiratory benefits, and relieve allergic reactions.
Peppermint essential oil has powerful anti-inflammatory properties, which come in handy in the management of a kidney infection. The general recommendation is to take about 50 mgs of peppermint essential oil daily. To complement this remedy, mix the peppermint oil with a teaspoon of almond or coconut oil and use the mixture to massage areas of the body in which you are experiencing pain.
