Are there times when you experience pain or discomfort when urinating?
Is your urine cloudy or smelly?
Do you have pain in your tummy, sides or back?
If your answer is yes, then It’s possible that you have a urinary tract infection (UTI).
We all know how important our urinary tract is in removing wastes from the body and any pain or discomfort, especially in the urinary tract, may show red flags about your health.
If UTI is left untreated, it can have serious consequences like permanent kidney damage from an acute or chronic kidney infection.
However, if treated immediately, then it can rarely lead to any consequences.
Here’s the upside:
This infection can be controlled with the help of natural remedies such as apple cider vinegar. This article will teach you how to use apple cider vinegar for UTI treatment.
Read inside:
- The basics about UTI – symptoms, causes, and risk factors
- Using apple cider vinegar for treating UTI pain
- Simple but easy to follow recipes of using apple cider vinegar for the treatment
A Close Look at Urinary Tract Infection
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is more common than most people realize.
In fact, it is responsible for the 7 million or more visits to clinics and hospitals in the United States every year [1].
Almost 40 percent of women and 12 percent of men get this infection at least once in their lives [1].
Most sufferers are adults, but it’s also possible for children to have UTI [1].
So what is UTI?
UTI is an infection affecting the urinary system, usually the bladder, kidneys and the tubes that are connecting these two organs [2].
There are two kinds of UTI: lower UTI and upper UTI [2].
The primary symptoms of lower UTI include:
- Urge to pee more frequently than normal
- Pain and discomfort during urination
- Pain in the lower abdominal area
- Pain in the back or sides
- Sensation as if you’re not able to fully empty your bladder
- Cloudy or foul-smelling urine
- Urine with blood
- Feeling of sickness
- Body aches
- The feeling of exhaustion [2]
Apart from the symptoms mentioned above, upper UTI may also bring on the following symptoms:
- High fever of 38 degrees C or 100.4 degrees F
- Shivering
- Chills
- Confusion
- Agitation and restlessness [2]
As you can imagine, lower UTIs are less serious than upper UTIs.
If UTI is left untreated, it can lead to complications, damaging the kidneys or infecting the bloodstream [2].
The main cause of UTI is a bacterial infection of E. coli, which travels from the anus to the urethra, which is the tube that carries the urine from the bladder to expel it outside the body [3].
Since women have a shorter urethra, it’s easier for the bacteria to get to the urinary system, making women more prone to infection [3].
Some of the factors that may increase the risk of getting this infection are:
- Kidney stones or other conditions that affect the urinary tract
- Using contraceptives with spermicide like condoms
- Diabetes
- Poor immune system
- Use of a urinary catheter
- Enlarged prostate in men [4]
Antibiotics can help in the treatment of many cases of UTIs [4].
The problem is, some bacterial strains have already become resistant to antibiotics.
This is why some UTIs come back over and over again.
For these kinds of problems, it’s better to rely on natural remedies like apple cider vinegar, which has been proven by many people to be effective in treating this particular type of infection.
RELATED: 10 Effective Home Remedies for UTI (No. 10 is the best!)
Get to Know the Properties of Apple Cider Vinegar
One of the best ways to cure UTI is with apple cider vinegar.
Many people who have tried this remedy, and have found success will tell you the same thing.
Do you know how apple cider is made?
Apple cider vinegar is made by fermenting the juice extracted from apples [5].
As with apple juice, this vinegar is also said to be a good source of pectin, as well as vitamins like B complex and vitamin C [5].
It also contains traces of minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and phosphorus [5].
Since it is also rich in potent chemicals like citric acid and acetic acid, it’s used in making natural remedies [5].
Since there are many nutrients and beneficial chemicals found in apple cider vinegar, It’s no wonder that there are also many ailments that can be resolved with the help of this natural ingredient.
Some of the common health problems that it can prevent and treat include:
- Sinusitis
- Sore throat
- Upset stomach
- Weak bones
- Leg cramps
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Infections
- Acne
- Sunburn
- Shingles
- Dandruff
- Insect Bites
- Vaginal infections
- Arthritis [5]
It is also believed to be helpful in making you lose weight, slowing down the process of aging, detoxifying the body, and boosting the immune system [5].
It’s true that apple cider vinegar is touted for its countless uses for the home and health.
Let’s find out more about what it can do for infections affecting the urinary tract.
Why Use Apple Cider Vinegar for UTI Treatment?
So here’s the question:
How does apple cider vinegar control urinary tract infections?
Apple cider vinegar contains potassium, which works in blocking E. coli from growing and spreading in the urinary tract [6].
That’s not all.
It also has acetic acid, which is a potent antibacterial agent [6].
This chemical kills E. coli bacteria to prevent it from causing infection [6].
In a study published in the Medscape General Medicine Journal, it was confirmed that acetic acid was highly effective in inhibiting the growth and spread not only of E. coli but many other bacterial strains [7].
Some of the other bacterial strains that are susceptible to acetic acid’s bactericidal effects include Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa [7].
Vinegar has been concluded to be even more effective in killing microbes than chemical disinfectants [7].
Another study conducted by American researchers echoes these results, indicating the ability of an acetic acid to inactivate pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli, and many others [8].
You’ve probably heard about antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic resistance is an emerging problem that is a result of microbes growing resistant to antibiotics.This is why there are many recurrent cases of UTI.
If you have this kind of problem, it would be better to rely on natural antibacterial agents such as apple cider vinegar, to which microbes have not yet become resistant to.
RELATED: How Effective is Apple Cider Vinegar for Ringworm Treatment?
How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar for UTI?
Check out the following natural remedies that can help you defeat UTI with the use of apple cider vinegar and other natural ingredients.
1. Drink Apple Cider Vinegar and Water
Oral intake of apple cider vinegar and water can help control infection-causing bacteria.
What You’ll Need:
- One glass of water
- Two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
Recommended Directions:
- Add apple cider vinegar to a glass of water.
- Mix well.
- Drink this solution in the morning.
- Do this daily for one to two weeks.
2. Consume Apple Cider Vinegar, Lemon Juice, and Honey
One of the many uses of lemon juice includes turning the blood, urinary and digestive systems alkaline.
Starting the day with a glass of lemon juice and honey helps to cleanse the body including the urinary tract by changing the ph of the blood and urinary tract so that the bacteria cannot proliferate.
Lemon juice is also found to prevent the recurring of the UTI bacteria.
What You’ll Need:
- Two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
- One glass of water
- One tablespoon of lemon juice
- One teaspoon of honey
Recommended Directions:
- Add apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and honey to water.
- Stir to blend.
- Drink the concoction once a day after eating your breakfast.
- Repeat remedy daily for up to one week.
RELATED: 6 Tasty Ways You Can Use Apple Cider Vinegar to Lose Those Extra Pounds
3. Try Apple Cider Vinegar with Cranberry Juice
Another tried and tested home remedy for UTIs is ACV and cranberry mocktail. For over centuries people have been using cranberry juice as a natural cure for bladder infections. Cranberries contain proanthocyanins or condensed tannins.
This chemical compound prevents the E.coli bacteria from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract. Thus, your body flushes out the bacteria along with your urine. Moreover, a 2008 study published in PLoS One medical journal confirms another benefit of cranberries for UTIs.
The D-mannose compound in cranberries attracts the Escherichia bacteria to itself rather than clinging to the bladder cell walls.
So you can naturally pee away the bacteria and get rid of the infection. Let’s learn an effective and delicious remedy for UITs using ACV and cranberry juice.
What You’ll Need:
- Few ice cubes
- ½ a lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of ACV
- 4 oz. Of cranberry juice
- One teaspoon of honey
- One glass of mineral water
Recommended Directions:
- Fill the glass with ice cubes.
- Now stuff in all the ingredients and top up with mineral water.
- Mix the drink thoroughly.
- Consume this delicious mocktail twice daily to prevent UTIs.
RELATED:12 Cranberry Juice Benefits (Backed by Scientific Evidence)
4. Pair Apple Cider Vinegar with Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil has potent antibacterial effects that may help resolve the issue of UTI.
In an article published in the year 2006, proved that tea tree oil displays efficacy against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and inhibit the growth of bacteria such as Mycobacterium avium, Haemophilus influenza, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and E. coli, some of the most common bacteria causing a bladder infection.
However, tea tree oil should never be taken by mouth.
What You’ll Need:
- One basin of warm water
- Five drops of tea tree oil
- One cup of apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup of water
Recommended Directions:
- Combine one cup of water and apple cider vinegar.
- Use this mixture to wash your genitals.
- Add tea tree oil to a basin of warm water.
- Wash your genitals with this oil blend.
- Do this daily for one to two weeks.
RELATED:9 Effective Ways to Use Tea Tree Oil for Warts
5. Pair Apple Cider Vinegar with Baking Soda
Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is a cost-effective and easily available kitchen ingredient. It is a superb home remedy for some digestive and skin disorders. Baking soda is a very effective home remedy for a bladder infection as well.
The sodium bicarbonate helps to neutralize the acidity of your urine and in turn relieves UTIs symptoms. Moreover the anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antiseptic qualities of baking soda can help kill E.coli pathogen[10].
Other important benefits from baking soda is that it purifies and cleanses the kidney. Hence, ACV and baking soda can team up into a very potent remedy for UITs.
What You’ll Need:
- Two tablespoon of raw ACV
- One teaspoon of baking soda
- One glass of drinking water
Recommended Directions:
- Add baking soda and ACV to water and mix well.
- Drink the potion on an empty stomach or 20 minutes before your meals.
- Repeat the treatment twice a day for a speedy recovery from the infection.
RELATED: How to Use Baking Soda Bath for Diaper Rash Treatment
6. Mix ACV to Green Tea
Green tea is healthier than many other caffeinated drinks. Green tea contains rich amount of vitamins and minerals that are anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial in nature. The popular variety of tea is a home remedy for various illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and several types of cancer. You can add ACV to your cup of green tea to treat UTI at home.
What You’ll Need:
- One tablespoon of ACV
- One teaspoon of cinnamon powder
- One teaspoon of honey
- Green tea
Recommended Directions:
- Prepare a cup of green tea.
- Add ACV and cinnamon powder to the tea.
- Finally, mix a teaspoon of honey to sweeten the tea.
- Consume this healthy tea twice or thrice daily to heal UTI fast.
RELATED: Green Tea for Acne: How Effective?
7. Soak in an Apple Cider Vinegar Bath
An easy way to use apple cider vinegar to combat UTI is to pour it into your bath water and soak in it for one to two hours.
What You’ll Need:
- One cup of apple cider vinegar
- Bathwater
Recommended Directions:
- Add apple cider vinegar to your bath water.
- Swish the water with your fingers to blend.
- Soak in the bath for one to two hours.
- Proceed in bathing as usual.
- Rinse your body with cool water.
- Do this procedure once or twice a day until the infection clears.
8. Use Apple Cider Vinegar and Lavender Oil
Apart from its soothing and relaxing effects, lavender oil is also capable of suppressing the activities of bacteria that cause UTI.
What You’ll Need:
- 1 cup of apple cider vinegar
- Ten drops of lavender oil
- Bathwater
Recommended Directions:
- Pour apple cider vinegar and lavender oil in your bath water.
- Mix well.
- Soak in the bath for 30 minutes.
- Rinse your body as usual.
- Repeat remedy once a day or every other day for three weeks.
RELATED: 11 Health Benefits of Lavender Oil That You Should Know
9. Use Apple Cider Vinegar with Turmeric
Turmeric is a popular Indian spice, traditionally used in Indian culinary and Ayurvedic and Unani medicinal practices.
The uses and health benefits of turmeric come from the active compound- curcumin 1 curlone and turmerone.
A recent medical experiment on the therapeutic effects of turmeric revealed that the popular spice is a potent antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant agent. [9]
The antibacterial properties in turmeric can inhibit the growth of E.coli, responsible for recurrent UTIs. The constituents of turmeric damage the cell membranes of the bacteria and prevents the assembly of protein FtsZ or bacterial cell division. Thus, turmeric can be a proper companion of ACV in curing UTIs.
What You’ll Need:
- one teaspoon of turmeric powder
- one tablespoon of ACV
- one glass of water
Recommended Directions:
- Mix turmeric powder and ACV with a glass of water.
- Now drink this potent potion in few gulps.
- Repeat the treatment thrice a day to heal the infection in a week.
RELATED: How to Use Apple Juice for Constipation Relief
10. Dressing Salad with ACV
There is hundreds of reason why your meals should have leafy greens, vegetable, fruits, etc. Green salad is a popular dish among health-conscious people and diet freaks.
Apple cider vinegar is amazing in dressing green salads. It adds to the salad a tart flavor and has some significant health values.
In case you want to beat UTIs. Naturally, you should try this home remedy right away. Start using ACV in your salad from today onward.
What You’ll Need:
- Two tablespoons of raw ACV
- One teaspoon of organic honey
Recommended Directions:
- Prepare salad by combining multiple leafy vegetables, fruits, and legumes.
- Add honey as a natural sweetener and for added benefits of relieving UTI.
- Finally, dress the salad with ACV.
- Eat such healthy and nutritious salad regularly to treat UTI naturally.
11. Ginger and Apple Cider Vinegar
We all heard about the amazing benefits that ginger provides.
Ginger contains gingerol which provides numerous health benefits such as it helps to get rid of nausea, especially morning sickness, it reduces muscle pain and soreness, and due to its anti-Inflammatory Effects, it even helps with Osteoarthritis.
Along with such benefits, ginger and apple cider vinegar is a great way to treat UTI as well, and you should try this at home.
What You’ll Need:
- Two to three tablespoons of ginger concentrate (or ginger tea)
- One tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
- A lemon
- A glass of cold sparkling water
Recommended Directions:
- In a glass of sparkling water, add ginger concentrate, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar(use can also add a teaspoon of honey for taste )
- Stir all the ingredients together and add ice cubes if required for a refreshed drink
- Have a glass of this mocktail once or twice a day for treating UTI
Tips on Taking Apple Cider Vinegar
- Dilute apple cider vinegar first in water or juice. Drinking it straight can damage your tooth enamel and harm your esophagus. Remember that this vinegar is highly acidic.
- Don’t use too much. For a glass of water, use only one or two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Anything more than that can cause hyperacidity.
- Consult your doctor first if you have hyperacidity or any other problems that may worsen with intake of this vinegar.
Some Q & A About Urinary Tract Infection
What is the cause of UTIs in men?
Unfortunately, if you have a urinary stone, then it can obstruct the flow of your urine. Also, if your prostate has become enlarged then, it can surely cause infection.
Many women suffer from UTI (urinary tract infection) very often. How can they prevent it?
Yes, it may be true that women suffer from urinary tract infection often. However, that does not mean they will be sitting with it. They can easily take measures to prevent it. The following measures can help prevent urinary tract infection in women:
- Always urinating when you feel like it. The reason behind is this because accumulating urine in your bladder with the increasing pressure can harm the tract. Urine is an excretory product, and, thus, should be excreted as soon as possible.
- After urinating, make a habit of always wiping from the front to the back region. It is because by doing this, you will be able to prevent bacteria from spreading to the urethra, from the anus.
- Never to use any feminine hygiene sprays because those can irritate the urethra.
- Always taking a shower rather than sitting in a bath in the bathtub.
- Drink more water.
- Wearing loosely fitted garments and cotton underwear.
- Always emptying and cleaning the bladder and genital region after any form of sexual activity.
How urgent is it for a pregnant woman who has UTI (urinary tract infection) to seek medical treatment?
It is very urgent that a pregnant woman suffering from urinary tract infection seek medical treatment. No time should be wasted. It is because the infection can spread from the urinary tract to the kidneys. This can create further problems during the complicated time of pregnancy for both the mother and the child.
I am frequently having UTI (urinary tract infection). What should I do?
If you frequently have urinary tract infections, then you should seek medical help immediately. This is because the repeated onset of UTI for longer periods of time can damage the kidneys.
Thus, leading to kidney failure. Therefore, seek IMMEDIATE medical help to prevent UTI and not having it frequently.
Can apple cider vinegar be used for UTI in dogs?
Yes. Many dogs suffer from UTI as well, and apple cider vinegar does help up to an extent. You can add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar into the water bowl for small dogs or 1-2 tablespoons for big dogs. You will have to repeat this up to two times per day for several days, depending on how severe the UTI is.
However, remember to consult your vet before giving your dog any UTI treatment as not all treatment have the same effect on all the dogs.
Can white vinegar be used instead of apple cider vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is mostly preferred over white vinegar for UTI as white vinegar has 5-8% acetic acid content. So, white vinegar is used for cleaning purpose instead. However, white vinegar could be used for baking, pickling, and preserving meat products instead. Since apple cider vinegar has potent medicinal uses, such as controlling blood sugar levels, weight loss, skin problems and so forth, apple cider vinegar is more potent for medicinal uses, particularly in treating UTI.
How often should I drink apple cider vinegar for UTI?
Drinking lots of fluid is always good for the body as it helps to flush out the bad bacteria. However, you can have a tablespoon of ACV with eight ounces of water and consume it three times a day till you no longer have UTI.
What are some of the antibiotics that I can use for UTI if the signs and symptoms of UTI doesn’t reduce by natural home remedies?
Doctors mainly prescribe antibiotics such as Ampicillin, Ceftriaxone (Rocephin) and Cephalexin (Keflex), but these prescriptions should only be used only after its recommended by a doctor.
Bottom Line
Urinary Tract Infection, UTI, is painful. It can hamper your day to day activities apart from making you feel miserable at all times.
So, if you complain of UTI and can no longer tolerate the symptoms that it causes, then you can try out some home remedies.
Obviously, seeking medical help is the best solution. However, home remedies can alleviate the ailment for a short period.
This can help you do the important work that is hampered by UTI.
Home remedies like the one listed above are tried and tested.
So, for quick relief, you can surely try apple cider vinegar for UTI or urinary tract infection treatment.
We really hope this article came to your help; if you have any questions or confusions regarding it feel free to ask us.
Also, don’t forget to share your experience with us by leaving your comments below.
READ MORE: 10 Effective Home Remedies for UTI (No. 10 is the best!)
