Lemon Juice and Bladder Infections

Having a bladder infection is not only uncomfortable. It can also be extremely painful and make you put your life on hold until you get the symptoms under control. That being said, some people are leery of using antibiotics because of the potential of building up a tolerance to them, making perhaps more complicated infections more difficult to treat later on. Natural treatments, like lemon juice, then come into play.

Definition

A bladder infection is a type of urinary tract infection that occurs when bacteria takes up residence in the bladder. This bacteria is usually e.coli and enters the body through the urethra, either from poor hygiene, lack of water intake or sexual intercourse. Women are much more likely to develop these infections than men because of the relative shorter length of the urethra. Common symptoms include painful urination, cloudy or foul-smelling urine and pressure in the lower abdomen.

Health Benefits of Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is known to have many health benefits. It can be used as a facial cleanser and a system cleanser. It works to flush toxins out of the body and help your body run at top performance. Ingesting lemon juice diluted with some hot water can help ease stomach ailments like nausea and constipation. It also helps lessen the amount of phlegm you produce. A quality dose of vitamin C helps boost your immune system and fight off infection as well.

Lemon Juice and the Bladder

Lemon juice has an especially positive effect on the bladder. Since it is a diuretic, it encourages the bladder to expel more urine more often, increasing the likelihood that bacteria will be forced out of the body. Consuming diluted lemon juice can flush toxins from the body, help remove bacteria from the bladder and eliminate bladder infections.

Lemon Juice UTI Treatment

Lemon juice is an effective UTI treatment and is fairly simple to incorporate into your daily life. Simply squeeze the juice of half of a lemon into a cup of warm water. Drink this each morning and you'll encourage your body to expel toxins and bacteria. Incorporating lemon juice into your diet throughout the day is helpful as well in salad dressings.

Seeking Medical Advice

Even though lemon juice works well to flush bacteria from the bladder, it does not always kill all of the bacteria. If symptoms persist or worsen, you should seek medical attention right away. Signs of a serious infection that may have spread to the kidneys include blood in the urine, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting or flank pain.