Can drinking liquid help prevent or relieve kidney infections?
Yes. Drink six to eight, 8-ounce glasses a day. Talk with a health care professional if you can’t drink this amount due to other health problems, such as urinary incontinence, urinary frequency, or kidney failure.
The amount of liquid you need to drink depends on the weather and your activity level. If you live, work, or exercise in hot weather, you may need more liquid to replace the fluid you lose through sweat.
Drinking lots of liquid can help flush bacteria from your urinary tract.
Urinary incontinence is the loss of bladder control, resulting in the accidental loss of urine. Some women may lose urine while running or coughing, called stress incontinence. Others may feel a strong, sudden need, or urgency, to urinate just before losing urine, called urgency incontinence. Many women experience both symptoms, called mixed incontinence, or have outside factors, such as difficulty getting to a standing position or only being able to walk slowly, that prevent them from getting to a toilet on time.
Urinary frequency is needing to urinate more than usual. Your kidneys filter wastes and extra fluid from your blood to keep you healthy. The wastes and extra fluid become urine that is stored in your bladder until you urinate. Kidney failure is when your kidneys can no longer filter wastes and extra fluid from your blood to keep you healthy.
When your kidneys fail, dialysis can take over a small part of the work your damaged kidneys can no longer do. You can make treatments work better by
- sticking to your treatment schedule
- taking all medicines your doctor prescribes
- following a special diet that keeps wastes from building up in your blood
- being active most days of the week
Can my eating, diet, and nutrition help prevent bladder infections?
Experts don’t think eating, diet, and nutrition play a role in preventing or treating bladder infections. Although some research shows that cranberry juice, extract, or pills may help prevent these infections. Research does show that cranberry products are not effective in treating a bladder infection if you already have one.
Cranberry
Common Names: cranberry, American cranberry, bearberry
Latin Name:
Vaccinium macrocarpon (also known as Oxycoccus macrocarpos), Vaccinium oxycoccos
Background
- Cranberry is a native evergreen shrub that grows throughout North America.
- Historically, cranberry fruits or leaves were used for bladder, stomach, and liver disorders, as well as diabetes, wounds, and other conditions.
- Today, cranberry is used as a dietary supplement primarily for urinary tract infections (UTIs).
- The berries are used in beverages and food. They are also made into dietary supplements in the form of extracts, powder, capsules, and tablets.
How Much Do We Know?
- There have been a lot of studies in people of cranberry for UTIs, but there’s very little high quality recent research on cranberry for other conditions.
What Have We Learned?
- There’s mixed evidence that cranberry can help to prevent UTIs.
- In a 2016 year-long study of 147 women living in nursing homes, taking two daily cranberry capsules decreased bacteria levels in their urine in the first 6 months of the study, but didn’t decrease their frequency of UTIs over the year of the study, compared to taking a placebo. The two capsules together contained as much proanthocyanidin, a compound that is believed to protect against bacteria, as 20 ounces of cranberry juice.
- A 2012 research review of 13 clinical trials suggested that cranberry may help reduce the risk of UTIs in certain groups, including women with recurrent UTIs, children, and people who use cranberry-containing products more than twice daily.
- A 2012 research review of 24 clinical trials concluded that cranberry juice and supplements don’t prevent UTIs but many of the studies were poor quality.
- Cranberry hasn’t been shown to be effective as a treatment for an existing UTI.
- NCCIH-supported research is looking at the possible effects of cranberry on cancer-related anemia and tumor cells.
What Do We Know About Safety?
- Drinking cranberry juice appears to be safe, although large amounts can cause stomach upset and may over time increase the risk of kidney stones.
- Large doses of cranberry may alter levels of warfarin, an anticoagulant (blood-thinner).
- People who think they have a UTI should see a health care provider for a diagnosis and treatment. Don’t use cranberry products in place of proven treatments for infections.
Keep in Mind
- Tell all your health care providers about any complementary or integrative health approaches you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.
Source:
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/bladder-i…
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/bladder-c…
https://nccih.nih.gov/health/cranberry
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/kidney-failure
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/kidney-in…
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