26 Apr Using herbal water retention tablets to help with UTIs

Feeling a burning, stinging sensation when you urinate means you’re probably on your way to a Urinary Tract Infection – but luckily, herbal water retention tablets for UTIs can help as part of a range of natural ways to alleviate this uncomfortable problem. 

What is a Urinary Tract Infection?

A UTI or Urinary Tract Infection is a common infection that affects the bladder, kidneys and the tubes that connect them.  Some people are particularly prone to this uncomfortable condition and experience recurrent UTIs and – although men can suffer from them – they are far more common in women.

What are the symptoms of UTIs?

There are two types of UTIs: lower UTIs, which affect the bladder and urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body), and upper UTIs which affect the kidneys or ureters (the tubes connecting the kidneys and bladder). A lower UTI that affects the bladder specifically is often called ‘cystitis’.

General UTI symptoms

Both upper and lower UTIs can cause the following symptoms:

• Needing to urinate more frequently
• Pain or discomfort when urinating
• Sudden urges to urinate
• Feeling as though you can’t empty your bladder fully
• Pain low down in your stomach
• Cloudy, smelly urine that may contain blood
• Feeling generally unwell and tired

Upper UTI symptoms

The symptoms of upper UTIs include many of the same symptoms as lower UTIs, but if the infection takes hold, you may experience more severe symptoms including:

• A high temperature (over 38ºC or above)
• Pain in your sides or back
• Shivering and chills
• Nausea and being sick
• Confusion – this is particularly common in older people
• Feeling agitated or restless

Treating UTIs

Although painful and uncomfortable, UTIs are usually not serious and with a little help, should pass within a few days.

If you’re someone who suffers from recurrent UTIs, or you start to get a fever or pain around the body, you should talk to a pharmacist who will be able to advise you whether you might need to go to the GP for antibiotics. Your pharmacist can also suggest the best painkiller to take if you need one.

When to see a doctor

The NHS advises that children, men, pregnant women and those experiencing UTI symptoms for the first time should see a GP to rule out any underlying causes. You should definitely seek medical advice if your symptoms get worse, or do not improve within two days.

Herbal remedies and water retention tablets for UTIs

For uncomplicated infections, there are a number of herbal remedies that many people find helpful to treat the symptoms of mild UTIs, and to prevent recurrence once you’ve had one.

Cranberry

Perhaps the most well-known natural remedy for UTIs, cranberry products are popular choices as they are an easily accessible treatment for mild UTIs. If you’re not a fan of cranberry juice, or want to avoid sweeteners, there are cranberry capsules and sachets designed to help treat UTIs which are easy to find in pharmacies and high street shops such as Holland & Barrett.

The power of cranberry is attributed to some of the chemical compounds it contains such as D-mannose, which is thought to limit the ability of infectious bacteria to grow and cause infection.

Garlic

Garlic is widely used across the world to treat all sorts of fungal, viral and bacterial infections, including UTIs. Fortunately, these days, you can buy garlic in supplement form to avoid unpleasant side effects such as bad breath and body odour.

As is frequently the case in herbal healthcare, more research is needed to understand the effectiveness of garlic as a herbal remedy for UTIs.

Dandelion

A herb native to Europe, dandelion is thought to decrease swelling, increase urine production and prevent the formation of crystals within urine. Thanks to these properties, dandelion has a long history as a herbal treatment for UTIs.

Uva ursi

Also sometimes known as bearberry leaf due to the popularity of its distinct red berries among bears, uva ursi comes from a type of wild shrub found in much of the Northern Hemisphere and has been used in traditional and folk medicine for hundreds of years.

Several compounds within uva ursi have been proven to have strong antimicrobial capabilities. In particular, one study has shown that water retention tablets containing uva ursi, combined with dandelion root and leaf, can be particularly good at preventing recurrent cystitis.

Buchu leaf

Derived from an evergreen shrub found mainly in South Africa and South America, buchu leaf is a powerful antioxidant and diuretic. This means, thanks to the active chemicals it contains, buchu can kill UTI-causing bacteria and promote urine flow to pass the infection.

HRI Water Balance™

HRI Water Balance is the only fully-licensed herbal water retention tablet on sale in the UK.

It contains three popular natural ingredients to help fight UTIs – extracts of dandelion root and leaf, uva ursi and buchu leaf. Each tablet contains 100 mg of dandelion herb, plus the equivalent of up to 58mg of uva ursi leaf and 60mg of buchu leaf.

Many women find taking two of these easy-to-swallow water retention tablets twice a day is enough to prevent UTIs or reduce the severity and duration time of infections if they do occur.

Our vegetarian water retention tablets can be taken continually to keep UTIs at bay.

You can buy our herbal water retention tablets from the HRI online shop or from Boots, Holland & Barrett, Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys, Morrisons, Superdrug or Amazon. Just search for HRI Water Balance.