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Herbs to Prevent and Treat Urinary Tract Infections

Amber Shehan June 8, 2015

Urinary tract infections are awful to deal with. You can use a supportive tea like this to help defeat the UTI before it gets going.

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Ouch.

Uh-oh.

I know that small, pinching burning pain. I’ve felt that before.

If you’ve ever had to live with urinary tract infections, that small sting that comes just as you finish peeing is a feeling that you tend not to forget!

I had that feeling one morning recently and jumped into action – I don’t have the time, energy, or desire for a full-blown UTI. It’s time to nip this thing in the bud!


herbs for urinary tract infections, via pixiespocket.com
Herbs to make a good UTI helper tea

Steps to Get Rid of a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

  • Drink more water. Lots of it.
  • Drink less alcohol, coffee, black tea, or anything caffeinated that contributes to dehydration.
  • Add cranberry to your system, if possible. Juice is fine, but unsweetened cranberry is a better option. There are even dried cranberry capsules if the bittersweet cranberry is too much for your tongue to handle!
  • Pee as often as you can. Even though it hurts. Holding it back is also keeping all of the infection and irritation inside…let it go!
  • A heating pad or warm water bottle laid on your stomach over your bladder is great for easing the muscles and helping to release the stress held by the irritated area.
  • Up your probiotics (generally a good idea, anyway!)

Urinary Tract Infection Prevention Tea Blend

Take at the first indication of a UTI and keep drinking it until it is gone! 

  • Nettles – this wonderful, mineral-rich plant is a mild diuretic. It can help to flush the urinary tract, and it is also a mild anti-inflammatory.
  • Yarrow – is there anything yarrow can’t do? It heals wounds, breaks fevers, and helps move blood through the body. It is antimicrobial, astringent, and also a diuretic. The volatile oils flow through the system, from the kidneys through the urinary tract, helping to clear up infections.
  • Red Clover – another gentle diuretic that also helps with balancing hormones. It is known as a blood cleanser and helps to push fluids through the lymphatic system.
  • Dandelion Root – another diuretic, kidney, and liver cleanser.  Also tasty when dried and roasted!

I took these four herbs, blended them in nearly equal amounts, and added them to a quart jar. I covered them with hot water and put a lid on and let them rest overnight. I strained it in the morning and carry it with me around to drink throughout the day.

Continue to drink these infusions for a day or two after your pain is gone and everything seems normal. You don’t want to take any chances of the UTI returning with renewed vigor. Make sure that sucker is good and gone!!

Now, this blend that I made for myself was made with the herbs that I had on hand. There are lots of other herbs that are known to act as a tonic for the urinary tract system, and they include:

  • Parsley
  • Ginger while I had some on hand, it seemed a bit too “hot” for my mood. However, this spicy ally is definitely a powerful anti-inflammatory and can help!
  • Cranberries and Blueberries – high in antioxidants and acidic enough to help get rid of the bacterium that cause UTIs.
  • Uva Ursi
  • Echinacea
  • Goldenrod
  • Milk Thistle
  • Oregon Grape Root
  • Calendula
  • Violet

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Amber Shehan

Hi! I'm Amber Pixie, and this is my site. Enjoy the recipes, information, posts, and please feel free to message me if you have questions!

11 Comments

  1. Ricki @ The Questionable Homesteader on June 8, 2015 at 12:06 pm

    Oh god, I used to get these all the time. It felt like I had just gotten rid of one and the following week I had another. The doctor finally told me to start drinking cranberry juice (I hated the stuff at the time), I know love the taste of cranberries and haven’t had an occurrence in almost 10 years. I’ll be keeping this on hand in the event that I do get another one.
    Thanks for sharing.

    • Amber Shehan on June 8, 2015 at 12:16 pm

      The first one I ever had was while I was at college – had no idea what was happening. Thank goodness for on-campus nurses and cheap antibiotics…that one was BAD. Now I notice the symptoms before they get to that dire level, that’s for sure! 🙂 Thanks for commenting, and I love the wooden cutting board post, Ricki!

  2. Justin on June 8, 2015 at 12:22 pm

    I hate it when it happens, so I generally go overboard by adding some licorice root and saw palmetto as well.

    • Amber Shehan on June 8, 2015 at 1:44 pm

      Oooh, licorice is a good one to add, and definitely saw palmetto…although I cannot personally stand the taste or smell of saw palmetto, I know many who get very good benefits from it!

  3. Colleen @ Grow Forage Cook Ferment on June 8, 2015 at 7:15 pm

    I felt so empowered once I started treating my own UTI’s with herbs. I usually did a combination of Uva Ursi and Juniper Berry tea. After doing that 3 or 4 times I never got them again! It’s been over 10 years since I’ve had one, I think my body built up it’s own immune response. Pretty cool! Thanks for this awesome information!

    • Ericka on September 22, 2016 at 6:35 pm

      Do you remember how you made this tea, how often and how long you drank this tea to cure your UTI? I’m dealing with one right now and would rather use herbs than the doctor prescribed antibiotic.

      • Amber Shehan on September 22, 2016 at 10:09 pm

        As I said in the article, I started taking this as SOON as I started feeling the symptoms. I suggest following a doctor’s instruction for a full blown infection. I’ve seen sick, delirious people w/UTI that turned into bladder infections, so please keep that in mind!

        The herbs were just about equal amounts of each. I put about a 1/2 to 1 cup of blended herbs in a quart jar and added hot water to make an infusion. The tea can be taken in cups throughout the day, until the pain is gone. Make sure this is a complementary treatment along with as much water and cranberry juice as you can stand. Avoid all caffeine and alcohol as well.

        I hope it helps. As I said, please consider it as a complementary treatment, and if things get bad, take that antibiotic! Everything in its own time, and as we have need. <3

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  6. Kaitlyn on November 2, 2016 at 11:48 am

    What an interesting read! It’s great this home remedy worked so well for you. Where do you purchase your herbs?

    • Amber Shehan on November 2, 2016 at 1:21 pm

      Often local shops, or Mountain Rose Herbs if I can’t find it locally! 🙂

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