Urinary Tract Infection - Other Treatments

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Studies suggest that for protection, it is necessary to drink at least one to two cups of 30% cranberry or lignonberry juice daily, or to take at least 300 mg to 400 mg in tablet form twice daily.

Probiotics, Lactobacilli, and Fermented Milk Products

Important research has targeted probiotics (essentially friendly organisms), which may protect against infections in the genital and urinary tracts. They may have other health benefits as well. The best-known probiotics are the lactobacilli strains, such as acidophilus, which is found in yogurt and other fermented milk products (kefir). The probiotics bifidobacteria and GG lactobacilli may prove to be even more important. Other probiotics include the lactobacilli rhamnosus, casel, plantarium, bulgaricus, and salivarius, and also Enterococcus faecium and Streptococcus thermophilus.

Lactobacilli have the potential to help protect women from UTIs in a number of ways:

• Maintain a low pH environment
• Hinder E. coli growth
• Produce hydrogen peroxide, which produces an environment hostile for bacteria

In a 2003 study, drinking fermented milk reduced the risk for UTIs. Not all studies show benefits from drinks containing lactobacilli, but more research is warranted.

Circumcision in Infant Males

Although there is some controversy over whether circumcision helps prevent UTIs in boys, a 2000 analysis of nearly 15,000 male infants reported that the uncircumcised boys under 1 year old had nine times the risk for UTIs as circumcised boys. (The risk is still very low, in any case.)

Click the icon to see an image of a circumcised penis in comparison to an uncircumcised penis.

Biofeedback in Children

Biofeedback is a technique that provides visual and auditory clues in response to specific exercises. Some research indicates that biofeedback teaches children who are prone to UTIs to relax and control their pelvic muscles, resulting in fewer recurrences of infection.

Review Date: 06/16/2006
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, M.D., Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital