Lie Down and Rest
Has it come back to haunt you? Grab a hot water bottle and get straight onto the sofa to try and relax. One of the best home remedies for a bladder infection is rest!
Relaxing while lying down helps your body fight against the bacteria. Give it rest and support by giving yourself a break.
Lying down helps your bladder to be optimally supplied with blood and relaxed. Additional, steady warmth also supports healing. This way, your immune system works most effectively, allowing your body to better overcome and heal the infection.
So: Get onto the sofa or into bed with a hot water bottle on your lower abdomen and a peat pillow* (quality made in Germany – flat, handy, and super soft even after years) around the kidney area. Heating blankets are also a practical way to generate soothing warmth on your back.
Listen to your body! When I feel a bladder infection starting, I definitely prefer warmth. Cold doesn’t feel quite right at that moment. Even during an acute infection, warmth can relieve the cramping, pulling pain. Of course, this is a personal preference: I prefer dry heat with pillows rather than warm (and therefore moist) sitz baths.
Get into Bed
Why is bed rest so challenging? Because bladder infections often appear out of the blue, and it’s not always easy or possible to just drop everything. Unfortunately, I never took sick leave back then and always forced myself to keep going to work.
If I couldn’t or didn’t want to postpone my plans, I often fell into the trap of an antibiotic treatment, as it gave me quick, temporary relief. Now, I realise that it wasn’t always the right solution.
But I totally understand your doubts: calling in sick for cystitis? Postponing that long-planned trip? Cancelling the date? Yes, please – if it’s at all possible for you. In the long run, it will give you more freedom than it might take away in that moment.
First a Sitz Bath, Then Rest
Gradually warming sitz baths with an infusion of horsetail herb* or chamomile* (anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and promotes healing) can relieve pain, improve circulation, and help relax muscles. You can either use a bathtub or get a sitz bath insert for your toilet.
Here’s how:
- Bath additive horsetail herb*: Boil 1-2 handfuls of dried horsetail herb in 1 litre of water for 5 minutes and strain.
- Bath additive chamomile*: Let 1-2 handfuls of dried chamomile flowers steep in hot water for 20 minutes, then strain (if short on time, you can also use Kamillosan*).
- Add the strained bath additive to water at 36°C.
- Gradually add hot water until reaching about 41°C after 10-15 minutes.
- Afterwards, wrap up warm and rest for 1-2 hours.
Sitz baths can dry out your skin, so you might want to apply moisturising creams, such as Deumavan® Protective Cream*, Vagisan® Protective Cream*, Vagisan® MoistCream*, remifemin® MoistCream*.
"A peat pillow* is a great addition to a hot water bottle, and you can easily warm it up in the microwave.
Kamillosan* has been a remedy I’ve known since childhood!"
