As soon as the early warning signs of a urinary tract infection are noticed, starting with the natural treatment options is the most sensible thing to do.

Early warning signs of a urinary tract infection include:

• Acute pain, unusual discomfort, or a burning sensation while passing urine.
• The instinct to pass urine with urgency even after the bladder has been noticeably emptied.
• Discoloration of urine from the usual transparent, pale yellow color to a cloudy tinge.
• Dark, cola-colored urine, or passage of urine accompanied by blood in some cases.
• Fishy/foul-smelling urine, especially when infected by the bacteria that causes a urinary tract infection.
• Fever or chills, a sign of any infection in the body.
• Nausea or vomiting accompanied by tenderness or pain in the lower back or abdominal region.
• Rectal pain in men and pelvic pain in women, when the infection has moved from the lower urinary tract to the upper urinary tract.

Natural treatment options to be followed when the urinary tract infection is diagnosed early in the lower tract:

• Increase fluid intake
  Being adequately hydrated keeps men and women protected to a significant extent from urinary tract infections. Gulping plenty of clean drinking water throughout the day, and urinating often helps expel the infection-causing bacteria from the body. Seven to eight glasses of lemon, mint, or cucumber-infused water too can help increase the amount of daily water intake.
• Vitamin C
  Consuming vitamin C-rich foods every day considerably reduces the risk of urinary tract infections because vitamin C fights against the infection-causing bacteria by increasing the acidity of urine. Vitamin C-rich foods include fruits like guava, lemon, lime, orange, kiwi, papaya, apricots, cantaloupe, strawberries, mango, grapefruit, pineapple, cantaloupe, black currant, watermelon, and tomatoes, vegetables like Indian gooseberry, jalapeño, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, sweet potato, fresh greens, kale, snow peas, garlic, red and yellow peppers, coriander seeds, parsley, mint, and turnip greens.
• Cranberries
  Certain nutrients in cranberries help prevent bacteria-causing infection from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract. Make sure you consume it as fresh fruit, as unsweetened juice, or as natural cranberry extract sold in organic food stores.
• Probiotics
  These are beneficial bacteria found in foods like yogurt, traditional buttermilk, kimchi, kombucha, and kefir. Include them in your diet to fight against harmful bacteria and restore a proper balance.
• Garlic
  Garlic contains chemicals that effectively fight urinary tract infection-causing bacteria. Consume it as raw pods, or crush them coarsely and add the cloves to a cup of hot water. Steep it for a few minutes and drink this garlic tea to gain relief from UTI symptoms.
• Relaxing warm baths
  Warm baths might help deal with back or abdominal pain. It might give temporary relief, as will a heat pad.

Apart from following the above-mentioned remedies to treat UTI, it is important to adhere to certain restrictions too.

• Refrain from holding on to urine when you have to pee and empty your bladder. It is not good for the kidneys, because it could increase the risk of a urinary tract infection.
• Avoid consuming caffeine, tomato juice, and alcohol because these increase the urge for painful urination.

While these home remedies might not entirely cure a urinary tract infection, they certainly would help reduce the severity of the symptoms or help remove the infection faster from the body.