Ok. You know the drill—the frequent urge to pee, lower abdomen pressure, back pain, and burning down there. If it sounds like a urinary tract infection (UTI), don't waste time drinking cranberry juice and praying (although both are good.) UTIs are one of the most common conditions in women's health. It occurs when bacteria enters the urinary system (kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra) and cause an infection. It is super important to treat a UTI when symptoms first appear to feel better quickly and reduce the risk of turning it into something more serious.

5 Steps to Treat a UTI, FAST 

Now, show that UTI who is boss, and knock it out once and for all by following these five simple steps.

Step 1: Identify the Problem. Before you can treat a UTI, make sure you have one. Check out your symptoms. If they sound familiar, try an at-home UTI test. They are a fast and easy way to know if you have a UTI before seeing your doctor. If it is positive or you know you do, talk to your doctor.

Step 2: Get meds. Your doctor will most likely prescribe a course of antibiotics (Bactrim, Macrobid, or Cipro are the most common. Make sure to take the entire amount prescribed. If you stop taking them too early, the infection may come back. Note: Antibiotics can also bring on a yeast infection by killing the good bacteria and the bad. You may want to take probiotics as well.

Step 3: Soothe your pain. There is nothing wrong with taking over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin) while you are waiting for your antibiotics to kick in. If you have burning during urination, try Phenazopyridine (AZO or Uristat). Your doctor can also prescribe a stronger dose.

Step 4: Drink tons of water. Yes, we know that will make you have to pee, but it will help flush out the bacteria. Drink at least 48 to 64 fl oz per day. So drink, drink, drink. But make sure to avoid alcohol and caffeine. These can dehydrate you, and that is the opposite of drinking water!

Step 5: Take supplements. We nixed the cranberry juice because you actually need gallons of it to reap the benefits. But there are urinary tract supplements that are helpful during a UTI and to help prevent them. Checkable's Urinary Tract Balance is designed as a cleanser to help balance the urinary tract while giving you the nutrients you need to promote a healthy bladder. Each capsule has a special blend of the most effective ingredients available, including D-Mannose, cranberry juice powder, hibiscus, and natural dandelion herb. 

It may take about a week to cure the urinary tract infection fully, but you should definitely start to feel better after 48 hours of starting meds. We know UTIs are not fun, but we promise these five tips will help you get back to feeling good. If you are one of the lucky ones that tend to get them quite often, check out our guide to help prevent UTIs.