If you’ve ever had a urinary tract infection, you know how annoying, frustrating, and painful they can be.
But what you may not realize is that UTIs can be more than just bothersome...
Without proper precaution, they can become extremely dangerous. And it’s more common than you might think.
The danger comes into play when the bacteria that cause UTIs don’t get killed quickly enough. That gives them a chance to multiply… and move. When that happens, the bacteria can spread from your bladder up to your kidneys…and possibly to other organs. In the worst cases, the bacteria can infect your blood, leading to very problematic complications.
But you can safeguard your health by addressing UTIs properly. Or, even better, you can take steps to sidestep UTIs all together by supporting your urinary tract health every day.
Quick Answer: A urinary tract infection (UTI) is a bacterial infection of the urinary system, most often the bladder. Common signs include a frequent, sudden urge to urinate, burning when you go, cloudy or bloody urine, and pelvic pressure. UTIs should be taken seriously because, left unchecked, the bacteria can travel from the bladder to the kidneys and beyond. Anyone with UTI symptoms should see a healthcare provider. Beyond medical care, many people support everyday urinary tract health with hydration and plant compounds that have been studied for the urinary tract, such as whole cranberry, black cumin seed, and hibiscus.
Why Can’t You Ignore a UTI?
You should never ignore a UTI because its symptoms point to a bacterial infection that can worsen if left unaddressed. The classic signs are a sudden, frequent urge to urinate, often joined by burning and other discomfort, and they usually call for prompt medical care.
UTI symptoms are rarely subtle. Typically, it starts with the frustratingly frequent, super sudden and strong urges to pee that may be joined by:
- A burning sensation when you pee
- Feeling like you still have to go when you just did
- Feeling like your bladder won’t empty out all the way
- Urine that looks cloudy or bloody
- Urine that smells funky
- Abdominal pain or pressure
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If you have any of those symptoms, you’ll want to seek treatment right away. And not just because you can’t stand the feeling of having to urinate all the time… you also want to avoid complications.
But sometimes, even if you see your doctor… get antibiotics… and follow your prescription to the letter, the bacteria that caused your UTI may not be killed off completely…
Why Are Drug-Resistant UTIs on the Rise?
Many of the bacteria that cause UTIs have become more resistant to common antibiotics over time. When a prescribed antibiotic is less effective, the infection can linger, which is one reason UTIs need to be taken seriously.
Infectious bacteria that are resistant to drugs have become more and more common – and that includes the bacteria that cause UTIs. So what does that mean to you? It’s been shown that most of the antibiotics normally used to treat UTIs won’t cure them.[1]
When the antibiotics don’t work effectively, your infection may persist allowing the bacteria to grow and multiply.[2] That gives them a chance to start traveling.
And when the bacteria that caused your UTI spread, they can infect your kidneys, potentially causing kidney failure… or worse.
What Happens When a UTI Reaches the Kidneys?
If UTI bacteria travel up to the kidneys, they can cause a kidney infection that keeps these organs from filtering blood as well as they should. Kidney infections often add fever, chills, nausea, and lower-back or side pain on top of usual UTI symptoms.
Your kidneys have a critical job: filtering waste, toxins, and infectious bacteria out of your blood. They send all the bad stuff out with your urine, then return pure clean blood to your circulation.
But when UTI bacteria travel to your kidneys, the bacteria can infect them. And when you have a kidney infection, these critical organs can’t work as effectively.
Kidney infections have many symptoms in common with UTIs[3], but you’ll be able to tell the difference. If your UTI moves into your kidneys, you’ll also experience:
- Fever
- Chills
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pain in your lower back or side
Severe infections can cause scarring on your kidneys, which can lead to chronic kidney disease or possibly kidney failure. Even worse: scarred, damaged kidneys can’t effectively filter your blood.
Why Are UTIs Bad News for Your Kidneys?
When the kidneys are infected and cannot fully clean the blood, toxins and bacteria can re-enter circulation. In the most serious cases this can trigger urosepsis, which is a medical emergency that needs immediate care.
When your kidneys can’t properly clean your blood, the blood that returns to circulation could contain toxins and infectious bacteria. And when those bacteria flood your system, your body overreacts with an extreme response, causing symptoms such as[4]:
- Clammy skin
- Rapid breathing
- Shortness of breath
- Rapid heartbeat
- Abnormal heart function
- Confusion
- Fever
- Terrible pain
This condition is known as urosepsis, meaning sepsis that started as a UTI. If it’s not treated quickly, you could end up suffering from dangerously low blood pressure, tissue damage, or multiple organ failure… or worse...[5]
Unfortunately, this happens much more often than you’d expect…
- Up to 32.9% of UTI patients develop sepsis[6]
- 31% of all sepsis cases start as UTIs
- Up to 40% of urosepsis patients die[7]
*Note: Anyone experiencing symptoms of urosepsis should call 911 or get to a hospital immediately.
With those kinds of odds, your best bet is making sure that your UTI never gets that far. Or that you don’t get a painful, frustrating UTI in the first place.
What Are the Best Ways to Support Your Urinary Health?
Beyond seeking medical care for an active infection, many people support everyday urinary tract health with plant compounds that have been studied for the urinary tract. Three of the most time-tested are whole cranberry, black cumin seed, and hibiscus.
For thousands of years, long before the first pharmaceutical antibiotics, people treated UTIs with natural remedies made from plants. Though the medical community has long understood the effectiveness of these UTI-fighting plants, antibiotics have become the go-to treatment for these types of bacterial infections.
Sometimes, antibiotics work well… Until they don’t. It’s known that the longer and more often antibiotics are used, the less effective they can become.
That’s why nature has a huge edge over chemicals cooked up in a lab…
While bacteria can learn to resist antibiotic drugs, they can’t do the same with natural bacteria fighters like plants. That’s because plants contain thousands of compounds[8], while drugs contain no more than a few, and often only one.
Plus, the compounds in drugs never change, which gives bacteria a chance to get used to them. But plants change all the time, especially in response to new threats, like drug-resistant bacteria, so they’re always a step ahead.
That’s why UTI bacteria can’t develop resistance to plants… because they never know what they’ll be facing next.
So to stay ahead of UTIs, you can count on the same plants that people have been turning to for generations.
Here’s what you need to know about three of the most time-tested plants that protect your urinary tract against even antibiotic-resistant bacteria:
1. Cranberry
There’s a reason that cranberry is the go-to natural solution for UTIs: These tart berries contain dozens of plant compounds, including some proven to kill the bacteria that cause UTIs. But to get the full range of benefits, you need the whole berry… not just the juice.[9] You want the juice, skin, flesh, and seeds on your side.
Whole cranberries contain high levels of natural compounds called PACs.[10] And these PACs make sure that infectious bacteria can’t stick to the cells in your urinary tract and infect them.
2. Black Cumin Seed
Though not quite as well known for UTIs as cranberries, black cumin seed contains a powerful antibacterial compound known as TQ (thymoquinone). The power of TQ gives black cumin seed extract the ability to address E. coli, the bacteria that causes more than 90% of UTIs.[11]
Additionally, black cumin seed also works against Candida albicans, a fungus that can be equally troublesome for urinary health. (Addressing fungus is something no antibiotic drug can do!)
3. Hibiscus
Hibiscus is a gorgeous flowering plant that takes a tough stand against UTIs. Along with strong anti-bacterial powers, hibiscus also delivers anti-fungal and acidic properties that thwart UTIs.[12] Like whole cranberry and black cumin seed, hibiscus has been proven effective against both bacteria and fungus.
Hibiscus, specifically Ellirose™ hibiscus extract, is an absolute phenomenon at resolving occasional urinary tract irritation.
A remarkable clinical trial found that Ellirose™ brought unprecedented relief to women who experienced intermittent urinary tract challenges. According to the study, taking just 200 mg of Ellirose™ daily helped reduce their recurrence of urinary discomfort.
Just Thrive Urinary Health Products
| For urinary support | Whole-plant compounds | Single-compound drugs |
|---|---|---|
| Number of active compounds | Thousands of compounds per plant | Often only one or a few |
| Consistency over time | Plant chemistry shifts in response to threats | Fixed, unchanging structure |
| Common everyday use | Daily urinary tract support | Prescribed for active infection |
Frequently Asked Questions About UTIs and Urinary Health
What are the symptoms of a UTI?
Typical UTI symptoms include a frequent and sudden urge to urinate, a burning sensation when you pee, a feeling that the bladder never fully empties, cloudy or bloody urine, urine with a strong odor, and abdominal pain or pressure. If you notice these symptoms, see a healthcare provider.
Why should you never ignore a UTI?
An untreated UTI gives the bacteria time to multiply and travel from the bladder toward the kidneys. A kidney infection is more serious and, in severe cases, can progress to a bloodstream infection. Getting timely medical care lowers the chance of complications.
How do you know if a UTI has spread to your kidneys?
A kidney infection shares some symptoms with a UTI but often adds fever, chills, nausea or vomiting, and pain in the lower back or side. These signs warrant prompt medical attention.
Can plants support urinary tract health?
Several plants have been studied for the urinary tract. Whole cranberry is rich in compounds called PACs, black cumin seed contains thymoquinone, and hibiscus has been studied for occasional urinary tract irritation. These are used to support everyday urinary health, not as a substitute for medical care for an active infection.
What is the difference between whole cranberry and cranberry juice?
Research suggests the benefits come from the whole berry, including the juice, skin, flesh, and seeds, rather than juice alone. Whole cranberries contain higher levels of natural compounds called PACs.
Take a Proactive Approach to Urinary Tract Health with UT123
Keep your urinary tract healthy with UT123, a fast-acting formula that contains:
- 500 mg of Pacran® whole cranberry extract
- 100 mg of Nigellin® black cumin seed extract
- 200 mg of Ellirose™ hibiscus extract
Packed with the power of plants, UT123 is designed to keep your urinary tract healthy and comfortable so you can feel confident and in control.
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Sources
- Harvard Health Publishing. The growing problem of drug-resistant UTIs. Published February 1, 2020. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/the-growing-problem-of-drug-resistant-utis
- Langner J. Antibiotic resistance and other things you need to know about UTIs | Understanding UTIs, Part 7. Stanford Medicine. Published June 25, 2020. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2020/06/25/antibiotic-resistance-and-other-things-you-need-to-know-about-utis-understanding-utis-part-7/
- Mayo Clinic. Kidney infection. Published August 6, 2022. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/kidney-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20353387
- Cirino E. What is urosepsis? Healthline. Updated June 2, 2017. Reviewed by Falck S, MD, FACP. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.healthline.com/health/urosepsis
- Todd CL. Tanya Roberts died due to a severe urinary tract infection. SELF. Published January 8, 2021. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.self.com/story/tanya-roberts-uti-sepsis
- Hsiao CY, Yang HY, Chang CH, et al. Risk Factors for Development of Septic Shock in Patients with Urinary Tract Infection. Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:717094. doi:10.1155/2015/717094
- Dreger NM, Degener S, Ahmad-Nejad P, Wöbker G, Roth S. Urosepsis--Etiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2015;112(49):837-848. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2015.0837
- Gupta PD, Birdi TJ. Development of botanicals to combat antibiotic resistance. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2017;8(4):266-275. doi:10.1016/j.jaim.2017.05.004
- Vostalova J, Vidlar A, Simanek V, et al. Are High Proanthocyanidins Key to Cranberry Efficacy in the Prevention of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection?. Phytother Res. 2015;29(10):1559-1567. doi:10.1002/ptr.5427
- Kaspar KL, Howell AB, Khoo C. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess the bacterial anti-adhesion effects of cranberry extract beverages. Food Funct. 2015;6(4):1212-1217. doi:10.1039/c4fo01018c
- Utami AT. Nigella sativa Linn. and lower urinary tract infection treatment. J Surg Pathol Diagn. 2018;1(1). Published January 25, 2018. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.hilarispublisher.com/open-access/nigella-sativa-linn-and-lower-urinary-tract-infection-treatment.pdf
- Alshami I, Alharbi AE. Hibiscus sabdariffa extract inhibits in vitro biofilm formation capacity of Candida albicans isolated from recurrent urinary tract infections. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2014;4(2):104-108. doi:10.1016/S2221-1691(14)60217-3
