How to Treat a Bladder Infection With Probiotics

Urinary tract infections are the result of infectious bacteria gaining access to the urinary tract. Urinary tract infections are especially common for women, and when women develop these infections, they often have primarily infectious bacteria in their vagina and bladder, as opposed to the normal "healthy" bacteria, which are commonly found in these areas, according to 2001 study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Probiotics are non-infectious bacteria that can crowd out infectious bacteria in the urinary tract, which helps treat urinary tract infections.

Eat yogurt with active bacterial cultures. Many brands of yogurt contain active Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria, which can be used to treat infections of the vagina and urinary tract, according to the Mayo Clinic. Consuming 8 oz. of yogurt with 100 million probiotic colony-forming units, also known as CFU, each day can help you treat and prevent urinary tract infections.

Take probiotic supplement tablets. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends taking probiotic supplements that contain between 5 and 10 billion CFUs each day for the treatment of urinary tract infections 1. Refrigerate the supplements to keep the bacteria alive.

Use probiotic vaginal suppositories. Vaginal suppositories can be effective at treating urinary tract infections because they can directly colonize the vagina with healthy bacteria. Because women with urinary tract infections often have a preponderance of infectious bacteria in their vaginas, these suppositories can help treat urinary tract infections and prevent recurrences. The Mayo Clinic recommends using suppositories that contain between 10 million and 1 billion CFUs once or twice per day.