When I feel one coming on I pound the fluids, including whole natural cranberry juice. If you have a true infection then you need to treat the bacteria with antibiotics. If you are pregnant then treatment is a MUST!
I'm a urology nurse...don't try to self-treat a UTI because you need to have a culture done of your urine to find out what bacteria the infection is and what antibiotics are sensitive and resistant to it. Your regular doc or a urologist can do this, but usually you won't see a urologist unless you have frequent UTIs (4+ in six months). If you self-treat improperly, you run the risk of developing a kidney infection like @mijita said. Also, like she said, you can buy OTC products like pyridium (AZO uti pain relief) that will turn your urine orange/red and numb up your urethra. Make an appointment with your PCM and try to drink 2L of water/day to flush out your system.
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They have AZO products that help alleviate discomfort, but they only help with symptoms, not the problem.