Of course, UTIs will not be cured only by using Epsom salt baths, however, people who have UTI can benefit from the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects of Epsom salt baths and also from their soothing and relaxing properties.
In the fight against UTI, the area between the anus and the Urethra (the perineal region) is of the utmost importance, and Epsom salt baths can reduce the bacterial load and inflammation in that area.
Many UTIs are caused by bacterial invasion from the skin (the perineal region) into the urethra and the bladder (the urinary system). Epsom salt baths can strengthen and Improve the immunity of the perineal region and the urethra in the fight against such invasions and infections.
Is soaking in an Epsom salt bath good for UTI and why?
There are no scientific studies that have been done on the usage of Epsom salt baths for the management of UTI.
Therefore, you would find many articles around the internet saying that Epsom salt baths may only be good for UTI pain relief.
These articles would say that there’s no scientific evidence that these baths would have the ability to help in the treatment or prevention of UTI or something like that.
However, Epsom salt baths have proved their extreme effectiveness and usefulness in the management of other kinds of conditions of similar origin.
Meaning, Epsom salt baths have proved their effectiveness in improving conditions that can be caused or exacerbated by infection or inflammation or both, for example, bacterial skin infections or skin diseases that are caused by inflammation and so on.
So, when Epsom salt baths were used on these kinds of conditions, it was shown that these baths were successful in reducing inflammation and the risk of infection.
So, subsequently, they managed to reduce pain and other kinds of symptoms associated with these conditions.
For example, see this study that talks about a specific group of patients who had a skin disease that made their skin more susceptible to bacterial infections.
Epsom salt baths managed to reduce the risk of infections in these patients.
UTIs mostly are skin-borne infections, which means that they begin from the skin as bacteria try to migrate from the skin of the perineum into the urinary tract. Because Epsom salt baths have been proven to work against other kinds of skin conditions, this can be considered a piece of very good evidence that Epsom salt baths can be beneficial for UTI sufferers.
Even the bacteria that the studies have shown that Epsom salt baths can work against in some kinds of skin conditions are very similar to the kind of bacteria that cause UTIs.
Let’s further illustrate this.
Well, a UTI is a skin-generated infection as we said, which means that UTIs are caused by bacterial immigration from the skin between the urethra and the anus (the perennial region) to the urethra and then ascending to the bladder and the rest of the urinary tract.
Sometimes bacteria can travel through internal body tissues between the anus and the prostate or the uterus, and from there they can infect the bladder directly.
So whatever the pathway is, keeping that important space of skin between the urethra and the anus clear of bacteria or trying to reduce the bacterial load (the number of bacteria in a specific region) around it is of the utmost necessity for UTI treatment and prevention.
An Epsom salt bath can help in reducing inflammation and bacterial load around the perineal region ( the area between the anus and the urethra) and that can reduce the risk of UTI or help in the treatment of this infection.
Now, let’s dive now further into the beneficial effects of Epsom salt baths on people who suffer from UTI.
The antibacterial effect of Epsom salt baths
As a pharmacist, there are two mechanisms that I can propose for the mild antibacterial effect we see with Epsom salt baths:
The first is that all salts have that unique quality of being able to increase the osmolarity of water or the solution they were put into.
So, when soaking in an Epsom salt bath, the higher concentration (osmolarity) of the solution would Force the cytoplasm content of the bacteria (the inside of the bacteria) to burst out of the bacterial cell wall.
Because of the physical laws of osmolarity, the water content inside the bacteria will be forced to move out of the area of low concentration or low osmolarity (the inside if the bacteria) to the area of higher concentration or high osmolarity, which is the Epsom salt bath in this case.
This will kill the bacteria in the process, of course.
This mechanism is mutual among all types of salts even table salt.
Some cultures even use table salt or other kinds of salt to disinfect their vegetables or other kinds of foods by immersing food in a solution that contains water and table salt or another kind of salt.
Epsom salt baths are no exception to that rule as there are experiments or studies that have done exactly the same thing with Epsom salts but on a larger scale.
This study found that Epsom salt managed to kill some of the harmful microorganisms that live in sewage water and encouraged its use as an inhibitor of bacteria and other microorganisms in such contaminated solutions.
So, dissolving Epsom salt in your bath water would do the same thing to the bacteria there as it does to the bacteria in sewage water.
Epsom salt would be able to inhibit the bacteria in your bath water, and when it comes in contact with your skin, it would also be able to kill some of the harmful ones that can be found in your perineal region or on your skin in general, thereby reducing the risk of UTI.
The second quality that contributes to Epsom salt baths having mild antibacterial effects is that these baths with their anti-inflammatory effects can improve the immunity of the skin around the perennial region and around the body in general.
As you may know, inflammation is the enemy of immunity, So by reducing inflammation, Epsom salt baths can improve the immune system’s ability to protect the skin.
Because of that, the immunity around the skin and around the perineal region in particular, will be able to work on killing the bacteria around that crucial area between the anus and the urethra more properly.
The anti-inflammatory effect of Epsom salt baths
This study shows the great anti-inflammatory effect of Epsom salt baths on people who suffer from osteoarthritis, which exactly means inflammation of the joints or bones.
Epsom salt managed to reduce inflammation in patients who suffered from these kinds of conditions.
A mechanism that was proposed by many researchers as to why Epsom salt baths show these desirable anti-inflammatory effects is that when Epsom salt dissolves in the water of the bath it separates into two ions a magnesium ion and the sulfate ion.
Both of these ions do have the ability to reduce inflammation whether they act topically on the skin or when they get absorbed into the body.
And yes, these ions do have the ability to be absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream when people soak in an Epsom salt bath. See the next sections.
So, whether topically on the skin or inside the body, these two ions can reduce inflammation thereby improving the immunity of the entire body and perennial region specifically speaking.
Vinegar baths also have amazing antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. If you want to know more about them, please visit our vinegar baths for UTI article.
The mood-stabilizing and anxiety-reducing effects of Epsom salt baths
In addition to the anti-inflammatory effects that we have talked about earlier, the mood-stabilizing, soothing, relaxing and stress-relieving effects of the magnesium ions in particular can also be of great importance and benefit for people who suffer from UTI.
Anxiety and stress raise cortisol in the body as you may know, and the long exposure to that hormone can put the ability of the immune system to work properly in jeopardy.
This can be especially detrimental for UTI sufferers, so the less stress we are going to feel, the lower the risk of UTI we are going to have, in general.
Epsom salt baths can improve the skin barrier and the skin microbiome
The skin barrier means the outermost layers of the skin and the skin cell cells that constitute these layers and how they all function together.
If the skin barrier is impaired, it will allow unwanted organisms or substances from the external environment to enter into the layers of the skin or the body in general.
Research has concluded is that Epsom salt baths can improve the function of the skin barrier By improving skin cell regeneration and by enhancing the permeability of the skin barrier making it less permeable to the entrance of harmful organisms and so on.
Research suggested that these desirable effects are due to the high magnesium ion concentration found in these baths.
Also, research has found that Epsom salt baths can inhibit harmful bacteria that might be residing in the skin which is common sense as we have discussed earlier because of the antibacterial effects of this bath.
But the thing that they also concluded is that these baths do not have the ability to kill the beneficial or good bacteria that are always residing on the surface of our skin.
Meaning, that Epsom salt baths can only kill or inhibit harmful bacteria but they do nothing to the microbiome population or the beneficial bacteria that can be found on our skin.
This is an absolute advantage for Epsom salt baths for people who suffer from UTI because the microbiome of our skin (the beneficial bacteria) is crucial for protecting the skin and preventing any kind of skin disease or any kind of skin-generated infection like UTI.
So, by improving the function of the skin barrier and the skin microbiome (beneficial bacteria) population, Epsom salt baths will add another layer of protection against UTIs.
With all of that optimism about Epsom salt baths for UTI sufferers, we have to mention some precautions.
It is important to remember that these anti-bacterial, skin barrier-improving and anti-inflammatory effects that can help people with UTI are mild and that they are not strong enough to stop or treat an ongoing UTI.
These properties of Epsom salt baths also take time to build a substantial and desirable effect.
First of all, in an ongoing UTI, the bacteria would have reached the bladder already, and an Epsom salt bath could manage to only reduce the bacterial load around the perennial region.
So, they would only prevent the exacerbation of UTI or the further entrance of bacteria to the urinary tract, but they won’t be able to reach the bladder and kill the bacteria over there.
In the case of an ongoing UTI, Especially if it was serious, we want to kill the bacteria that have already started spreading inside the bladder and the urinary tract not only the bacteria that are lurking on the outside in the area between the anus and the urethra.
Second of all, as we said, these anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects are mild and slow.
So, with an ongoing UTI, Epsom salt baths won’t be able to kill or eliminate all the harmful bacteria around the perineal region, and they won’t completely prevent all the further passage of harmful organisms from the skin in that area to the urinary tract.
They might only be able to impede it a little bit or reduce the bacterial load as we said in that region, but they won’t eliminate all the bacteria completely, especially if the UTI was serious.
Even if Epsom salt baths manage to raise the levels of magnesium and sulfate ions inside the body, which they do, they won’t be able to have that much of a big effect that would cause the bacteria inside the urinary tract to be eliminated.
Only an antibiotic can do that so do not depend completely on Epsom salt baths, especially in the case of a serious UTI.
So, in the case of a serious UTI, it would be better to call the doctor immediately and use Epsom salt baths as a complementary therapy that can be added to the doctor’s prescription.
To summarize
_ Epsom salt baths do have amazing antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, that can benefit people who have UTI.
_ Epsom salt baths can improve the quality and function of the skin barrier and the population of beneficial skin bacteria, and all of that can reduce the risk of UTI.
_ Epsom salt baths also have great soothing, stress-reducing and mood-stabilizing effects that can offer tremendous help, especially for those who suffer from recurrent UTIs.
_ Magnesium and sulfate ions do get absorbed into the body when people take Epsom salt baths, so these ions do not exert their beneficial effects only on the skin but also inside the body.
_ These effects are not strong enough to treat a full-fledged UTI on their own.
_ These effects are especially helpful for people who have a mild UTI case and want to prevent it from turning into something more serious.
_ These beneficial effects of Epsom salt baths can also be utilized for the purpose UTI prevention.
_ In the case of an ongoing and serious UTI episode, you can use Epsom salt baths as a complementary treatment to your doctor’s prescription.
What is the best way to use Epsom salt baths for UTI?
The best way to use Epsom salt baths is to use them as some kind of additional help to support you in the prevention or treatment of UTI.
Choosing the right amount of Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) to mix with your bath water is very important here.
The best dilution ratio For Epsom salt in the water is one percent, which means that for every 100 milliliters of water, you should dissolve one gram of Epsom salt.
So, for a standard-sized bathtub, which contains about 60 L of water, you should dissolve 600 grams of Epsom salt.
The bigger the bathtub is the more you should put Epsom salt and vice versa.
Just use the one percent ratio that I’ve shown you earlier, and you will be good to go.
The temperature of the water you are going to soak in should be warm as the hypothesis says that warm water opens up the pores in your skin, which would allow your skin to absorb in a better way those beneficial sulfate and magnesium ions.
The warmer the water the better, but do not make the temperature of the water hotter than your skin can tolerate.
If the water is too hot, it can irritate the skin around your perennial region and that would be detrimental for UTI.
Using the dilution ratio that I told you earlier, soak in the bath two to three times a week and that should be optimal for helping with UTI prevention or treatment.
For children, you should reduce a little bit the amount of Epsom salt you put in the bath in order for their developing skin to be able to tolerate it.
The younger the child the less Epsom salt you should add to the bath.
How effective is Epsom salt bath for the treatment of serious UTIs?
As we said earlier, Epsom salt baths can only be used as a complimentary treatment in addition to the doctor’s prescription to help with the management of serious UTI cases.
These baths are definitely not effective on their own to defeat a full-fledged urinary tract infection, especially if it has reached a serious stage.
Would an Epsom salt bath make a UTI worse?
No, they won’t make a UTI worse of course in fact just as I said they can help in making it better.
The only way that these baths can do UTI patients harm is when they depend solely on this home remedy and neglect to receive treatment from the doctor, which might be necessary in a lot of UTI cases.
So, if the UTI was serious or if it persists for a long period of time, call the doctor as soon as you can.
For more information on this topic and related topics, see our Do baths make UTI worse article.
Can Epsom salt baths be considered as a fast UTI relief?
Epsom salt baths do have that aspect to them because they do give that fast pain relief effect from UTI symptoms.
That anti-inflammatory effect they have also plays a huge role in that matter.
Also, the mood-enhancing and stress-relieving properties can also participate in the fast pain relief effect from UTI symptoms, especially with mild cases of UTI.
How effective are Epsom salt baths for the prevention of UTI?
highly effective.
One of the best uses of Epsom salt baths if not the best use is to use them for UTI prevention.
These baths can improve the immunity of the skin, repair the skin barrier and also prevent any inflammation or damage to the microbiome (beneficial bacteria) population of the skin in general and around the perennial Region too.
When using Epsom salt baths on a constant basis, the accumulative effect of all of these beneficial actions taking place over a long period of time can definitely reduce any risk of future UTIs.
Do the magnesium and sulfate ions of Epsom salt get absorbed into the body when people take an Epsom salt bath?
This study shows that magnesium and sulfate ions did manage to be absorbed through the skin and into the body.
When Epsom salt dissolves in the bath water it releases sulfate and magnesium ions, which are easier to be absorbed into the body.
The researchers who did this study saw that Epsom salt baths managed to increase serum (blood) magnesium and sulfate levels.
They also noticed the beneficial effects that come from raising those in the body from mood stabilization to improved digestive function to reduce inflammation in the body, generally speaking.
This made them conclude that Epsom salts do raise the levels of magnesium and sulfate ions and the body.
Other benefits of Epsom salt baths for people who have UTI
Through the action of those absorbed magnesium ions, people would have blood pressure stabilizing and regulating effects.
Because as you may know magnesium in the body plays a huge role in controlling blood pressure and its deficiency is one of the main causes of hypertension and arrhythmias.
Magnesium also regulates the tonicity and reactivity of blood vessels, which means that it allows the proper amount of blood to flow back and forth from those blood vessels and that is an absolutely beneficial thing for UTI patients.
The more healthily the blood flows in the blood vessels around the perineal region the more nutrition and support the skin of this region will receive and the more able this area would be to get rid of harmful organisms that might cause or exacerbate an already existing UTI.
The sulfate and magnesium ions found in Epsom salt baths can improve the digestive function of our digestive tract, and that can reflect positively in an indirect way on people who have UTI.
As you may know, one of the greatest risk factors for having a UTI is when people have a poorly functioning digestive tract.
That poorly functioning digestive tract could be exploited or taken advantage of by harmful and pathological organisms, for example, the E. coli bacteria.
These pathological organisms can use the digestive tract as a kind of Base to launch their attacks on other parts of the body that are near in the vicinity, for example, the urinary tract. See our Why do I keep getting a UTI article.
Who should not use an Epsom salt bath?
Epsom salt baths are usually safe and can be tolerated by most people, especially if they were used in the correct way that we have indicated earlier.
Only people who have known allergies to Epsom salt should not soak in these baths but for everybody else, these baths are generally safe.
For diabetic patients who also happen to have a UTI, they should consult with their doctor before taking an Epsom salt bath whether their UTI was serious or not or even if they didn’t have a UTI.
This precautionary measure stems from the known fact that hot water can be detrimental for people who have diabetic feet or diabetes in general.
And, because you need to soak warm or hot water with Epsom salt baths, so some doctors completely advise against diabetes patients taking Epsom salt baths.
I, on the other hand, as a pharmacist, think that this is a completely unjustified thing to do.
One tip to mitigate this problem is to make the water slightly warm, not too warm or too hot, so as not for diabetic patients to hurt their skin.
Soaking in an Epsom salt bath can also bring benefits for people with diabetes who also have a UTI, but they should consult their doctor first before taking any step in that direction.
Is Epsom salt bath good for kidney infection?
Kidney infections are serious situations, and they do not tolerate any hesitancy or delay at all.
Before thinking of getting into an Epsom salt bath when you suspect that you have a kidney infection, you should seek professional help immediately.
Then, you can use Epsom salt baths as a way to soothe the UTI pain and help with the treatment.
We have now come to the end of our article, so If you need any more help with your UTI, feel free to contact us or check the multitude of articles we have about this subject on our website KNOW & TREAT UTI.
Stay healthy and have a wonderful rest of your day.