Common Home Remedies for Chlamydia: Are They Really Helpful?

Home remedies for chlamydia: Do they really work? Well, not exactly. While you can find many websites on the internet claiming that you can cure a chlamydia infection at home, the only scientifically proven cure is antibiotics. However, some of the home remedies we're going to discuss do have health benefits and antibacterial properties. But can they treat chlamydia? Keep reading to find out.

If you suspect you may have an STD, be sure to get tested immediately. Fortunately, STD testing is easier and more accessible than ever before. You can order a panel from the Rapid STD Testing website or visit one of our 2500 nationwide locations for same-day STD testing that's completely confidential.

Keep reading for all the information you need to know about home remedies for chlamydia and whether they actually work—or not.

Can You Cure Chlamydia Infection at Home?

How can you treat chlamydia at home? You can relieve symptoms, but you can't cure chlamydia without antibiotics. Some home remedies can provide mild symptom relief. However, they can't cure chlamydia, which can have severe consequences to your health and fertility if left untreated.

Chlamydia belongs to the category of curable STDs. It's a bacterial infection you can get via oral or sexual intercourse, and it can infect the penis, cervix, rectum, or throat. Unfortunately, chlamydia is often asymptomatic, which means most people don't show symptoms. In fact, only about 10% of men and 5% to 30% of women ever show signs of a chlamydia infection. Luckily, it's very easy to treat and cure with oral antibiotics.

Chlamydia Symptoms

If you experience any of the symptoms listed below or you've had unprotected sexual activity, getting a rapid STD test is extremely important. Here are the most common symptoms for men and women, which can take weeks to show up:

• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Lower abdominal pain
• Pain or burning sensations while peeing
• Spotting or bleeding between periods
• Yellowish, strong-smelling, or abnormal vaginal discharge
• Pus or discharge from the penis
• Anal pain, bleeding, or discharge
• Swollen or painful testicles

For women who are pregnant, under age 25, or older with risk factors (multiple sexual partners, unprotected sexual contact, drug use, etc.), the CDC recommends getting tested at least once a year. Men who have sex with other men should also get tested regularly.

If you test positive for chlamydia and choose to treat it at home, you're putting yourself at risk. Women who do not treat chlamydia can have problems getting pregnant and suffer damage to their reproductive system. In addition, pregnant women can pass chlamydia onto their baby, which can cause premature birth, pneumonia, or conjunctivitis (an eye infection).

Home Remedies to Cure Chlamydia: How Can You Treat Chlamydia at Home?

If you have chlamydia, these natural treatments won't cure it completely. Only antibiotics can do that. However, they may be able to provide you with symptom relief until you can get an STD test and seek treatment.

Fortunately, you can call us here at Rapid STD Testing today or order a chlamydia testing panel online right now, then visit one of our convenient testing centers to give a sample. Our doctors will prescribe you the correct medication if your test is positive.

Now, let's discuss popular home remedies for chlamydia for males and females.

Common Home Remedies for STD Chlamydia

1.    Oregano

Commercial-grade oregano oil has natural infection-fighting properties thanks to its carvacrol and thymol compounds. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should not take oregano oil. For others, daily intake shouldn't exceed 45 mg. Commercial-grade oregano oil is powerful and may cause side effects such as nausea, indigestion, upset stomach, or even vomiting. To start an oregano oil regimen, take it with coconut oil or water.

2.    Garlic

Garlic is another of the most common home remedies for chlamydia and other ailments. Raw garlic has been a traditional home remedy for thousands of years, as its active compound allicin can help fight inflammatory disease and have antibacterial properties.

Potential side effects include heartburn, gas, bad breath, or diarrhea. Crush or chop the garlic and let it sit for ten minutes to form the allicin before you take it. 

3.    Echinacea

Echinacea (purple coneflower) is another traditional home remedy for many ailments. Research has shown that echinacea can boost the immune system and combat certain viral and bacterial infections.

Proponents recommend taking about 10 mg per two pounds of body weight for about a week and a half, or you can buy a supplement with pre-measured capsules. Potential side effects include dizziness, upset stomach, and nausea. Severe side effects include swelling and difficulty breathing.

4.    Goldenseal

Goldenseal is an herb in the buttercup family. Its beneficial properties come from the alkaline compound berberine, which may reduce the body's inflammatory response during an infection.

Proponents use goldenseal by mixing it with a cup of warm water and a teaspoon of salt. Then, they take the mixture and gently clean the genital area twice daily for a week. However, goldenseal can have serious side effects, including hallucinations, constipation, and delirium. In large quantities, it can cause heart damage, depression, paralysis, or death.

5.    Turmeric

A prevalent spice and flowering plant in the ginger family, turmeric has antioxidant properties and can also reduce swelling. If you'd like to take turmeric, try sprinkling some onto your food, or make turmeric tea. Although it rarely causes side effects, watch out for diarrhea, nausea, dizziness, or indigestion.

6.    Olive Tree Extract

While no definitive research proves that olive tree extract can treat chlamydia, its natural compound oleuropein has many health benefits, including antiviral, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. You can take between 250 and 1,000 mg daily with food, two to four times daily. Potential side effects include an upset stomach or headache.

7.    Probiotic Diet

Unfortunately, a probiotic diet can't cure chlamydia. However, if you're starting a course of antibiotics to treat chlamydia, taking probiotics and eating healthy can help restore your gut, detoxify your body, increase energy, and boost your immune system.

If you're interested in probiotics, you can try kefir, amasi, kombucha, or a probiotic supplement. Since probiotics already exist in your body, they're very safe to take. However, sometimes they can cause diarrhea, gas, bloating, or mild indigestion.

8.    Vitamins

Some people advocate using vitamins as a home remedy for chlamydia, such as taking vitamin C and immune-boosting blends in addition to antibiotics. One study found that vitamin C can inhibit the growth of chlamydia. Another option is vitamin B, which helps maintain the integrity of your nerve cells and repair damage.

Vitamin C can cause side effects of indigestion, nausea, heartburn, stomach cramps, or headaches. Vitamin B is fine in small doses, but large quantities can cause high blood sugar, vomiting, or liver damage.

9.    Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil, also known as melaleuca, is another common home remedy people use to treat various ailments, including acne, lice, fungus, and insect bites. Some say that tea tree oil aromatherapy can relieve chlamydia symptoms, or they put a couple of teaspoons in a warm bath and relax. Side effects from aromatherapy include headaches, nausea, or feeling vertigo. You should never swallow tea tree oil or use it internally, as it can have severe side effects.

10. Apple Cider Vinegar

Beyond its use in cooking, people have used this cloudy brown liquid for years to fight inflammation and bacterial infections. Proponents say you can reap its beneficial properties by soaking in a bath. First, they add a few tablespoons of ACV and then sit up in the water for about 45 minutes. Although drinking too much of it can cause harmful side effects (nausea, tooth erosion, throat burns), you can soak in a highly diluted ACV bath without issues.

11. Lemon

Remember that vitamin C has immune-boosting properties? Lemon, or lemon juice, is full of vitamin C. Not only does it help boost your immune system, but it can also help reduce swelling and inflammation. If you're taking an antibiotic regimen for chlamydia, taking lemon juice every morning may make an excellent addition to your treatment. Too much vitamin C, however, can cause nausea, indigestion, or stomach cramps.

Is Relying on Home Remedies to Treat Chlamydia a Good Idea?

Relying on home remedies to cure chlamydia is not a good idea. Doing so increases your risk of health complications and passing the infection on to your sex partners. The only way to cure chlamydia is with antibiotics. However, if you're suffering from the symptoms of chlamydia, natural remedies may provide relief until you can get an STD test and see a doctor.

You can also use the home remedies for chlamydia to supplement your antibiotic treatment. For example, you could soak in a tea tree oil bath every night or take an echinacea supplement each morning. Pay close attention to correct dosages to prevent unwanted side effects.

Again, we want to emphasize this: You should never rely on home remedies alone to cure chlamydia. They won't work, and the infection can significantly damage your reproductive system if you don't treat it.

Remember, chlamydia is often asymptomatic. If you have unprotected sex with one or more sex partners, you should get regular STD tests. At Rapid STD Testing, we offer a full 10-panel STD test you can order right now on our website. Then, visit one of our convenient locations to give a quick specimen, and you'll have confidential results in one to three days.

Actual Treatment Options for Chlamydia

If you test positive for chlamydia, you'll need to get treated.  Can you get treated for chlamydia without going to the doctor? No, you can't. A doctor must prescribe you a course of antibiotics. However, that doesn't mean you have to go to your primary healthcare provider for treatment, which can raise your insurance rates. Where can you get treatment?

You can order a testing panel from Rapid STD Testing right here on our website. Since we don't accept insurance, you don't have to worry about the results going on your medical records. If your test is negative, you can choose if you want to ask your insurance company for reimbursement.

Continue reading as we discuss the most common antibiotic treatments for chlamydia.

Common Antibiotic Treatments for Chlamydia

Using antibiotics to cure STDs that are bacterial in nature is the best and fastest treatment method. The two most common antibiotics to treat chlamydia include:

• Azithromycin: Take one gram by mouth as a single dose
• Doxycycline: Take 100 mg by mouth, twice daily for a week

Alternatively, your doctor may also give you a prescription for these antibiotic treatments:

• Erythromycin: Take 500 mg by mouth twice a day for a week
• Tetracycline: Take 500 mg by mouth four times a day for a week
• Ofloxacin: Take 200 to 400 mg by mouth twice a day for a week

After receiving a chlamydia diagnosis and antibiotic prescription, avoid having sex for seven days. Abstaining from sex is very important because you can still pass chlamydia on to your sexual partners until the infection is completely gone. It's also critical to finish the treatment regimen, even if you start to feel better.

Another important consideration is what happens after you finish treatment. The CDC recommends getting retested three to four months after your initial treatment to ensure that the infection is completely gone.

Of course, you'll also need to inform your sexual partners that you had a positive test result for chlamydia. Fortunately, if you have a regular partner, they can take advantage of Expedited Partner Therapy with us at Rapid STD Testing. That means you can get a prescription for your partner without them having to get an examination from another health care provider, which is very convenient.

Pregnant Women and Chlamydia

If you're pregnant, your treatment for chlamydia will be slightly different. Remember, chlamydia is extremely dangerous to your unborn baby. If you don't get treated, you could pass the infection on to your baby during birth. Babies born to mothers with chlamydia are at risk of getting an eye infection or even pneumonia.

Pregnant women also take antibiotics to treat chlamydia, just not the same ones as we listed. Typically, doctors will prescribe a course of amoxicillin. In addition, pregnant women need to take a retest three weeks after completing their initial treatment to ensure that the infection is gone.

Visit a Rapid STD Testing Center Today

What's the key takeaway here? Home remedies for chlamydia can help relieve symptoms, but they're no substitute for antibiotics and cannot cure an active infection. To cure chlamydia, you need to complete an oral antibiotic regimen.

If you suspect you may have chlamydia, it's so easy to get tested and treated. Call Rapid STD Testing today at (866) 872-1888, or order a testing panel from our website and stay in control of your sexual health.