While UTI's aren't usually all that dangerous if they're cured correctly and swiftly, they are still very irritating and can ruin your day-to-day life. There are some easy actions you can take each day to prevent recurring urinary tract infections from happening to you. Firstly it is crucial that you comprehend the causes behind your infection and the symptoms that come with it. Then we can talk about what you need to do that can help prevent bacteria growth in your urinary tract.
What causes a UTI?
Sometimes you will hear people call a urinary tract infection a bladder infection. The urinary tract is constructed of three main parts, starting at your kidneys, and running to your bladder, and then to your urethra where urine exits your body. With that being the case the terms are often used interchangeably.
Bacteria multiplying inside your urethra are the reason for all UTI's, including bladder infections. The E coli is usually present near your vagina and vulva and then gets pushed into your urethra by wiping from back to front after using the bathroom, friction during intercourse and wearing too tight clothing. Infections of the urethra can also be caused by heavy antibiotics use and a suppressed immune system.
While the resistance of intercourse can cause the E coli to enter your urethra, urinary tract infections are not sexually transmitted diseases, and are not transmitted from one person to another.
Prevention for UTI's
The best way to prevent a UTI is to wipe yourself the proper way after going to the bathroom. Since E coli causes approximately eighty percent of bladder infections, it is important to remember to wipe from front to back every time you go to the bathroom so you prevent the transfer of E coli from your area around your rectum to your vaginal area. It is also important to keep your vaginal area as clean and dry (moisture encourages bacteria growth) as possible.
Drinking the recommended amount of water, six to eight glasses a day, will also provide help in keeping your urination regular so you empty your bladder regularly. This perpetual movement of urine will prevent E coli from having the chance to grow inside your urethra. Cranberries are another treatment for urinary tract infections. The cranberries make your urine very acidic which creates a very unhealthy environment for the multiplying of E coli.
The most beneficial way to consume cranberries is by taking concentrated cranberry pills or by drinking 100% cranberry juice. Avoid the cranberry juice cocktails you can buy since it does not have enough natural cranberry in them to be effective.
It might sound unbelievable, but the underwear you wear may also encourage E coli growth in your vaginal area thus increasing the chance of infections. As well as your underwear, you must also avoid wearing jeans or pants that are too tight to prevent the growth and probable insertion of E coli into your urinary tract.
Bacteria and germs present in the areas of the anus and of the vagina can enter the urethra and infect the normally clear urine. There are times, in which the bladder fights bacterial invasion by its own means, but this doesn't always happen and so infection appears.
Escherichia coli produces 90% of the urinary tract infections that may include Urethritis or cystitis. The symptoms of these infections may be taken for those of vaginitis and irritable bladder.
The most frequent symptoms are:
* - Burning sensation when urinating * - Pain in the abdominal area and in the back * - Traces of blood inside the urine * - Unusual color of the urine * - Urgency to urinate
More than one day of these symptoms requires medical advice, to prevent the infection to touch the kidneys. In case it already did, fever, vomiting, nausea, chills and back-pain appear and treatment is absolutely necessary.
About 7 million cases of UTI appear every year. More than 80% of the patients are women because it is easier for batteries to enter their urethra, due to its dimensions and location.
Although children may experience UTI, too, the most at risk are women, which have at least one urinary tract infection during their lifetime, most of the time generated by and related to sexual intercourse. Pregnancy and post-menopause are also risk factors.
The most frequent factors are:
* - Sexual intercourse, which allows the bacteria to achieve the bladder * - Diaphragm and condoms * - Dehydration * - Abnormalities of the urinary tract
By following the tips below, yon can prevent UTI:
* - A good hydration sends away bacteria from your urinary tract * - Wipe your front to the back to avoid the entrance of bacteria from the anus area into the vagina * - Hydration before and after sex will increase the amount of urine, which doesn't allow the bacteria to remain in the urinary tract * - Schedule frequent bathroom breaks * - Use other methods of contraception, instead of the diaphragm * - Avoid clothes that can irritate your tissues or trap heat * - Cotton underwear should be preferred to nylon
There are several steps in the treatment of UTI. The first one consists in the diagnosis's confirmation, by urine culture and urinalysis and is followed by antibiotic treatment.
Urinary tract infections may have common symptoms to these of vaginal infection, gonorrhea, irritable bladder, chlamydia and bladder cancer. In case pain is stronger than the other symptoms, the doctor most probably faces a case of interstitial cystitis.
Besides antibiotics, the treatment may also require a urinary analgesic, such as phenazophyridine. The antibiotics are prescribed in most of the cases for a week to ten days in recurrent infection, and for about 3 days in other situations.
You can be more comfortable by following these indications:
* - Hydrate yourself properly to eliminate the bacteria * - Drink a glass of water that contains a tea spoon of baking soda * - Limit the use of coffee, spices, citrus fruits, alcohol, tomatoes and chocolate * - Cranberry juice can help you eliminate bacteria more easily * - Ease your pain by using hot water filled recipients
Both Jennifer King & Rodney Kadel are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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