Urinary tract infections are no fun, but there are ways to prevent them from happening so click here to read more
- UTIs are caused when bacteria enters the urinary tract through the urethra, traveling upwards eventually causing an infection in the bladder so be sure to practice good personal hygiene
- Always wipe from front to back to avoid passing bacteria from your rectum to your vagina
- Stay hydrated. Flushing all the bad toxins will help keep your urinary system bacteria free
- Add a Vitamin C supplement to your diet as it will make your urine acidic and can help reduce the number of potentially harmful bacteria in the urinary tract
- Drinking cranberry juice is also a good natural preventative method to lower your chances of getting a UTI. If you're not a fan of sipping the cran, buy an over the counter supplement that will do the same thing
- Don't hold your pee. If you've gotta go, go. The longer you hold it, the more time the bacteria will have to grow
- Always pee before and after having sex to flush out any bacteria in your urethra
- When you go to the bathroom in a public restroom, don't hover or squat. When you squat, your pelvic muscles are not completely relaxed which in turn isn't allowing your bladder to fully empty
- When you have your period, change your tampon regularly. When they are left in too long (I would say no more than 4 hours), they become a breeding ground for bad bacteria
- Listen to your body. While UTIs are common, if they go too long untreated they can grow into a full fledged kidney infection, which can be incredibly dangerous
- Some women are prone to UTIs after using condoms with spermicide so either use condoms without spermicide or look into using another form of birth control
I hope these tips are helpful. Stay healthy out there ladies!
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Angie Gooderham
Ralph Lauren
Make sure the cranberry juice is pure juice. Cranberry juice COCKTAIL will increase your chances of UTIs because of the sugar in it.
Eating raw garlic (mince it and swallow as a whole spoonful to avoid gnawing on a huge chunk of garlic) works wonders as a treatment as well. As soon as you feel symptoms, hit the garlic. You can generally avoid prescriptions that mess with secretions if you catch it in time.
1uhm....what does "squat" mean when using a public restroom? i mean, i sit on the bowl...isn't that what everyone else does?
2some people hover over the toilet seat, lalalaurie; to avoid having to sit on the actual seat if it's a particularily gross bathroom.
3Which often ends up leaving it a gross bathroom because squatters have a habit of spraying all over the seat and not cleaning up.
Just use the stinkin' covers, man.
4LOL Greggie, so true!
5If you think you might have a UTI GO TO THE DOCTOR!!! I had a friend who had one and chose to self medicate...not good. She ended up with a kidney infection. Cost her a heck of a lot more than if she had just gone to the doctor sooner.
6I don't necessarily agree with going straight to the doctor. There are home remedies and if you're familiar with the symptoms, they're FAR easier on the body than prescriptions medications are. Many antibiotics to treat UTIs cause terrible yeast infections.
I think if you've tried the garlic for 24 hours and have no relief, a doctor visit is in order. But I'd no longer immediately go to the doctor.
7Also, I'd add washing to the list.
Washing the actual vagina can cause both yeast infections and UTIs (amongst many other problems). The soap Irish Spring is also notorious for causing UTIs. Washing should be limited to the outer area alone (and even just rinsing that is fine if it's your preference), and for those of us sensitive to soap or prone to UTIs, a hypoallergenic and unscented soap should always be used.
8I've had two UTI's where I had no symptoms and ended up in the hospital and I do all of the above except cranberry juice (blech).
9Great post and comments--good tips. To add to the list, if you are prone to them, try not sit around in a wet bathing suit for too long or for that matter (sorry to be gross...) sweaty underpants--change as soon as you are able to, so as to keep down there "dryish". Sadly, moisture added to warm area yields a breeding ground for bacteria, ugh.
10My gynocologist told me that this is one of the leading caused of UTI's in younger women.
Going pee right after sex is a huge one too! Even if you try and you can't, drink a bunch of water because you need to get the bacteria that was pushed in from repeditive penetration out as soon as possible.
11Not going to the bathroom right after sex is one of the leading causes of UTI's in younger women I mean.
It's been a rough day!
12The dried cranberry pills DearSugar suggested are a GREAT alternative to juice. No taste, no fuss. And it'd take care of the Vit C and cranberry in one shot.
13I agree with Jennifer777- if you have a UTI go to the doctor and receive some medical attention.
Urinary tract infections are nothing to mess around with. They can quickly become bladder infections that can ascend into the kidneys. Cranberry may be effective at preventing utis (there is a compound in cranberry that may make it more difficult for bacteria to attach to the walls of the urinary tract and bladder), but once you've got an infection you should go to the doctor.
14this are awesome tips! UTIs are such s B*itch!
15It isn’t called the “honeymoon disease” for nothing! Let me tell you I had chronic UTIs after I got married, until I learned how to take care of myself better.
16The worst feeling in the world is sitting there peeing, and you feel that “burning” sensation, so you just put it to the back of your head…then you have to pee again and more burning this time, plus that pressure at the end, like you HAVE to keep going. Then you know! I immediately head to the doctor, and if I can’t get in I immediately go to the drug store and grab some over the counter relief for the burning. There is a MIRACLE drug called Phenazopyridine which has an analgesic effect, specifically for the burning caused by UTI, it is not an antibiotic. It makes your pee ORANGE !! so don’t wear any underwear you don’t mind staining. Over the counter its called URISTAT, if your doctor prescribes it its usually called Pyridium. UTIs are nothing to mess with, and they don’t just go away, and it’s the worst pain you will ever feel if you don’t get help for it. Believe me.
Always remember, if you think you have one and are going to the doctors, to drink a lot because nothing is worse than the nurse asking you to pee in a cup, and you have nothing!
I recently had a UTI..and didnt even know it, until one night i was shaking with a fever and puking with a pain in my side, i went to the hospital, and was admitted immediately. not only did i have a UTI, it had infected my bladder, then my kidney, and i had an infection in my blood , sometimes we dont even know we have an UTI, and it turns into something deathly. Even with cautious care of always peeing after sex, we can still end up with these painful and annoying UTI's.
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