Ever wondered why does it irritate and pain to pass urine? Why does it cause discomfort down there? Well, if you notice cloudy urine, constant need to pee and it pains and bothers to pass urine you might be suffering from UTI.
What is UTI?
Urinary Tract infection is an infection developed in the urinary tract. Most commonly it affects the lower urinary tract which includes the bladder, kidneys, and urethra. UTI can have adverse effects in your life. It can leave you feeling miserable and can cause serious health problems if left untreated. Study shows as many as 60% of the women population can get a UTI at some point and about 15% of the men of the overall population faceUTI.
Women more because they have shorter urethra.
To say goodbye to those frequent urine and burning sensations, the principal aim is to avoid getting any bacteria in the urinary tract; which can either be caused due to sexual activity or bathroom habits.
General Tips
- Drink lots of liquids– Stay hydrated which will cause you to pee more and eventually flush out the bacteria out of the Urinary tract. Do not hold your urine which will make your bladder full and result in multiplying of bacteria.
- Wipe Front to Back– Rectum is the main source of E.coli bacteria, hence in case of passing bowels or urinating its best to wipe your genitals from front to back so that the bacteria doesn’t get passed to the vagina and the urethra.
- Clean up your genitals before and after sex- Always use soap and water before sex and urinate after which will in flushing out bacteria from the tract. Avoid using any harsh cleansers which may originate inflammation of the urethra.
- Regularly wash rectum area-Bacteria tend to develop in residual fecal matter, regular cleaning of the area may diminish the chances of bacteria germination. Altogether, this reduces the chances of bacteria moving to the urethra.
- Re-evaluate your birth control- Birth control methods like diaphragm, spermicide lubricated condom or spermicide can tend to get you a UTI as these procedureshelp in bacterial growth. Switching to water-based lubricant might ease out this situation. Also try and switch to another birth control options.
- Taking Probiotics- Probiotic foods containing lactobacillusstrain like yogurt help in maintaining a healthy digestive environment which promotes good bacteria, this could help you to protect from UTI.
Doctor Suggestions
To the women who get a lot of UTIs, doctors advise to wear cotton underwear, avoid wearing tight clothes that can trap bacteria near urethra and take showers instead of baths. These are simple steps however they have not been proven scientifically.
In more severe cases-
- A prescribed course of antibiotics for 6 or more months as suggested by your doctor.
- A single dose of antibiotics after having sex.
- A self-testto be done at home if you observe UTI symptoms.
In some cases, cranberry juices are also suggested to avoid UTIs, again it doesn’t have any scientific back up. However,liquids itself are great in diluting and flushing the bacteria out of the body.