Friday, March 22, 2024

Can You Swim With A Urinary Tract Infection

Must read

The Story Behind Utis

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Signs & Symptoms (& Why They Occur)

You dont feel much like youre caught up in a sultry summer love story when you find yourself with uncomfortable sometimes even painful urinary tract infection. Your Pittston urologist will tell you that a UTI is an infection that occurs anywhere in your urinary system including:

Kidneys

Ureters

Bladder

We tend to find that most common UTIs occur in the lower part of the urinary tract, negatively affecting the urethra and bladder at the same time. What happens is bacteria builds up and grows in your urine, causing inflammation, discomfort, and trouble urinating.

The National Institute of Health finds UTIs are more likely to occur in women than men, but any person at any age can get one.

Uncommon Symptoms Of A Urinary Tract Infection You Should Know

About 40% of women develop at least one urinary tract infection in their lifetime. Having one UTI over the span of decades doesnt sound too bad, but not all women are that lucky.

Its estimated that 20-30% of women will have a second UTI within 3-4 months. And for 11% of women, UTIs become an ongoing problem, recurring at least once every year and often more frequently.

UTIs typically cause a specific cluster of symptoms: a strong need to urinate, frequent urination, burning when you urinate, and passing small amounts of urine. Women receive comprehensive care for UTIs at Fred A. Williams, MD, so call the office in Paris, Texas, if you experience any of those symptoms.

Were also available to answer your questions if you develop one or more of these three uncommon symptoms of a UTI.

Other Ways To Prevent Cystitis Coming Back

If you keep getting cystitis, there is some evidence you may find it helpful to take:

  • D-mannose a sugar you can buy as a powder or tablets to take every day
  • cranberry products available as juice, tablets or capsules to take every day

Be aware that D-mannose and cranberry products can contain a lot of sugar. If you’re taking warfarin, you should avoid cranberry products.

Page last reviewed: 11 February 2022 Next review due: 11 February 2025

Recommended Reading: How Urinary Tract Infection Is Transmitted

Check If It’s Cystitis

  • pain, burning or stinging when you pee
  • needing to pee more often and urgently than usual
  • pee that’s dark, cloudy or strong smelling
  • pain low down in your tummy

Symptoms in young children may also include:

  • a high temperature they feel hotter than usual if you touch their neck, back or tummy
  • wetting themselves
  • reduced appetite and being sick
  • weakness and irritability

In older, frail people with cognitive impairment and people with a urinary catheter, symptoms may also include:

  • changes in behaviour, such as acting confused or agitated
  • wetting themselves more than usual
  • shivering or shaking

Causes Of Uti That You May Not Be Aware Of

Swimming with a UTI: When Should You Avoid Swimming
  • Posted On: Jan 15, 2019

Urinary tract infections are the worst. Between the burning, pain, and frequent urge to urinate, the signs and symptoms of UTIs are miserable. Certain factors increase your risk of developing a urinary tract infection, but some of them may surprise you. Here are a few reasons that UTIs can develop and how to prevent them in the first place.

Don’t Miss: Urinary Tract Infection After Period

Should I Take Antibiotics To Prevent Uti

Not usually. Antibiotics are medicines used to kill bacteria that cause infection. When you take an antibiotic to kill bacteria, the bacteria can change or adapt in a way that it becomes resistant to the antibiotic being used. This means that the antibiotic can no longer kill the bacteria. It takes a stronger antibiotic to then kill the bacteria in the future. There are a limited number of antibiotics that can kill bacteria, so its best to use antibiotics only when needed to avoid reaching the point when the bacteria are resistant to all antibiotics.

Here are a few recommendations for using antibiotics and better avoiding antibiotic resistance.

  • Do not take antibiotics that are not prescribed to you.
  • Do not take antibiotics for conditions that do not require them. For example, dont take antibiotics to treat viruses like the cold or flu.
  • Do not take antibiotics simply because your urine has bacteria. It is very common for people with SCI to have bacteria in their urine, so you usually only need to take an antibiotic to treat a UTI when you begin to you have signs and symptoms.
  • Antibiotics may be used to prevent infection in some situations. For example, women with SCI are often prescribed antibiotics to prevent UTI during pregnancy.

Read Also: Treat Urinary Tract Infection Over The Counter

Does A Hot Tub Help A Uti

It might not sound like what you expected but the truth is hot tubs never help a UTI. Rather it would cause you more problems than ever. If a woman who already has UTI sits in a hot tub for too long, burnish sensation can increase to the highest.

In short, a hot tub is a breeding ground for burning sensation, irritation, and discomfort in your urinary system. Even swimming pools dont cause such issues for women. So in order to decrease the risk of increased UTI, you must avoid hot tubs.

Don’t Miss: Does A Urinary Tract Infection Smell

What Causes A Uti

UTIs are caused by germs getting into the bladder or the kidneys. The following things can sometimes cause germs to get into the bladder or kidney:

Having bubble baths

  • Holding urine for a long time

  • Girls wiping from back to front instead of front to back after a bowel movement

  • Some children have a condition that keeps their bladder from emptying all the way. These children may have UTIs often.

    You May Like: Clearing Urinary Tract Infection Naturally

    Health Matter: Public Pools Don’t Cause Utis

    Urinary Tract Infection – Overview (signs and symptoms, pathophysiology, causes and treatment)

    Q: I am a healthy 55-year-old woman, and for the second time in two years I have a kidney infection. Is the fact that I swim at the local gym regularly causing the infection?

    A: You may have seen my column earlier this year on the difference between a kidney infection and a bladder infection. If your doctor has diagnosed you with a kidney infection, it means that bacteria have traveled from the bladder up the ureter into the kidney. As opposed to a bladder infection, in which bacteria may be found in the bladder and urine and may have entered the body through the urethra. You can even have an infection of the urethra.

    Your question is about swimming and its relationship to urinary tract infections. Pool water can be contaminated by others who use the pool. However, if the pool is well-maintained and the disinfectant levels of chlorine are maintained at appropriate level, then the germs in the water should be killed. Most pool managers urge people to shower off before swimming and to ensure that children do not swim in dirty diapers. Even so, it is unlikely that swimming is the only possible reason that a woman would develop a urinary tract infection. A study several years ago by Wake Forest University found no basis for eliminating swimming to prevent urinary infections.

    Send your health questions to Debbie Jackson, Ph.D., MN, Clemson University, 302 Sikes Hall, Clemson, SC 29634-5155 or email dbj@clemson.edu.

    Read Also: Apple Cider Vinegar And Urinary Tract Infection

    Respiratory Trouble Might Be An Infection

    Legionnaires disease is a type of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which can be inhaled in the mist from pools or steam from hot tubs. It can develop two days to two weeks after exposure to the bacteria, which thrives in warm water.

    You can be unaware that youre breathing in the droplets from the air around a contaminated swimming pool or hot tub.

    Typically, contamination is more common at indoor pools, but the bacteria can live outside in a warm, humid environment. Its more common in people over the age of 50, smokers, and those with weaker immune systems.

    Prevention: Use portable test strips to test pools before going in. Smokers have an increased risk of developing it.

    Symptoms: chest pain, shortness of breath, fever, chills, coughing up blood

    What to do:If you or your child develop respiratory issues after being in a pool, see your doctor right away.

    Respiratory problems after swimming may also be a sign of asthma or dry drowning, which is more common in children. If you or someone else is having trouble breathing, call 911.

    Understanding Urinary Tract Infections

    Women can get different kinds of UTIs. UTIs usually affect the urinary bladder, but they can also involve the urethra or kidneys. Symptoms of a UTI include urgency, frequent urination, burning with urination, fever, or blood in the urine. A diagnosis of a UTI is confirmed with a test called a urine culture.

    It is not possible to prevent every UTI. However, some recommendations that may reduce your risk are:

    • Wipe from front to back.
    • Wear cotton underwear during the day and, if possible, no underwear at night.
    • Only use water to cleanse the vaginal area. Use hypo-allergenic soaps and detergents.
    • Urinate before and after having intercourse.
    • Make sure you are well hydrated. 6-8 glasses of liquids a day is good.
    • There is some evidence that Cranberry extract reduces the risk of UTIs. Take in pill form as directed on the bottle or drink one glass of Cranberry juice a day.
    • Avoid douching or use of spermicides
    • If you have gone through menopause ask your doctor about vaginal estrogen use. Vaginal estrogen has been shown to reduce the risk of UTIs.
    • Some women seem to have more trouble with UTIs after taking a bath, using a hot tub, or swimming. If this is the case for you, you may want to avoid these activities.
    • D-mannose taken daily may reduce UTI risk.
    • Methenamine tablets taken twice daily also help reduce infections.

    You May Like: How Can A Guy Get A Urinary Tract Infection

    Skip The Dip Swimming In The Sea Increases Risk Of Illness Analysis Suggests

    Pollution of coastal waters by sources including sewage and farm run-off may be the cause, experts suggest

    People who swim in the sea are at significantly higher risk of stomach bugs, ear problems and other illnesses than those who stick to the sand, research suggests.

    The team behind the findings suggest the increased chances of becoming unwell may be down to pollution of coastal waters by sources such as farm run-off and sewage.

    I think there is a perception in high income countries like the UK that the risk of experiencing illness following bathing in the sea is negligible, but what we found is that there is a significant increase in the chances of getting sick, said Dr Anne Leonard, co-author of the research from the University of Exeter Medical School.

    Writing in the International Journal of Epidemiology, Leonard and colleagues describe how they scrutinised data from 19 studies focusing on waters of countries including the US, UK, Spain and Norway.

    While the team were not able to estimate the exact chance of falling sick, analysis of data from six studies revealed that sea bathers had 86% greater odds of having any illness than those who did not spend time in the sea. Furthermore, analysis of data from six studies revealed that bathers had more than twice the odds of experiencing at least one symptom of an ear ailment.

    While the studies covered a number of different countries, there appeared to be little difference in increased risks based on location.

    Shower For At Least 60 Seconds Before Getting In The Pool And Scrub Up After

    Swimming &  Yeast Infections

    Just one swimmer can introduce billions of microbes , including fecal particles, into the water. The good news is that a one-minute rinse is all it takes to remove many of the germs and gunk we want to avoid carrying into the pool. And soaping up after a swim can help remove any icky stuff left on the skin from a dirty pool.

    Don’t Miss: Antibiotics For Canine Urinary Tract Infection

    A Pharmacist Can Help With Cystitis

    You can ask a pharmacist about treatments for cystitis. A pharmacist can:

    • offer advice on things that can help you get better
    • suggest the best painkiller to take
    • tell you if you need to see a GP about your symptoms

    Some pharmacies offer a cystitis management service. They may be able to give antibiotics if they’re needed.

    Causes Of Kidney Infection

    A kidney infection usually happens when bacteria, often a type called E. coli, get into the tube that carries urine out of your body .

    The bacteria travel up to your bladder, causing cystitis, and then up into your kidneys.

    E. coli bacteria normally live in your bowel, where they cause no harm.

    They can be transferred from your bottom to your genitals during sex or if youre not careful when wiping your bottom after going to the loo.

    A kidney infection can sometimes develop without a bladder infection. For example, if you have a problem with your kidney, such as kidney stones, or if you have diabetes or a weakened immune system.

    Also Check: Holding Pee Urinary Tract Infection

    Read Also: Urinary Tract Infection Pills Over The Counter

    Is It Okay To Swim With Lice

    Although contagious, the chances of lice attaching to a new host in water are rather low. Studies have shown that lice transmission is unlikely to occur in swimming pools.

    Sharing towels with someone has a higher risk of transferring lice. As a precaution, its recommended that you wear a swim cap to avoid transferring lice or becoming a new host for lice.

    Is It Okay To Go Swimming With A Uti

    How to CURE urinary tract infection? (UTI) – Doctor explains

    Hello Anonymous,

    Welcome to EmpowHER and thank you for reaching out to us for advice regarding going swimming when you have a urinary tract infection.

    If you have started antibiotic therapy to treat the infection, you should be okay. Always check with your physician.

    Where you swim matters. The chlorine and chemicals used to treat a pool might cause irriation and make urination more painful. Any swimming water that you encounter, in a pool, at a beach or lake, does not enter your urinary tract.

    A urinary tract infection is an infection in any part of your urinary system your kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Most infections involve the lower urinary tract the bladder and the urethra. Urinary tract infections typically occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract through the urethra and begin to multiply in the bladder.

    Regards,

    Read Also: How Dangerous Is A Urinary Tract Infection

    What Is A Urinary Tract Infection

    A urinary tract infection, or UTI, is an infection that occurs in the urinary system, which includes the bladder, kidneys, urethra, and ureter. A UTI can be bacterial or viral and may occur in any of these areas of the urinary system.

    Most urinary tract infections are bacterial and occur in the bladder after bacteria has entered the urinary tract and traveled up to the bladder. Such infections in the bladder are known in medical terms as cystitis. Urinary tract infections involving the kidney are more common in older adults and more serious and can result in sepsis or death if left untreated.

    Treating Urinary Tract Infections

    Your recommended treatment plan by your GP will depend on whether your infection is in the upper or lower urinary tract.

    Both types of urinary tract infection can usually be treated at home using a course of antibiotics.

    If an upper UTI is more serious or there is increased risk of complications, you may need hospital treatment.

    Also Check: Does Azo Get Rid Of Urinary Tract Infection

    Recommended Reading: How Does Bacteria Get Into The Urinary Tract

    Is It Okay To Swim With Contacts

    Swimming with contacts should be avoided to prevent bacterial contamination in your eye. Not only are you exposing yourself to eye infections, but serious sight threatening conditions such as corneal ulcers. The FDA advises that contact lenses should not be exposed to any type of water, and they should be taken out before swimming.

    Swimming With An Indwelling Catheter

    Swimming Pool Yeast Infection

    An indwelling catheter is inserted through the urethra, with an inflatable balloon at the bladder end to keep the catheter in place. This type of catheter is perfectly adaptable to exercise including swimming. Your medical provider is likely to discuss a few things with you which we would like to highlight here so you can be prepared.

    • Consider a catheter valve

    A discreet alternative to a drainage bag, a catheter valve is a tap-like device which can be fitted to your catheter. It temporarily seals off the catheter and allows your bladder to store the urine until after your exercise. The valve is small, about 6 to 8 inches in length, meaning you can easily tuck it inside your swimwear.

    Before you disconnect the drainage bag, make sure that the balloon is inflated properly.

    • Consider a smaller bag

    If you prefer to keep the drainage bag, there are smaller urine bags available that are useful for swimming. These smaller bags can be easily concealed within swimwear and should allow for freedom of movement. The only word of caution is you should empty the drainage bag before entering a pool.

    With millions of people worldwide using catheters, swimwear manufacturers are producing fashionable items that are designed to conceal your drainage bags. For example, there are high-waisted bikinis and one-piece swimsuits for women, whereas men may choose looser fitting board shorts.

    • Keep it dry and clean

    After each swim, make sure your catheter is clean and dried thoroughly.

    Also Check: Pomegranate Juice For Urinary Tract Infection

    Shower Before And After Getting In The Pool

    Research shows that one swimmer can shed billions of microbes in the water, including fecal particles, so always shower for at least 60 seconds before getting into the pool and have a good scrub afterward. A short minute-long rinse is enough to remove any bacteria on your own body before getting in, and a good scrub with soap after your swim will remove any bacteria picked up during the swim.

    More articles

    Popular Articles