How To Prevent Urinary Tract Infections In Females

Increase Vitamin C Intake

Some evidence shows that increasing your intake of vitamin C could protect against urinary tract infections.

Vitamin C is thought to work by increasing the acidity of the urine, thereby killing off the bacteria that cause infection .

An older 2007 study of UTIs in pregnant women looked at the effects of taking 100 mg of vitamin C every day .

The study found that vitamin C had a protective effect, cutting the risk of UTIs by more than half in those taking vitamin C, compared with the control group .

Fruits and vegetables are especially high in vitamin C and are a good way to increase your intake.

Red peppers, oranges, grapefruit, and kiwifruit all contain the full recommended amount of vitamin C in just one serving .

Despite these studies, there is still more research needed to prove the effectiveness of vitamin C for reducing UTIs. .

SUMMARY

Increasing vitamin C intake may decrease the risk of UTIs by making the urine more acidic, thus killing off infection-causing bacteria.

Drinking unsweetened cranberry juice is one of the most well-known natural remedies for urinary tract infections.

Cranberries work by preventing bacteria from adhering to the urinary tract, thus preventing infection .

In a 2016 study, women with recent histories of UTIs drank an 8-ounce serving of cranberry juice every day for 24 weeks. Those who drank cranberry juice had fewer UTI episodes than the control group .

Home Remedies For Utis

Along with antibiotic use, some individuals have found relief with:

Vitamin C.Studies suggest Vitamin C increases the acidity of the urine to kill off bacteria. Vitamin C can be found in fruits and vegetables like red peppers, oranges, and kiwis.

Probiotics. Probiotics can promote a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut with beneficial microorganisms. Lactobacillus is a common probiotic strain that has been linked to preventing UTIs. Probiotics are found in supplements, yogurt, kefir, and some cheeses.

Cranberry. Cranberry has also been shown to prevent urinary tract infections. Research shows that cranberry aids in preventing bacterial binding to host cell surface membranes in the urinary tract, limiting the ability for the bacteria to stick to the walls of the bladder, which causes infection. Concentrated cranberry capsules, as opposed to cranberry juice, are recommended. 300mg-400mg twice daily is the recommended dose.

Ways To Prevent A Uti

Antibiotics and natural medicines are available to help clear up UTIs, but there are preventative measures you can take to help ensure your body is able to stave off infections that tend to occur through the normal course of life. Read on to see three ways weve discovered through careful research to help prevent urinary tract infections in older women.

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Take A Cranberry Supplement

A mistake many women make is beginning a cranberry supplement, or drinking cranberry juice, after theyve developed symptoms of a UTI. Cranberry products have no confirmed effect on treating UTIs once they develop, but there is some evidence that they can help prevent UTIs if theyre taken on a regular basis because cranberries contain proanthocyanidins , which prevent bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall.

Note: Its important to take a cranberry supplement rather than drinking cranberry juice, because cranberry juice doesnt contain a high enough concentration of PACs to be beneficial.

At GoHealth Urgent Care, we offer an on-site urinalysis test, which can give you results in less than five minutes! If you have symptoms of a UTI, or if theres anything else we can do to help you feel better today, click here to save your spot:

How To Prevent Utis When Youre Sexually Active

You don’t have to stop having sex to prevent UTIs. Here are some steps you can take to minimize bacteria buildup and reduce your risk of getting UTIs from sex.

• Urinate before sex and promptly after. This will flush your system and keep bacteria that has entered your urinary tract from gaining a foothold.
• Clean your genital and anal areas before and after sex.
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, then have an extra glass after intercourse. This will help rid your urinary tract of unwanted bacteria.
• Use a vaginal lubricant. Friction during sex can irritate the urethra.
• Consider a new form of birth control. If youre prone to UTIs, you may want to avoid using a diaphragm or spermicide as your form of pregnancy prevention. These can introduce bacteria into the area and can kill off healthy bacteria that keep the problem germs in check.

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Can You Have Sex If You Have A Uti

In general, it is recommended that you avoid having intercourse when you have an active urinary tract infection. When you get an antibiotic prescription, ask your doctor when the right time to resume sexual activity would be. Of course, you can still kiss and have other intimate and emotional connections.

Once you have completed a course of antibiotics and the UTI has cleared away, you should be able to resume sexual activity. But be sure to take the careful steps necessary to prevent the sex from putting you on the road to yet another one.

Can Urinary Tract Infections Be Prevented Or Avoided

There are many lifestyle choices that can help you prevent UTIs. These are some of the things you can do to protect yourself from them:

• Drink plenty of water to flush out bacteria. For some people, drinking cranberry juice may also help prevent urinary tract infections. However, if youre taking warfarin, check with your doctor before using cranberry juice to prevent urinary tract infections. Your doctor may need to adjust your warfarin dose or you may need to have more frequent blood tests.
• Dont hold your urine. Urinate when you feel like you need to. Some children dont go to the bathroom often enough. If your child does this, teach him or her to go to the bathroom several times each day.
• Wipe from front to back after bowel movements. Teach your child to wipe correctly.
• Urinate after having sex to help wash away bacteria.
• Use enough lubrication during sex. Try using a small amount of lubricant before sex if youre a little dry.
• If you get urinary tract infections often, you may want to avoid using a diaphragm as a birth control method. Ask your doctor about other birth control choices.
• Avoid taking or giving your child bubble baths.
• Wear loose-fitting clothing , and dress your child in loose-fitting clothing.
• If you are uncircumcised, wash the foreskin regularly. If you have an uncircumcised boy, teach him how to wash his foreskin.

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What Causes Urinary Tract Infections

Normal urine is sterile and contains fluids, salts, and waste products. It does not contain bacteria, viruses, or fungi. A UTI occurs when germs, most often bacteria from the digestive tract, get into the opening of the urethra and start to multiply.

Most UTIs are caused by E. coli bacteria, which normally live in the colon.

How Are Urinary Tract Infections Diagnosed

Your doctor will use the following tests to diagnose a urinary tract infection:

• Urinalysis: This test will examine the urine for red blood cells, white blood cells and bacteria. The number of white and red blood cells found in your urine can actually indicate an infection.
• Urine culture: A urine culture is used to determine the type of bacteria in your urine. This is an important test because it helps determine the appropriate treatment.

If your infection does not respond to treatment or if you keep getting infections over and over again, your doctor may use the following tests to examine your urinary tract for disease or injury:

• Ultrasound: In this test, sound waves create an image of the internal organs. This test is done on top of your skin, is painless and doesnt typically need any preparation.
• Cystoscopy: This test uses a special instrument fitted with a lens and a light source to see inside the bladder from the urethra.
• CT scan: Another imaging test, a CT scan is a type of X-ray that takes cross sections of the body . This test is much more precise than typical X-rays.

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Consuming Probiotic Foods And Drinks

Probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacillus, apart from being good for gut health, are also known to reduce the risk of urinary tract infections in women. To get the benefits of probiotics, you can consume several types of foods and drinks that are rich in probiotic bacteria, such as tempeh, kimchi, and yogurt.

In addition to applying some of the methods above, prevention of urinary tract infections in women can also be done by meeting the needs of drinking water every day. By drinking enough water, urine production will increase, so that many bacteria in the urinary tract are expelled outside the body.

That’s how to prevent urinary tract infections in females that you can do. However, if you feel symptoms of a urinary tract infection such as fever, pain when urinating and cloudy or dark urine, you should consult a doctor for proper treatment.

Natural Ways To Combat Utis

1. Cranberry juice

It isnt the acidity in cranberries that makes them so effective in treating UTIs, its the antioxidant compound called epicatechin that works directly on bacteria in your urinary tract.

The next time you have a urinary tract infection, drink three 250mL glasses of pure unsweetened cranberry juice.

2. Water

It sounds obvious but you really need to keep your fluid levels up if you want to get rid and stay rid of UTIs forever. The more water you drink, the less likely it is that bacteria will live in your bladder or urinary tract and cause more problems. Around 5-8 glasses of water per day is optimal, with more in hotter climates.

3. Plain yoghurt

Most people know that yoghurt has live cultures that are great for our health, but did you know plain yoghurt is fantastic for beating a UTI? Studies have found it may help you avoid a yeast infection, which antibiotics sometimes trigger. A cup of yoghurt a day is satisfactory.

4. Blueberries

Weve talked about cranberries, but blueberries also aid in preventing recurring UTIs. They also have the added bonus of providing an overall health boost. A handful every couple of days can give you a boost and banish those painful UTI symptoms.

5. Sweet potatoes

6. Carrots

Speaking of bright veges, carrots are a literal goldmine of nutrients and along with giving you a health boost, the beta-carotene can help to get rid of UTIs, for good. Try cutting them into slices and dipping in hummus or grate it and add to sauces.

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Preventing Urinary Tract Infections In Adults

A urinary tract infection, or UTI, is an infection in the part of the body that produces and eliminates urine. The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, bladder, ureters, which are tubes that carry urine to the bladder, and the urethra, which carries urine out of the body. An infection can occur at any point along this tract.

Your NYU Langone doctor may recommend making lifestyle changes to help prevent UTIs, particularly if you get them often.

What Causes A Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary tract infections are caused by microorganisms usually bacteria that enter the urethra and bladder, causing inflammation and infection. Though a UTI most commonly happens in the urethra and bladder, bacteria can also travel up the ureters and infect your kidneys.

More than 90% of bladder infection cases are caused by E. coli, a bacterium normally found in the intestines.

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General Guidelines And Suggestions

There are a number of general guidelines and suggestions that will help women avoid urinary tract infections in most instances. These may be conveniently divided into the categories of hygiene, clothing, diet, activities, and medications. Most UTIs are ascending infections of bacteria that colonize the vaginal wall and eventually the urethra. From the urethra, the bacteria can travel upwards and infect the bladder or continue from the bladder up the ureters and infect the kidneys themselves . The effective preventive measures are able to block this bacterial migration.

Go to Urinary Tract Infection in Females for complete information on this topic.

Are Some People At A Higher Risk Of Getting A Uti

Women get more UTIs than men. This is because women have a shorter urethra the tube that brings urine out of the bladder. This allows bacteria to enter the urethra and bladder more easily.

Also, a womans urethral opening is closer to the anus, where most UTI-causing E.coli bacteria are found.

Other factors that can further increase the risk of UTI include:

• frequent sexual activity

UTIs cant always be avoided, but its possible to reduce your risk of getting one. Here are nine prevention methods that may help you sidestep a UTI.

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Risk Factors For Developing Utis

Some people are at greater risk than others of developing UTIs. These include:

• women sexually active women are vulnerable, in part because the urethra is only four centimetres long and bacteria have only this short distance to travel from the outside to the inside of the bladder
• people with urinary catheters such as people who are critically ill, who cant empty their own bladder
• people with diabetes changes to the immune system make a person with diabetes more vulnerable to infection
• men with prostate problems such as an enlarged prostate gland that can cause the bladder to only partially empty
• babies especially those born with physical problems of the urinary system.

Natural Urinary Tract Infection Treatment & Health Defense

This product could and has improved many peoples quality of life. Whether you experience chronic urinary tract infections, kidney infections, or bladder infections. Urinary Tract Complete will help you from purchasing another set of antibiotics. Taking this as a preventative supplement, most people do not experience one infection. D-Mannose is a key ingredient for effectively flushing bacteria out the bladder. This UTI Treatment is an affordable and convenient form of not only D-Mannose, but comes complete with other types of preventative ingredients . If you are looking for a preventative method for UTIs or a treatment for Urinary Tract Infections, this is the remedy.

Brigitte J. Verified Buyer Preventative Care At this time, I am taking the Urinary Tract Complete for preventative care. I have had several UTIs over the past 5 months. In the meantime the antibiotics dont work for me anymore, so I am trying to prevent another Urinary Tract Infection by taking the Urinary Tract Complete once a week. So far it seems to work in my favor. The drink has a nice taste, and is easy to swallow.

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Sterilizing Washcloths For Home Use

Sterilizing washcloths for washing and personal hygiene to help prevent recurrent UTIs may be recommended. This extra step is probably unnecessary for most patients with recurrent infections, but for the more resistant or severe cases, it may be very helpful. Home sterilization of washcloths is only one part of an ongoing program to help prevent these infections. Use only those washcloths purchased for this purpose and remember to wipe correctly, front to back.

Tips for UTI prevention may be summarized as follows:

Chief, Division of Infectious Disease, Navy Medical Center, San Diego

Avoid Using Genital Cleaners

Female genital cleaners are often claimed to be able to clean the genitals from bacteria. However, most genital cleansers actually clean all bacteria, including the good bacteria that can protect your genitals.

In addition, several studies have shown that genital cleansing fluids can actually cause irritation and increase the risk of genital infections, including urinary tract infections. Therefore you should avoid using genital cleaners. If possible, avoid using scented pads or tampons as they can cause genital irritation.

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How To Prevent Urinary Infection In Women

– 2 min read

Abstract

Urinary tract infection is a very common problem during the lifetime of women, affecting nearly half of them. It can be recurrent and annoying. It is more common during sexually active period. Try these simple and effective measures to keep the annoying urinary infection at bay!

Urinary tract infection starts as a mild burning sensation during voiding and can lead to more dangerous kidney infection. The scientific basis of UTI is to be understood in order to stop it. Normal urine is sterile, that is it does not contain any bacteria. When some bacteria enter the urinary bladder through natural urinary passage , they are usually washed away. However, if the bacteria are virulent or the natural defenses are weak, then they can multiply and stick to the bladder wall, causing an infection.

I have compiled the various measures which can be easily adopted to prevent UTI:

1) Stay Hydrated:

Avoid dehydration at any cost. The whole urinary system needs to be continuously bathed in water. This means that you need to drink fluids throughout the day. This will keep the kidneys healthy and also wash out any bacteria that enter the bladder.

2) Empty Bladder Frequently:

Regular and frequent emptying of the bladder is important to prevent bacteria from staying for long and multiplying. If you are getting recurrent UTI, empty your bladder more frequently. For example, empty your bladder every three hours.