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How to Prevent and Treat Urinary Tract
Infections
Date: 26- May- 2011
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It’s only 10 a.m., yet you
can’t seem to stop
rushing to the ladies’
room. You’ve got all the
symptoms of a urinary
tract infection (UTI), but
how did you get it?
Here’s what you need to
know about some of the
surprising ways to
prevent and treat
urinary tract infections.
Read on for answers to
your 10 most burning
UTI questions…
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“Untreated UTIs lead to kidney infection, which can lead to
kidney damage and sepsis, a life-threatening blood infection,”
says Lissa Rankin, an ob-gyn and author of the book What’s
Up Down There: Questions You’d Only Ask Your
Gynecologist if She Was Your Best Friend (St. Martin’s
Griffin).
UTI’s are common, partly because of the area’s anatomy –
all those openings close together – and the migration of
traveling bacteria. They can result from frequent sexual
activity. But did you know that diabetes, kidney stones and
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Read on for 10 UTI questions answered.
1. How do symptoms of urinary tract infection develop?
Here are the basics: Urine produced by your kidneys travels
down two tubes called ureters and is stored in your bladder.
When your bladder is full, urine flows out of your body
through your urethra, located in front of the opening to your
vagina.
Usually urine is sterile, so infections don’t develop in the
urinary tract. But if you wipe from back to front after a bowel
movement, bacteria can move from your anal area to the
urethra, where infection can start and travel to the bladder,
up the ureters to the kidneys.
“UTIs, also known as cystitis or bladder infections, can
involve any part of the urinary system, including the urethra,
bladder, ureters and kidneys,” says Lauren Feder, M.D., a
primary care physician in Los Angeles who specializes in
women’s health.
2. What are the symptoms of urinary tract infections?
Although not everyone with a UTI develops symptoms, most
do. They include:
* Lower abdominal pain
* A frequent urge to pee (even when your bladder is nearly
empty)
* Pain, itching and burning in the bladder and urethra,
especially when urinating
* Urine that is cloudy, milky or pink (because it’s tinged with
blood)
* Urine that has strong or foul smell
“Fevers don’t usually accompany a bladder infection unless
it’s severe, and at that point it probably involves the kidneys,”
Feder says.
If the infection reaches the kidneys, symptoms may also
include pain in the back or side below the ribs, nausea and
vomiting. Kidney infections are serious and may require
hospitalization and IV antibiotic treatment.
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If they’re not treated promptly, permanent kidney damage
may occur and the infection may spread throughout the
body.
3. Who gets UTIs?
UTIs can develop in females and males, but women and girls
are much more likely to get them.
That’s because “their urethra is shorter and closer to the
anus, making it more prone to contamination,” Feder says.
Pregnant women with UTIs should watch out because the
infection is more likely to travel to the kidneys and cause
serious problems, such as preterm birth or high blood
pressure. If you’re pregnant and suspect a UTI, call your obgyn immediately.
4. Can having sex cause UTIs?
Having sex isn’t one of the causes of UTI, but it does
increase your risk of getting one.
Here’s why: When there’s lots of action in the vaginal area,
there’s a higher likelihood that anal bacteria (yours or your
partner’s) will be introduced into your urethra.
Several simple steps can lower your chances of getting a
UTI during sex:
Bathe with your partner: “Showering with your partner before
intercourse decreases germs on both of you,” says Robert E.
Berry Jr., M.D., director of the division of ambulatory care at
Women and Infants’ Hospital in Providence, R.I.
Pee after sex: Urine can help wash away germs.
Juice up: Drink cranberry juice daily or around the times of
increased sexual activity to help prevent UTI, advises Berry.
“Cranberry compounds prevent bacteria from attaching to the
bladder wall,” says Amy B. Howell, Ph.D., associate research
scientist at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Studies have found that an 8- to 10-ounce glass of cranberry
juice cocktail (27% cranberry juice) daily has been effective
at reducing recurrent UTI in women by up to 50%.
“The juice can be sweetened with either sugar or sucralose
[Splenda] – both are effective,” Howell says. “I recommend
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5/27/11 8:34 PM
the light cocktail because it only has 10 grams of carbs. If
you’re diabetic, overweight or trying to limit carbs, this is a
good option.”
If you’d rather drink 100% cranberry juice, which is bitter and
acidic, make it more palatable by diluting it with other juices
or water.
Beware of supermarket advertising on cranberry juice
products, because it can be misleading. Check the
ingredients label for the percentage of cranberry juice.
“Even when a juice says it’s 100% juice, it may not be all
cranberry,” Howell says. It may contain mostly apple, pear or
white grape juices with just a splash of cranberry for taste
and color.
“Just remember that cranberry is useful in helping prevent
UTI – not in treating it – and should be taken daily, if
possible,” Howell says. “If you have an active infection, seek
medical treatment and get on antibiotics.”
5. Do multiple sex partners increase the odds of UTIs?
No. “The development of UTIs is more related to how much
sex you have rather than who you have it with,” Rankin says.
Even then, sex is just one way that bacteria spread to the
urinary tract, Rankin adds. Women who abstain from sex,
and even children and babies, can still get UTIs.
Symptoms of urinary tract infection in children are similar to
those in adults, but a child may also have wetting problems,
a fever, poor appetite, a general “ill” feeling or no symptoms
at all. A pediatrician will test for it by taking a urine sample to
be cultured in a lab.
6. Are some people more likely to get UTIs?
Yes, risk is believed to be increased by:
* Urinary-tract abnormalities that disrupt the flow of urine,
such as a kidney stone
* Diabetes and other disease that suppresses the immune
system
* Using a diaphragm, which is associated with greater
bacteria buildup
* Having sex with a partner who uses condoms with
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spermicidal foam, which can cause vaginal irritation
* Menopause, when estrogen loss thins the urinary-tract
walls
* Using tampons – which increase UTI risk, according to a
1998 study in the Journal of Pediatric Adolescent
Gynecology – rather than pads
7. Can foods cause UTIs?
“I’m unaware of any particular foods that [increase] your
chance of getting a UTI,” says Lila Schmidt, M.D., a
gynecologist at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego, Calif.
However, eating a balanced diet helps keep your immune
system strong.
8. If a woman gets one UTI, is she more susceptible to
them?
Yes, “developing a UTI increases the risk of [future] UTIs,”
Rankin says.
In fact, recurrent UTI is a stubborn problem for some women.
Nearly 20% of women who have a UTI will get a second one,
and 30% of those who have a second one will develop a
third, according to the National Institutes of Health. Among
those women who have had three UTIs, 80% will get them
again.
The reason is unknown, but researchers are looking into
whether cell linings in women who get recurrent UTI change
in a way that allows bacteria to attach to them.
9. What should I do if I think I have a UTI?
See your doctor. You’ll be asked to give a urine sample (a
urinalysis), which will be examined for bacteria. If it’s caught
early, your doctor can easily treat urinary tract infection with
prescribed oral antibiotics.
Results of the urine test will help your doctor determine
which antibiotic will work best and how long you should take
it.
“Drugs like Bactrim or Macrobid are the most common,”
Rankin says. “Over-the-counter symptom relief can be
obtained with something like Uristat, a bladder anesthetic,
but this isn’t a curative treatment.”
You’ll probably have to take antibiotics for a few days to two
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5/27/11 8:34 PM
weeks, depending on the infection. Follow the directions
exactly, and continue taking your medication even if you feel
better. Symptoms of urinary tract infection usually disappear
within a day or two, but the infection itself can take longer to
clear up.
A heating pad or hot water bottle placed over the abdomen
may also help ease UTI pain.
Women with recurrent UTI may be prescribed different
antibiotic treatments. They may also be referred for
ultrasound or other kinds of tests that look for evidence of a
more serious problem, such as kidney damage.
10. How can I prevent UTI?
* Drink lots of water – enough to increase urine output, which
helps wash away bacteria that haven’t yet caused infection.
* Urinate when you feel the need – at least every 2-3 hours –
rather than holding it for long periods.
* After going to the bathroom, wipe yourself from front to
back.
* Take showers rather than baths, which can allow bacteria
to reach the bladder opening.
* Shower before having sex.
* Urinate shortly after having sex to flush away bacteria that
may have been introduced into the vaginal areas and
urethra.
* Avoid feminine hygiene sprays, powders and scented
douches that can irritate the urethra.
* Wear panties with a cotton crotch that allows air flow.
Bacteria grow more rapidly in warm, moist conditions.
Source: Lifescript
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