We got to learn about Urinary Tract Infections, its causes and symptoms in What You Need to Know About UTI’s article. In this article, you are going to familiarize yourself with ways on how to prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs). Prevention is always better than cure, right?
Drink plenty of water. Water is known for its numerous benefits on the human body. Apart from keeping you hydrated, taking a lot of water means that your urine will be diluted and that you will be urinating frequently. This helps to flush out any bacteria that may be present in your urinary tract before they start multiplying. You should take a minimum of 6 glasses (1.44l) of water in a day but if you can take more, the better.
Don’t hold in your pee. Urinate as frequently as possible, preferably once every two hours. As mentioned earlier, doing this helps to keep your tract clear of bacteria. Also, always empty your bladder completely whenever you urinate. If you have troubles doing this, it is important to seek medical advice.
Urinate after sex. By now you know the drill, right? Peeing after sexual intercourse is specifically important for women. This is because in women, the urethra is in close proximity with the anus, therefore making it easier for bacteria to be transmitted from the anal area into your tract during sex.
Wipe from front to back. Always clean your genital area after peeing or any bowel movement. The correct way to do this is wiping from front to back and not vice-versa. If you prefer using water, make sure you wash from front to back too, and pat dry with a clean towel.
Maintain good genital hygiene. This goes for both men and women. Of course, maintaining good genital hygiene will help clear the area of any present bacteria before they get into the urinary tract. As for men, this is especially important if you are sexually active with a woman. You may not be at a higher risk of contracting UTIs but your partner is. Good hygiene on your side means you won’t be carrying pathogens onto your partner’s genital area during intercourse.
Change your sanitary towels regularly. If you use pads or tampons during your period, be careful not to leave them on for long (6 hours max). Not changing your pad/tampon regularly increases the chances of bacteria to multiply. An alternative to this may be using a menstrual cup instead as you can have it in for a maximum of 12 hours.
Wear cotton underwear. Avoid wearing underwear not made of cotton for long durations. You may want to feel sexy in a lace, thong or G-string but such types of underwear are only meant to be worn for a short period of time only. In addition to that, wear loose-fitting clothing as this helps to keep the genital region dry.
Avoid using perfumed products in the genital area. Strong soaps, deodorant, sprays and what-not should all be kept away from this region. Douching is not recommended at all as it does more harm than good. Introducing all these kinds of chemicals to your genital area will only mess with your vaginal pH, hence increasing the chances of bacteria to multiply and possibly travel up your urinary tract.
Following the above mentioned simple steps will definitely help you protect yourself from contracting UTIs but if you do, the infection is easily treatable with antibiotics which can be recommended by your health specialist.
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