Reasons Why You Keep Getting UTIs and How to Treat Them(4/4)
A urinary tract infection, or UTI, is an infection in any part of your urinary system, including your kidneys, bladder, ureters, and urethra.
If you're a woman, your chance of getting a urinary tract infection is high. Some experts rank your lifetime risk of getting one as high as 1 in 2, with many women having repeat infections, sometimes for years. About 1 in 10 men will get a UTI in their lifetime.
Here's how to handle UTIs and make it less likely you'll get one in the first place.
How to treat recurring UTIs
If you have recurring UTIs, there are some simple changes you can make that may reduce your risk. According to Yun, these include:
• Increasing water intake. Yun says to aim for one and a half to two litres of water daily. "Because everyone is unique, I often tell my patients to look at the colour of their urine as an indicator of their hydration status. In healthy patients, clear, pale yellow urine is good," Yun says.
• Considering new contraception options less associated with UTIs, such as birth control pills, IUDs, or non-spermicidal condoms.
• Urinating after sex and wiping from front to back when using the bathroom.
• Taking a cranberry supplement since cranberries contain proanthocyanidins (PACs) that may help prevent bacteria from sticking to the lining of the bladder.
If none of these does the trick, and you still have recurrent UTIs related to intercourse, Yun says a single dose of antibiotics after sex may be prescribed to prevent infection. You would know that a UTI is related to sex if symptoms arise within the first few days after sex, typically within the first day after, Yun says.
"We try to avoid daily antibiotic prophylaxis when possible because of concerns of side effects and bacterial resistance, but for those who need this option, it is very effective," Yun says.
Additionally, Ruiz says it may be helpful for someone with recurring UTIs to see a urologist if the above strategies do not help. A urologist can look at the bladder and determine if there is something anatomical going on that may be contributing to the UTIs.
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