Preventing and Treating Bladder Infections (UTIs)

I’m sad to report that this is a topic near and dear to my heart. I inherited chronic bladder infections from my mom, so I’ve been battling them for quite some time now, and I got hit with a real doozy this week (TIP: It’s not a good sign when your doctor looks at the print-out of your pee test results and goes, “Holy crap.”).

Here’s some info to help you head off urinary tract infections before they take hold, and tips on what to do when they sneak up on you.

UTI Prevention

1. If you have to go, go. Don’t hold it, because this allows bacteria to build up in your otherwise-sterile bladder.
2. Stay hydrated. When you consume lots of fluids, you continually flush bacteria and waste out of your system, which is both good for you and bad for infection-causing bacteria.
3. Pee immediately after you have sex. Yeah, I know, not so sexy, but it’s a lot sexier than excruciating pain that will totally kill your game for a week or more. Trust me. Pee first, whisper sweet nothings later.
4. Wipe front to back when you use the bathroom. You probably already know this, but wiping front to back takes bacteria away from your vaginal area rather than bringing it in.
5. Not to get too graphic here, but reconsider doing it doggie-style. If you’re going to use a rear-entry position, try to shower or at least give your toosh a swipe with some antibacterial wipes to try to reduce the amount of bacteria that your partner could be inadvertently transferring to your urethra during intercourse.
6. Use a water-based lubricant during sex to avoid irritation to your urethra.
7. Keep bubble baths to a minimum, as the bubble bath can irritate your sensitive areas and promote infections. Showers, on the other hand, are great!
8. Try to use only cotton underwear for daily use, as the natural fabric allows you to “breathe” and discourages the build-up of bacteria.
9. Avoid thong underwear except for special occassions. By their design and the way they move when you move, they make it easy for bacteria from your bum to be introduced to your urethra. Ick.

UTI Symptoms

1. Frequent, urgent need to urinate.
2. Burning or stinging sensation before, during, or immediately after urination.
3. General discomfort and itchiness down there, with or without unusual discharge.
4. Cloudy, dark, bloody and/or foul-smelling urine (not that it smells that great to begin with…).
5. Feeling like you need to pee pretty much constantly, but nothing comes out.

UTI Treatment

1. If you start to experience any of the symptoms mentioned above, go directly to your doctor. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, do not say, “Oh, it’ll clear up on its own.” Untreated, your run-of-the-mill bladder infection can turn into a kidney infection, which could potentially be very dangerous. Plus, you’ll be extremely uncomfortable.
2. Start drinking cranberry juice like it’s going out of style. Don’t get that chock-full-of-sugar cranberry juice cocktail — bacteria thrive on sugar — but get the lowest sugar content you can find, and chug that stuff nonstop along with water. Anything that says 100% juice on it is a safe bet.
3. Your doctor will probably prescribe an antibiotic. Take it as directed and finish the prescription, or you may not get all of the bacteria the first time and the stronger stuff will swoop back in and give you an even worse infection the second time around. Important Note: Antibiotics have been shown to reduce the effectiveness of many forms of birth control, so ask your doctor how long you need to use a back-up method or avoid intercourse entirely — not that you’re going to be feeling like a love machine until your symptoms clear up anyway.

Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King