How To Help Your Loved One Avoid Utis
Do you give the older adult in your life cranberry juice or probiotics to prevent a UTI? These products wont hurt them, but whether theyll help is unclear.
We dont have enough research to support their effectiveness in UTI prevention, although their medical benefits cant be ruled out completely, says Dr. Goldman.
Instead, he recommends these tried-and-true prevention strategies:
- Encourage sufficient fluid intake
- Promote genital and urinary hygiene
- Ask the doctor about low-dose vaginal cream for postmenopausal women
Dr. Goldman says researchers are also studying D-Mannose for UTI prevention. The supplement, which has few side effects, sticks to bladder receptors that normally attract the E. coli bacteria usually responsible for UTIs.
Researchers also believe D-Mannose may keep bad bacteria from colonizing the digestive tract, which can harbor the bacteria responsible for UTIs in women.
Following these tips should help your aging relative stay healthy, productive and out of the hospital.
Antibiotic Prevention Is Another Option
This means taking a low dose of an antibiotic regularly. One dose each night will usually reduce the number of bouts of cystitis. A six-month course of antibiotics is usually given.
You may still have bouts of cystitis if you take antibiotics regularly but the episodes should be much less often. If a bout does occur, it is usually caused by a germ which is resistant to the antibiotic you are taking regularly. A urine sample is needed to check on which bacterium is causing any bout of cystitis. You may then need a temporary change to a different antibiotic.
Uti After Sex How To Prevent It From Happening Every Time
Because D-Mannose is natural and completely harmless, it can be used on a continual basis.
This means you can safely take a low dose of D-Mannose daily before having sex or at any time to prevent bacterial cystitis from starting.
If you often get a UTI after sex you can always start immediately taking D-Mannose so this doesnt ruin your happy times with your partner.
That information was born out of my experiences I hope you found that helpful.
You can read more about cystitis/UTIs by following this link > > > All About Cystitis.
Or you can visit the D-Mannose website
I wish you the very best of health.
Recommended Reading: What Can You Take For Bladder Pain
How Are Utis Treated
Your doctor will typically prescribe an oral antibiotic to rid you of the UTI.
Yavagal says if you come down with a UTI frequently, ask your doctor to do a culture one time to be sure this is actually what you have. A chronic bladder condition known as interstitial cystitis is sometimes mistaken for a UTI, she says. You should be especially suspicious if the antibiotics you have taken for your UTIs in the past have not sufficiently helped.
How Do You Get A Urinary Tract Infection From Intercourse
Its pretty easy to get a urinary tract infection. Bacteria that live in the vagina, genital, and anal areas may enter the urethra, travel to the bladder, and cause an infection. This can happen during sexual activity when bacteria from your partners genitals, anus, fingers, or sex toys gets pushed into your urethra.
Recommended Reading: Is Cranberry Juice Good For Overactive Bladder
Why Do I Have Cystitis After Every Intercourse
If you are prone to a urinary tract infection after sex, dont panic! There is a very simple way to avoid it. Always think about going to urinate afterwards. Advice from Catherine Solano, sex therapist.
When I make love, I systematically have cystitis afterwards. What is this due to, and above all, what to do?, wonders Camille, 28 years old.
A urinary tract infection that occurs after sex is called a urinary tract infection. postcoital cystitis. Urinary tract infection that occurs regularly after sex is linked to microbes naturally present in the skin located between the urethra and the anus. And these bacterias sometimes travel up the urethra to the bladder, perhaps because they move towards moist heat. Once in the bladder, so in a hot and humid place, they tend to multiply.
And, from 100,000 bacteria per milliliter, it causes a urinary tract infection, cystitis, with burning, constant urge to urinate, sometimes even a little blood in the urine if the bladder is very irritated by the infection. Note that a woman may very well have some bacteria that come back after sex without causing cystitis if these bacteria are in very small quantities, because they will be quickly eliminated when she goes to urinate. So, this cystitis is not a sexually transmitted disease, but infection from germs on your own skin.
What Causes Urinary Tract Infections
UTIs usually happen because bacteria enter the urethra, then make their way up into the bladder and cause an infection. Girls get UTIs much more often than guys, most likely due to differences in the shape and length of the urethra. Girls have shorter urethras than guys, and the opening lies closer to the anus and the vagina, where bacteria are likely to be.
Bacteria can get into the urethra several ways. During sex, for example, bacteria in the vaginal area may be pushed into the urethra and eventually end up in the bladder, where pee provides a good environment for the bacteria to grow. This is why females who are sexually active often get UTIs.
Bacteria may also get into a girl’s bladder if she wipes from back to front after a bowel movement , which can contaminate the urethral opening. The use of spermicides and diaphragms as contraceptives also may increase the risk of UTIs.
Sexually transmitted diseases may cause UTI-like symptoms, such as pain with peeing. This is due to the inflammation and irritation of the urethra or vagina that’s sometimes associated with chlamydia and other STDs. If untreated, STDs can lead to serious long-term problems, including pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. Unlike UTIs, STDs are contagious.
You May Like: How To Reduce Bladder Inflammation Naturally
How Many Days Does Urine Infection Take To Cure
if the disease is detected and diagnosed at right time then can be treated easily. Rest, it depends on the location and site of the disease.
- Urethritis is generally cured in 3-5 days
- If the infection reaches to urinary bladder then it takes a bit longer around 7-15 days
- If the infection goes up further to kidneys and causes pyelonephritis. It takes too long to get this cured which can range even months or more.
Recommended Reading: How To Reduce Bladder Inflammation Naturally
If You Have Gone Through The Menopause Vaginal Oestrogen May Be An Option
If you have gone through the menopause and had your last natural period , your hormone levels will have dropped. As explained earlier, this leads to changes in the vagina and the urethra that can increase the chances of getting recurrent cystitis, as well as other problems like dryness and painful sex. You can read more about this in the separate leaflet called Vaginal Dryness .
Vaginal oestrogen has been shown to reduce the number of bouts of cystitis in postmenopausal women who get recurrent cystitis. However, it is not as effective as taking antibiotics regularly. It is usually taken as an estradiol tablet that you insert into your vagina at night twice a week or as a ring that releases estradiol continuously and stays in the vagina for three months at a time. It can help even in postmenopausal women who don’t have any of the other vaginal symptoms.
Also Check: Can You Live Without A Bladder
Recurrent Cystitis In Women
In this series
Some women have recurring bouts of cystitis, sometimes defined as two proven infections within six months, or three infections in a year.
In this article
Cystitis means inflammation of the bladder. It is usually caused by a urine infection. Some women have repeated bouts of cystitis. Doctors define a recurrent infection as either three proven separate infections in a year or as two in six months. In many cases there is no apparent reason for a woman to get frequent attacks of cystitis. There are a number of treatment options to consider. This might be treating each episode promptly with a short course of antibiotics, a regular low dose of antibiotics taken long-term, or taking a single dose of antibiotic after having sex . You can read more about cystitis in the separate leaflet called Cystitis in Women.
Evaluation Of Subjects And Exposures
At entry, participants completed a questionnaire regarding demographic characteristics, general and urinary health, hormone use, physical function, and prior sexual behavior. All participants not identified from the diabetes registry had a fasting plasma glucose test at baseline to detect undiagnosed diabetes, defined as a level 125 mg/dL.
Using checkboxes, participants were asked to record information daily about vaginal discharge, itching, irritation, or odor urinary burning, pain, frequency, or urgency incontinence vaginal intercourse, dyspareunia, post-coital urination and pharmaceutical use in a monthly diary throughout the 2-year follow-up.
Don’t Miss: Bladder Cancer Surgery Recovery Time
Confusion Alone Does Not Signal A Urinary Tract Infection
When an older adult becomes confused, many people both medical and non-medical assume that a UTI is responsible.
But aging increases the incidence of confusion and delirium, especially among those who are cognitively impaired, depressed, malnourished or completely dependent.
Delirium can be caused by various factors, the most common one being dehydration, notes Dr. Lathia.
Utis After Sex Are Worse Than Using The Toilet Around A New Partner
They sometimes refer to UTIs as honeymooners syndrome. Historically women became sexually active on their honeymoons.
There was probably already a mixture of fear and trepidation. Then add the potential embarrassment of showing your new husband that you needed to use the toilet. That may have been enough to leave many new brides with a desperately full bladder and bacterial growth flourishing.
New relationships encounter these same problems too. In this last instance the toilet was next to the bedroom and the door did not close. So I was less than enthusiastic about issuing the powerful jet of urine that might have saved me.
And its not just not peeing after sex that can cause problems. It turns out its about poo too! Constipation is linked to recurrent UTIs, especially in kids.
So if youre also not making regular bowel movements due to the awkwardness of a new relationship, its best to just get over it.
UTIs after sex prevention tip 5: Its important to avoid constipation. Keeping bowel movements regular can help with urinary tract health.
Also Check: Why Can I Not Empty My Bladder
Truth: Being Female Is The Biggest Risk Factor For Utis
UTIs generally are caused by bacteria that live in the colon, especially the rectum. The short length of the female urethra places its opening close to bacterial reservoirs , making women more vulnerable to infection.
In truth, being female is simply the strongest risk factor for UTIs, says Dr. Dielubanza.
Another trigger particular to women is hormonal change with age. Until menopause, vaginal flora includes protective bacteria. But when estrogen drops during menopause, the pH of the vagina changes, and the good flora cannot thrive there as easily. Without these good bacteria, the bad bacteria can more easily flourish in postmenopausal women.
Men are not immune to UTIs, but they are less likely to have them. This is because their longer urethras present a challenge to bacteria entry. However, as men age and begin to empty their bladders less efficiently due to prostate enlargement, urinary tract infections can become more common.
A trigger for UTIs in both men and women is use of any medical instrument near the urethra, including a catheter to drain urine.
So How Can We Manage Sex Related Cystitis
- Take prophylactic dose of D-Mannose one hour before sexual activity.
- Immediately after sex, urinate and take another dose of D-Mannose.
- The following morning, take another dose and then another every 4 – 6 hours.
- Maintain a urine pH of 7 or higher, to inhibit bacterial growth.
- Both partners should practise strict hygiene standards.
- Gradually you should be able to return to a normal sex life.
See our article titled How much D-Mannose should you take, for detailed instructions on how to effectively use D-Mannose for Urinary Tract Infections.
Read Also: Can A Bladder Infection Cause Dizziness
What Causes Recurring Utis
Some people get UTI symptoms frequently. This can result from IC, a chronic condition that causes pressure and pain in the bladder region.
IC results from inflammation, which sometimes occurs due to an autoimmune response in the bladder. This means that the body is mistakenly attacking its own cells.
In some people, the symptoms of IC come and go. Because the symptoms can resemble those of other conditions, IC can be difficult to diagnose. Treatment typically involves symptom management.
IC is not the only health issue that can resemble a UTI some STIs have similar symptoms to UTIs.
Recurrent Episodes Of Cystitis
It is now generally more accepted amongst the medical community that sex related cystitis is not always caused by an outside source of bacteria, for example, a new partner. Recurrent infections may also be caused by the agitation of dormant bacteria already deeply embedded in the bladder wall, migrating to the bladder lining where they proliferate, causing the same infection to flare up again when conditions become favorable.
Doctors are becoming increasingly reluctant to prescribe antibiotics until the infection has progressed into the kidneys. Antibiotics destroy pathogenic bacteria causing the infection, however they also destroy beneficial bacteria living in the gastrointestinal tract. If enough beneficial bacteria are destroyed, side effects such as an overgrowth of yeast may give rise to Thrush. Many women suffering from recurrent cystitis often report a cycle of infection, course of antibiotics, case of thrush, period of well-being, then reinfection.
Also Check: Hard To Urinate When Bladder Full
What Is A Urinary Tract Infection
A urinary tract infection is a bacterial infection in any part of your urinary tract. Your urinary tract is the interconnected system of organs that make and store urine. The sections of the urinary tract include:
- Kidneys: The organs that filter waste from your blood and convert the waste and water into urine.
- Bladder: A sac-like organ that stores urine before it leaves your body.
- Ureters: Thin tubes that carry urine from your kidneys to your bladder.
- Urethra: A tube that allows urine to leave your body. â
You can get an infection in any part of the urinary tract. The most common type of UTI is called cystitis, and it is an infection in the bladder. You can also have an infection in the urethra known as urethritis. An infection in the kidneys is known as pyelonephritis and it is the most severe type of UTI.
How Does Apple Cider Vinegar Help Get Rid Of A Uti In 24 Hours
Drinking plenty of liquids will help flush out any bad bacteria from your urinary tract. You can drink apple cider vinegar for UTI relief. Mix one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with eight ounces of water and consume this mixture up to three times a day. You can add a teaspoon of honey to the mixture for taste.
Read Also: What Are The Survival Rates Of Bladder Cancer
Also Check: Tens Placement For Bladder Control
How Common Is Honeymoon Cystitis
Half of all women get cystitis at least once in their lives. However, honeymoon cystitis only causes bladder infection in 4% of cases. Honeymoon cystitis remains more common among young women in their twenties, although single women in their 50s are increasingly reporting that they suffer from the problem. The risk of honeymoon cystitis increases if someone starts having sex again after not having done so for a long period of time. Condoms are not known to offer any protection against honeymoon cystitis.
You May Like: Essential Oils For Bladder And Kidney Health
Antibiotics Didnt Stop The Utis After Sex
I was blasting through UTI after UTI and countless courses of antibiotics, resulting in an eventual prescription for prophylactic antibiotics to be taken twice a day for two months, just in case
UTIs must follow Murphys law because goddamn is there ever a worse time to get one than when they turn up? Hi, its me! I thought Id drop by. I know its 11pm on a Sunday night before a public holiday but I just had to come!.
During this year of my life they came in blood splattered, painful waves as I went from after hours doctor to after hours doctor, trying to work out WTF was going on!?
I never presented any UTI symptoms when I actually saw my regular doctor which resulted in every urine culture test coming back negative.
This was probably due to the fact that the testing lab was only open during normal business hours by which time I had already taken antibiotics.
UTIs after sex prevention tip 3: If you are likely to need to provide a urine sample, try not to take antibiotics first, as they can render your urine sterile . You can either keep a sterile container at home or choose to grit your teeth and wait it out until you can get to a doctor.
Now I know how inaccurate urine tests can be. I would have pushed for better testing had I known then.
My own doctor assured me that women just got them.
You May Like: Botox In Bladder For Incontinence
How Are Utis Diagnosed
Only a health care provider can treat urinary tract infections. The first thing a doctor will do is confirm that a person has a UTI by taking a clean-catch urine specimen. At the doctor’s office, you’ll be asked to clean your genital area with disposable wipes and then pee into a sterile cup.
The sample may be used for a urinalysis or a urine culture . Knowing what bacteria are causing the infection can help your doctor choose the best treatment.