Make no mistake: a urinary tract infection (UTI) is annoying. This is especially the case if it’s a recurrent problem. However, a UTI should never be ignored as simply an irritating condition which will eventually go away. Steps need to be taken to treat the symptom before it becomes an even larger issue.
This is because UTIs can spread through the body and cause kidney infections. A UTI might also be an indicator for other more serious conditions lying under the surface.
Thankfully there are numerous steps you can take to not only treat UTIs, but also help prevent them from making an unwanted appearance in the future. Below are four tips to keep in mind:
1. Use Specialist Medicine
There’s one main starting point for treating UTI: antibiotics. While these are usually prescribed as treatment for UTI — and for good reason — they’re not always the solution. Some people can build a resistance to antibiotics; they can kill off good bacteria alongside the bad, and studies suggest some UTIs are resistant against key antibiotics.
An alternative can be found in the form of UTI prevention pills. These pills can help keep the urinary tract clean while being generally cheaper and more convenient than getting antibiotics.
2. Change Your Drinking Habits
An alteration to your drinking habits is one of the best ways to combat a UTI. Simply upping your intake of liquid provides some benefit. The more you drink, the more you need to urinate, the more regularly you will flush out bacteria from your system. The recommendation of eight glasses of water a day is a solid guideline to follow.
Aside from water — and although research isn’t conclusive — cranberry juice has long been endorsed as a beverage that helps with UTI.
3. Implement These Hygiene Habits
By practicing a small number of hygiene-related habits, you can help fight off the continued frustration of urinary tract infections.
First of all, try and avoid holding your urine in for too long. Once you feel the need to go, you should attempt to do so immediately, if possible. If that urine sticks around in the bladder, it can result in bacteria build-up.
Also, if you engage in sexual intercourse, you should make an effort to urinate straight after. This doesn’t mean you have to pre-empt the event by drinking a big glass of water beforehand, but regular hydration will help. By doing this, you will assist with flushing out any bacteria that has been spread during sex.
After the act of urinating, it is also highly recommended that women wipe from front to back. This again, will contribute to the avoidance of bacteria being spread to the urinary tract.
4. Visit Your Doctor
It might seem like an inconvenience to go out of your way for a doctor’s appointment. The subject of UTIs might also be something you’d rather not discuss. Nevertheless, going to your local doctor should be one of your first steps once you have shown symptoms of a UTI.
Along with being able to verify if you’re suffering with a urinary infection, your doctor can also recommend the most suitable form of treatment. UTIs come in different forms, and certain remedies will work better than others.
