How to Prevent Urinary Tract Infection
Nine million people each year visit their doctors searching for relief from urinary tract infections. Many women consider the pain from urinary tract infections worse than that from a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis. Men also experience intense pain from the infections. The pain is constant no matter how you try to position yourself to relieve it. You also feel that you constantly have to relieve yourself. And if you do try to urinate, the pain gets even worse. It all begins with bacteria getting into your urethra and growing.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
For Women
-
1
Wipe in the right direction. A common way infections happen is that women wiping themselves after a bowel movement, wipe back to front instead of vice versa. This may allow a bit of fecal matter into the urinary tract that then breeds bacteria. By wiping front to back, you will carry any fecal matter away from your body. Also avoid douching and scented feminine products because they can irritate the urethra.
-
2
Urinate before and after sex. Having sex can also lead to the introduction of bacteria into your body. If you urinate before sex, it will keep your bladder empty so there is no medium for the bacteria to grow within. If you urinate after sex, not only do you remove the growth medium, you flush your system.
-
-
3
Drinking more fluids means you will urinate more often. Urinating helps flush your system of any bacteria and to stop it before it becomes a problem. And if you feel like urinating, do so. Holding it in gives the bacteria a fertile medium to grow within. Drinking cranberry juice gives you the added benefit because it not only helps prevent infection, it speeds up the recovery if you get one.
For Men
-
4
Avoid anal sex if you are a man. The reason is the same for why women need to be careful how they wipe. It can introduce fecal matter into the urinary tract. This then allows the bacteria to grow.
-
5
Keep yourself clean. Foreskin in men can be a breeding ground for bacteria that can then enter the urinary tract. Keeping yourself clean will keep bacteria from growing where it can enter your body.
-
6
Drinking more fluids applies to men as well as women. Not only should you take in more water and cranberry juice, but you should void when you have the urge.
-
1
