23 Jan How to prevent UTIs: covering your bases from the inside out
Sometimes UTIs are out of your hands, but there are many factors that are in your control. Here are 7 small changes that can help you avoid the whole ordeal.
UTIs can really throw a wrench in everything. The fiery pain is torture enough, but then when you factor in the visit to the doctor’s office and the wait for a prescription, it’s enough to drive you mad. Sometimes UTIs are out of your hands, but there are many factors that are in your control. Here are 7 small changes that can help you avoid the whole ordeal.
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Treat your water bottle like your phone—don’t leave your house without it
“Fluid helps move things through the urinary tract, but it also dilutes the urine so bacteria can’t grow”, states Kimberly Cooper, MD, a urologist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. Get serious about staying hydrated. If you’re a granola gal, get yourself a Nalgene and cover it with national park stickers ASAP. If you’re too posh for that, get yourself one of those Instagram-ready white marble S’well bottles, STAT.
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Wipe from front to back
Bacteria in your urethra comes from two main places: your rectum and your vagina. The main reason rectal bacteria makes its way to the urethra and the vagina in from improper wiping after a bowel movement. Make sure to wipe from front to back to keep fecal matter away from your vagina and urethra.
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Urinate after sex (and drink some Uqora)
Hopefully, you’ve been paying mind to the #1 rule of UTI prevention and are hydrated enough to squeeze out some pee après sex. That will help flush out any bacteria that may have migrated from the vagina to the urethra during sex. If you can’t go right away, stay hydrated and go as soon as possible.
Uquora will be an extra aid, specially recommend it if you are prone to UTI’s. Immediately after sex, prepare yourself a glass of Uqora preventive drink mix. Peeing on its own is better than nothing, but Uqora’s ingredients have shown more than 75% reduction in UTI incident. Plus, it tastes like pink lemonade. It’s basically treating yourself immediately after treating yourself.
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Let her breathe!
Wet bathing suits, tight pants, and sweaty gym clothes trap moisture which harbors bacteria. If you are prone to UTIs, change right after your workout or beach day. If you can’t resist a good pair of tight jeans—slip into something cotton (or commando) as soon as you get home.
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Ditch the douche
As if there aren’t enough reasons to keep douches far away from your vagina, they also kill the good bacteria (lactobacillus) you need to combat a UTI. Maintain your natural balance instead of squirting harmful antiseptic water up your vagina.
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Avoid holding your pee for prolonged amounts of time
Holding your urine for a long time allows bacteria to multiply within the urinary tract, resulting in a bladder infection or UTI. I’m not saying to go when you feel the slightest urge—over time that weakens your pelvic floor and decreases the size of your bladder. But don’t wait until it’s an emergency.
What about antibiotics?
Although antibiotics are likely to be effective in the short term, continuing to use them can have a serious, long-term impact on your health. If you suffer from recurrent UTIs you may build a tolerance to antibiotics. Also consider the short-term side effects like nausea, diarrhea or opportunistic infections like yeast infections. You can talk to your doctor about preventative (prophylactic) antibiotic use—but do consider the long-term implications first.
Despite your best efforts, sometimes UTIs can be out of your control—some people just have a higher propensity toward UTIs. This can be a result of hormonal changes, anatomy, pregnancy, or conditions like diabetes.
No matter your situation, covering your bases from in the inside out and bringing in backup with Uqora can make all the difference.
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