Have you ever seen urine with a cloudy appearance or experienced a burning sensation while urinating?
If yes, then you might be suffering from a urinary tract infection or UTI. Urinary tract infection refers to an infection in any part of your urinary system. It can take in infections in your kidney, bladder, ureter, or urethra as well.
What Does It Look Like to Have Urinary Tract Infection?
Sometimes these infections can be without any complication or even without symptoms. This happened with my mother who had no evident sign of a urinary infection but after she went for a urine culture and sensitivity test in Lahore, she was diagnosed with a urinary infection.
In case you are wondering what having a urinary infection can look like, here are the common signs and symptoms that you need to know.
- A frequent urge to urinate
- Coloured urine containing signs of blood
- Foul-smelling urine
- Inability to empty your bladder all at once
- Pelvic pain
All these signs can indicate the presence of a urinary tract infection. These infections can be quite painful and can be associated with many complications. However, with a little bit of precaution, you can prevent these infections.
Tips to Prevent Urinary Tract Infections
In case you are wondering what are the ways that can help you to prevent the infection, here are the tips to follow.
1- Wash Right
What causes the spread of urinary infections? In some cases, it is not washing properly. The bacteria can travel from your anus to the urinary tract if you don’t use the right washing technique. So, the right washing technique is to wash from front to back so that the entry of bacteria into the urinary tract can be prevented.
2- Keep Yourself Hydrated
No matter if it’s about your skin health or your hair health, keeping yourself hydrated can help you in so many ways. This exactly goes for urinary infections. If you keep yourself hydrated you have to use the toilet again and again. Frequent urination helps to flush out the toxins from your body. This is one of the best ways to help you prevent urinary infections.
Drinking plain water is the best solution to fulfill your hydration requirements. Other than this, you can also opt for fresh fruits and vegetables that have high water content.
3- Urinate Before and After Sexual Activity
According to research, engaging in sexual activity increases your risk of urinary tract infection. This is more important for women. Further, the chances of urinary infection increase among people who switch their partners often. A good way to prevent urinary infections that spread through sexual activity is by urinating before and after sex.
This is thought to be helpful because washing your genitals before and after sex and peeing can help you to flush out the bacteria from your urinary tract that can be causing you the infection.
4- Choose Birth Control Options Wisely
When it comes to the physical birth control options, there are many choices. From condoms to diaphragms, these methods can help you prevent unwanted pregnancy. So, it is really important for you to choose the birth control methods wisely as these can result in the transmission of bacteria causing urinary tract infections.
5- Make Probiotics a Habit
When it comes to boosting your overall health, the role of probiotics can’t be denied. These probiotics contain good bacteria that can deter the growth of bacteria causing urinary tract infections. So, no matter if you are taking probiotic supplements or getting these from natural sources such as yogurt.
6- Choose Products Carefully
The type of products you use for yourself can affect your likelihood of getting a urinary tract infection. For this, you need to make wise choices regarding these products. If you prefer scented products for cleaning and other purposes, then you should switch to odorless products. This is because the chemicals in the scented products can alter the bacterial balance which is crucial for your vaginal health.
This imbalance can increase the growth of harmful bacteria and ultimately you can get the infection.
7- Don’t Hold Your Pee
Holding your pee for too long can result in the causation of urinary tract infections. If you do it for too long, there are chances that you will not fully empty your bladder the next time you go to the bathroom. This can result in the accumulation of bacteria in your urinary tract resulting in the causation of urinary tract infections. So, if you are habitual of doing it then it’s time to break the habit to promote good urinary health.
Bottom Line!
Urinary tract infections are quite common and can be very problematic to deal with. With or without any signs, these infections tend to affect more women than men. You can minimize your chances of suffering from urinary tract infections if you follow these simple tips. However, if you still continue to experience any troubling signs, it is recommended to contact your doctor immediately.
