Table of contents:
- An easy way to prevent urinary tract infections
- 1. Drink lots of water
- 2. Not holding back urination
- 3. Urinate before and after sex
- 4. Clean the anus and genital area properly
- 5. Always keep the pubic area clean
- 6. Take cranberry supplements
- 7. Wear sweat-absorbing underwear
- Can vaccine prevent urinary tract infections?
Preventing urinary tract infections or UTIs can certainly be done easily and cheaply compared to having to treat them. Some steps that can be taken are to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Some foods such as cranberries can also help you as a urinary tract infection natural remedy.
An easy way to prevent urinary tract infections
There are some habits that you may unconsciously increase the risk of a UTI, such as holding back urination often increases the chances of developing UTI-causing bacteria. In addition, cleaning the intimate organs at random also plays a role in the spread of bacteria so that it has an impact on UTIs.
If you don't want urinary tract infections to occur, the following ways can help you prevent urinary tract infections.
1. Drink lots of water
In addition to preventing you from dehydration, drinking 8 glasses of water every day is also an easy way to prevent the development of bacteria that cause urinary tract infections.
Drinking lots of water will "flush" the bladder and pass it through the urine. That way, the chance for bacteria to stick and multiply on the walls of the urinary tract will be smaller and you will avoid UTIs.
Drinking water is also good for those of you who often get repeated UTIs. This was said by researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Dr. Thomas M. Hooton, that meeting fluid needs will prevent you from the risk of urinary tract infections recurring.
2. Not holding back urination
Holding back urination is one of the causes of urinary tract infections. That is why, not delaying the time to urinate is an easy way to prevent urinary tract infections.
The habit of delaying urinating will make the bacteria more retained with the urine in the bladder. This buildup allows bacteria to grow and infect the urinary tract.
Well, urinating serves to clean the urinary tract from bacteria and can reduce the risk of infection. Urinating as well as removing unnecessary waste products of your body's metabolism.
3. Urinate before and after sex
Having sex can be one of the onset of urinary tract infections. During penetration, the penis or fingers can push bacteria from outside the vagina to enter the urethra and then spread to the bladder.
It is for this reason that you, especially women, are strongly encouraged to urinate before and after sex to prevent urinary tract infections. Without urinating, the new bacteria will multiply and cause infection.
Also avoid using contraceptives such as condoms that contain spermicide. Spermicides are substances that kill sperm cells. Apermicide has an impact on vaginal pH which will increase the risk of disease.
If you experience problems such as vaginal dryness, you can use water-based lubricants. Previously, consult your doctor about safe and suitable contraceptives.
4. Clean the anus and genital area properly
So far, have you cleaned the anus properly after defecating? As is known, the cause of UTI is the spread of bacteria E. coli from the anus to the urethral urinary tract.
That is why you need to pay attention to how to rinse it properly. Rinse the anus from front to back as a way to prevent urinary tract infections. This is to prevent bacteria E. coli move and enter the urethra.
Not only after defecating, you need to clean the genital area after sexual intercourse. Use warm water to clean the vagina. You can also use soap, as long as it doesn't contain a fragrance. This method can avoid inflammation due to infection in the urethra.
5. Always keep the pubic area clean
Apart from rinsing the genital area properly, you also need to keep the genital area clean to prevent urinary tract infections, especially for women. This disease is more susceptible to attacking women because the urethra is shorter than men to allow bacteria to enter more quickly.
During menstruation, change pads or tampons every 4-6 hours so as not to cause odor and infection from bacteria. In addition, also avoid using feminine soap because this product will actually make the vaginal pH unbalanced, which triggers the growth of bacteria and yeast (fungus).
You shouldn't do either douching, a technique of cleaning the inside of the vagina by spraying a cleansing liquid. This method of cleaning can make the vagina more susceptible to infection.
6. Take cranberry supplements
Cranberry extract can also help you prevent urinary tract infections more optimally. In one study, cranberries were shown to prevent UTIs. The unique polyphenol compound, Proanthocyanidins type A, is known to fight bacteria E. coli causes of UTI.
These compounds can effectively block bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract tissue. The antioxidants in cranberries can also prevent inflammation due to infection.
7. Wear sweat-absorbing underwear
The panty option also plays an important role in preventing urinary tract infections. Choose cotton underwear to provide space for air circulation in the area of the intimate organs.
The use of underwear made of synthetic fabrics tends to make the intimate area moist, which makes it easier for bacteria to grow, which has the potential to infect the urinary tract.
In addition, if your underwear feels tight or tight, replace it with looser ones immediately. Underpants that are too tight will cause a moist vagina and buttocks. This moisture will later become an ideal place for fungi and bacteria to breed and then trigger irritation.
Can vaccine prevent urinary tract infections?
Like most infectious diseases, sufferers of urinary tract infections must undergo treatment by taking antibiotics. Unfortunately, there are some bacteria that cause UTIs that are resistant (immune) so that antibiotics cannot be treated.
Therefore, the more emphasized thing is to take all precautions so as not to get sick. In addition to adopting healthy and clean habits, vaccines are said to be one way to prevent urinary tract infections.
The vaccine itself has long been used as a measure to provide additional protection for the body from various dangerous infectious diseases. Sequioa Sciences, a pharmaceutical company that deals in the discovery and development of drugs also conducts special research on this issue.
The FIMCH vaccine was discovered, a specific antigen vaccine made from the FimH battery adhesion protein. This vaccine is expected to kill bacteria E. coli the main cause of UTI in the urinary tract.
The clinical trial was conducted on 67 women, 30 of whom had a history of recurrent UTIs. Although most of them show a positive response, unfortunately the effectiveness of this vaccine has yet to be determined and still requires further research.
The vaccine is not yet commercially available. That means until now you have to do a healthy lifestyle yourself to maintain daily cleanliness of your genital area.
