8 Facts and Myths about Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Problems
Are you more likely to get a urinary tract infection if you often wear short skirts? And does extra vitamin C help? These are the main fables and facts.
- The cold or wearing short skirts makes you more likely to get a bladder infection.
Myth: The development of a bladder infection has nothing to do with the cold or short skirts: in the vast majority of cases, the condition is caused by bacteria that belong in your intestinal flora. They do a good job there, but if they unexpectedly end up in your bladder, they multiply in that warm, moist environment at a rapid rate, resulting in a bladder infection.
- Only women can get a urinary tract infection.
Myth: Also in men, a bacterium that normally belongs in the intestines can pass through the urethra into the bladder and cause problems there. Women indeed suffer from a bladder infection much more often: half of all women will have to deal with it at least once in their life, 20% even have a bladder infection once or several times a year. Why women are more likely to be screwed? This is because the distance between the anus (where gut bacteria reside) and the urethra is much shorter in women, and the urethra itself is shorter, so bacteria are in the bladder earlier. Men with a bladder infection are more often referred to an urologist, precisely because the condition is more exceptional for them.
- A dirty toilet seat can be the cause of cystitis.
Myth: It is better to try to sit relaxed on that toilet seat than to hang tense over it because then there is a chance that you will not empty your bladder. And that is a risk factor.
- After menopause you are more likely to have a bladder infection.
Fact: Due to the hormonal changes during menopause (for example, the amount of estrogen in your body decreases sharply) the composition of the mucous membrane in your vagina changes: it becomes a lot drier. Normally, this vaginal mucosa forms a good barrier against bacteria, but once it dries, possible culprits are no longer so easily held back. Incidentally, you also have a higher chance of a bladder infection during your most fertile years (20-35 years). During this period, sex is a notorious cause: during sex, bacteria from the vaginal and anus area can be pushed up through the urethra and thus end up in the bladder. By urinating right after sex, you can help prevent them from reaching your bladder.
- A bladder infection is always accompanied by a burning sensation and pain when urinating.
Myth: Many women indeed suffer from these complaints with a bladder infection, but that does not have to be the case and using V-Luxe is a decent thought for your vaginal wellness.. Also, if you feel a constant urge to urinate when only a few drops come out at a time, or if your urine is cloudy in color, that could be an indication of a bladder infection. And if your pee suddenly smells strong, you should also be on the lookout. It may depend on what you ate or drank, but foul-smelling urine can also be a symptom of a bladder infection. Conversely, you can also have cystitis-like symptoms without an actual infection. If you structurally drink too little, for example; this makes your urine very concentrated, which stimulates your bladder. You often have the urge to urinate and it can feel burning, without bacteria being involved.and using V-Luxe is a decent thought for your vaginal wellness.
- Drinking lots of water can stop the onset of bladder infection.
Fact: If you drink a lot in a short period, as soon as you notice the first symptoms – see above – you have a chance that the bacteria that cause the complaints will ‘wash away’ from your bladder. You then have to drink one to one and a half liters in a few hours. Preferably water, but something else is also allowed. The main thing is that you produce a lot of urine in a short time with which you rinse your bladder clean. According to experts, up to 70% of all urinary tract infection could be ‘drunk away’ in this way. Drinking enough (at least one and a half liters a day) is in any case smart to prevent urinary tract infection.
- Cranberries contain a substance that helps against urinary tract infection.
Fact: Cystitis is in many cases caused by the E-coli bacterium, which clings to the bladder wall with a kind of hook. Sometimes water doesn’t flush enough. Cranberries act like Velcro and pull the bacteria away from the bladder wall. Cranberry tablets for UTI problems have the best effect; in combination with the substance D-mannose (available in powder form or capsules), the effect is even better. Drinking cranberry juice makes less sense; you have to get rid of quite a few liters to achieve the same effect.
- Probiotics can help with cystitis.
Fact: Instead of fighting the causative agent with antibiotics, you can also use probiotics; good bacteria that strengthen the vaginal flora and help the immune system to fight the bladder infection. You can use the probiotics if you have complaints, but also as a maintenance dose to prevent recurring urinary tract infection. For example, use ProbioMax capsules, available at Nutraswiss Supplement Store. Urologists are happy that probiotics can also help because the frequent use of antibiotics makes more and more bacteria insensitive to them. As a result, you may end up in hospital with a simple bladder infection, because only an infusion with a cocktail of different antibiotics is still strong enough to clear the infection.
