Urinary tract infection is the most common bacterial diseases in humans, especially in females. It is estimated that 60 to 70% of women will experience at least one episode of UTI during their lifetime.
The cystitis is bladder infection is the most common form of urinary tract infection and is characterized by symptoms such as painful urination and constant need to pee, even when the bladder is empty.
Many women have more than one episode of cystitis in life. Others have more than one episode per year. There are also those with the call recurrent urinary tract infection, with more than three episodes of cystitis each year.
Cystitis occurs when natural gut bacteria (Enterobacteriaceae) and the area around the anus, such as E. coli, Proteus and Klebsiella, can migrate to the vaginal region, passing the input to colonize the urethra channel that carries urine coming from the bladder. Once the urethra, the bacteria can easily reach the bladder, where they will multiply and cause an intense inflammatory reaction.
Urinary tract infection is a disease caused by infection of the bladder by bacteria of your own body. There is therefore a transmitted disease from one person to another.
Not all urinary tract infection can be prevented, however, measures to prevent or hinder the migration of bacteria from the intestines to the bladder help reduce the risk.
In this article we will talk about some simple measures that may be imposed in order to reduce the incidence of urinary tract infections. Let's focus on women because the urinary tract infection is much more common in females. Urinary infections in man are usually related to urological problems, such as diseases of the prostate, bladder or presence of double-J catheter or anatomical defects of the urogenital region. Young men with frequent urinary tract infection should be evaluated by a urologist.
Tip # 1 to prevent cystitis - always pass the toilet paper from front to back
As the urinary tract infection is caused by bacteria that come from the perineum and anal area, by the time you are cleaning the anus or vagina with toilet paper, the direction should always be front to back, that is, the paper will first the vagina and the anus after, never the other way. The goal is not drag bacteria from the anal area toward the vaginal.
Following the same logic, one should not spend the same role twice in a row. Pass the paper once. If you still need more clean, use a new piece.
Tip # 2 to prevent cystitis - avoid excessive intimate hygiene
Cystitis can be caused by poor hygiene, but also by excessive hygiene. The vagina has its natural flora of bacteria, which help to prevent the arrival of harmful bacteria coming from the anus. If you clean the area of the vulva and perineal very often, or use special antiseptic products, there may be a reduction in natural population of bacteria in your vagina, which ends up making life easier for the invading bacteria, they found much less competition to get in the area around the urethra.
Therefore, the cleaning should be done sparingly and only with water and mild soap. No need to spend money buying special products for intimate hygiene.
Tip # 3 to prevent cystitis - avoid baths
The bath water quickly becomes populated by bacteria of the perineal region. If you get much time sitting, there is a higher risk of enterobacteria get migrate to the area around the urethra. Staying relaxing in bathtub full of foam is very beautiful in movies, but if you have frequent urinary infection problems, prefer the showers.
Note: swimming baths or sea are no problems, not only by the much larger volume of water, but also by the presence of chlorine in the pool or high concentrations of iodine and salt from the sea.
Tip # 4 to prevent cystitis - avoid vaginal douching
The shower is the safest way, however, should not direct the spray toward the vagina. vaginal douches not help in personal hygiene and also facilitate the migration of enterobacteria.
Tip # 5 to prevent cystitis - do not use chemicals in the intimate region
chemicals such as perfumes, deodorants or powders should not be used in the private parts, as it may cause irritation. Bacteria adhere more easily in places where the skin is irritated. If the area around the urethra is inflamed, enterobacteria will find it easier to colonize the site. Avoid using any product that is alcohol-based and has a strong smell in the area.
Tip # 6 to prevent cystitis - replace the inner absorbent often
The presence of moisture and blood increases the risk of bacteria proliferation. Do not let your inner absorbent stay full for long, especially if it is an external absorbent, which can leave the skin around the urethra moist and blood. There is still controversy among experts about which type of absorber is the most dangerous: internal or external. When in doubt, regardless of the absorbent used, replace it frequently.
Tip # 7 to prevent cystitis - urinate after sex
Urinary tract infection is not a sexually transmitted disease, but the sexual act itself produces friction, which leads to irritation in the genital area and helps spread the bacteria from the perineum. The act of urinating at the end of each relationship helps to "wash" the urethra, pushing out the bacteria that may have migrated during sex.
Note: the use of condoms does not decrease the risk of post-coital urinary tract infection. Remember, the bacteria does not come from the partner.
Tip # 8 to prevent cystitis - wash the perineal area before having sex
Wash with water and soap anal and perineal region just before the sexual act helps reduce the amount of enterobacteria which can be pushed toward the vagina.
Tip # 9 to prevent cystitis - avoid anal sex
Anal sex, especially if carried by vaginal sex, increases the risk of urinary tract infection. The reason is obvious, because bacteria from the anal area are taken directly to the vagina. But even isolated anal sex can be enough to spread bacteria from the rectum by the perineal area.
Tip # 10 to prevent cystitis - drink plenty of water
The fluid intake keeps the more dilute urine and makes the patient feel the need to urinate more frequently, helping to expel bacteria that are in the urinary tract.
Tip # 11 to prevent cystitis - avoid holding urine for long
Avoid getting longer intervals than 4 hours without urinating. The stop urine in the bladder facilitates the proliferation of bacteria.
Tip # 12 to prevent cystitis - do not use spermicides
The use of spermicides, either gel or cream, increases the risk of urinary tract infection, as they may cause irritation in the genital area. Likewise, condoms which contain spermicides should also be avoided.
Tip # 13 to prevent cystitis - i avoid using diaphragm
Women who use diaphragm and have urinary tract infection must often consider a change of contraceptive method because the diaphragm can press the bladder or the urethra, making it difficult to completely empty the urine. A bladder that does not empty completely is more exposed to the proliferation of bacteria.
Tip # 14 to prevent cystitis - wear cotton clothes or fabrics
Use light clothing so as not to leave the genital area very wet with sweat. The skin moist and closed for a long time under clothes that do not allow air circulation favors the proliferation of bacteria.
Tip # 15 to prevent cystitis - consume foods with cranberry
One of the berry family blackberries, cranberries or cranberry call, appears to be effective in the prevention of cystitis. The fruit can be consumed as juice or through widely marketed capsules. There are no unequivocal evidence of the effectiveness of this fruit, but as it does not hurt, most doctors just indicating its use.
Tip # 16 to prevent cystitis - estrogen creams in menopause
After menopause, estrogen causes a lack of vaginal dryness, and decrease of the natural bacterial flora. Both of these changes increase the risk of colonization of the vagina by enterobacteria. The use of estrogen in the form of vaginal cream helps restore the natural environment of the vagina, reducing the incidence of urinary tract infections.
Tip # 17 to prevent cystitis - avoid indiscriminate use of antibiotics
Some people with frequent frames of upper respiratory infection, especially throat, nose or ear, end up making frequent use of antibiotics, often unnecessarily, since most of these infections are caused by viruses.
The indiscriminate use of antibiotics for life can alter the normal composition of the vaginal bacterial flora, facilitating the occurrence of gynecological infections such as candidiasis, or urinary tract infection. Frequent use of antibiotics can also select the bacteria from the intestines, creating resistant strains, which leads to the emergence of multidrug-resistant urinary tract infections to standard antibiotics.
Tip # 18 to prevent cystitis - probiotics
Probiotic Lactobacillus are medicines taken orally or intra-vaginally, whose aim is to strengthen the vaginal flora and hinder the establishment of enterobacteria in the area around the urethra. It is a treatment still under study, but that is apparently effective in reducing the incidence of urinary tract infections.
Tip # 19 to prevent cystitis - vaccinations
There are vaccines composed of killed strains of E. coli bacteria responsible for over 80% of cases of UTI, which exhibit good results. Examples are: Solco-Urovac, Urovaxom and Strovac.
Vaccines which have intra-vaginal or intra-muscular administration appear to be more effective than vaccines orally.
It is important to note that these vaccines do not protect against cystitis caused by enterobacteria other than E. coli.
Tip # 20 to prevent cystitis - prophylactic antibiotics
Some women, however to follow all the tips outlined above, remain with repeated frames of urinary tract infection. In these cases, the prolonged use of antibiotics at low doses can be indicated. Studies have shown that daily use of antibiotics such as Bactrim (trimethoprim / sulfamethoxazole), can be used safely and effectively for up to 5 years, reducing by more than 95% the rate of new urinary tract infections.
Tip # 21 to prevent cystitis - postcoital antibiotics
Some women have repeated frames of cystitis clearly related to sexual activity. Cystitis arising always 24 to 48 hours after intercourse. In these cases, antibiotic prophylaxis can be made promptly, only after sex. Instead of taking antibiotics every day, as described in Tip # 20, the woman is instructed to take a single tablet of appropriate antibiotic every time you have sex.
