Most females have had a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) at some point in their life and the diagnosis is quite common. A UTI happens when the urinary tract, kidneys, or urethra get infected with harmful bacteria. When you have a urinary tract infection, going through your everyday life can be extremely uncomfortable. Thankfully, there are many ways to prevent and treat a UTI.
Before we discuss treatment and prevention, we should talk about what causes a UTI. Some common causes are a suppressed immune system, certain birth control, poor personal hygiene, and sexual activity. These can all lead to the increased risk of getting a UTI.
There are many steps you can take daily to prevent a urinary tract infection. Taking immune boosting supplements like vitamin C is useful in UTI prevention. Probiotics are also helpful to supply the body with good bacteria and control the body’s natural pH balance. In addition to boosting your immune system, you should make sure to drink plenty of water or unsweetened cranberry juice and stay well hydrated. Drinking a lot of healthy fluids will help flush out any bad bacteria in your system on a regular basis. If you are sexually active, you can take the precautionary step to urinate after sexual intercourse because it will help to push out the bad bacteria that may have been pushed up into your urethra or urinary tract during sex. Also, ensure that you are taking the right steps for good personal hygiene.
Sometimes even after taking all the precautionary steps you could still end up with a urinary tract infection. If you do, there are multiple forms of treatment to get rid of a UTI. The most common treatment for a UTI is a course of antibiotics. Go to your doctor of a local urgent care to get a prescription. It’s important to urinate frequently when you have a UTI to flush out the bacteria and get the infection out of your system. If you think you might have a UTI, it’s important to go to the doctor right away and get treatment so it doesn’t turn into a worse infection.
