| AUTHOR |
MESSAGE
|
| Dr.WomanSaverM.D. |
 |
|
Posted: 7/14/2006 3:32 PM |
 |
Subject: Anonymous Question: UTI Prevention |
|
|
|
WomanSaver MoFo
Female Member
Age: 100
.gif)
Total Posts: 564
Doctor's Office
Costa Rica
offline
Invite To Chat Room
 Send Note
|
Hi Dr. Womansaver,
I have a question about UTI‘s. I seem to
get one almost everytime I have sex. I have been to the doctor before
and diagnosed and given antibiotics for it, but I can‘t afford to keep
going to the doctor over and over. At the first signs of one, I drink
alot and I do mean ALOT of water for a few days and it seems to go away
on its own. My question is: What is a good way to prevent them in the
first place?
I‘ve heard that urinating before AND after sex will
reduce the risk of getting one, but I can‘t "go" that much. I probably
could either or, but not both. I guess what I‘m asking is: Is one
better than the other. Is it better to urinate before OR after? I just
can‘t do both. Or is there another way? And is drinking lots of water
enough to get rid of one once I get it? I guess I just need all the
info you can find on preventing and curing UTI‘s. Now that I have a
steady partner, it seems like I get one 2-3 times a MONTH! It‘s
horrible! Anything you can pass on to me, I‘d appreciate it. Thanks! :)
align="center"> 
Hi womansavers member,
I‘m sorry you are having recurrent UTI‘s. UTI‘s are a common problem for many women because we have a shorter urethra compared to men (see picture). A shorter urethra means bacteria have less of a distance to travel en route to the bladder, thus women tend to get UTI‘s more easily than men.
The symptoms of a UTI are:
-Frequency (need to urinate more often)
-Urgency (urgent need to urinate)
-Discomfort or pressure in your bladder/pelvis
-Painful urination
-Abnormal color of urine (smoky/cloudy)
-Bloody urine
-Foul smelling urine
A majority of UTI‘s affect the lower urinary tract which is composed of the urethra and bladder. Cystitis (infection of the bladder) occurs when the bladder is infected with bacteria.
A UTI is a bacterial infection so you will need antibiotics to treat it. If you are having chronic UTI‘s (lasting longer than 2 weeks), recurrent UTI‘s (more than 2-3 in 6 months), or UTI‘s that don‘t respond to antibiotics, you should inform your doctor because you may just need a different type of antibiotic or a longer course of antibiotics.
If you are experiencing the symptoms of a UTI, you should see your doctor. If cystitis is left untreated, the infection can ascend up the urinary tract via the ureters towards the kidneys and cause severe disease. -See picture. Also contact your doctor immediately if you develop nausea, vomiting, fever, or flank pain (pain in your lower back).
Here are some ways to PREVENT a UTI:
-Wipe front to back (this prevents bacteria in the anal region from moving forwards to enter the urethra).
-Urinate right AFTER intercourse (this helps to get rid of bacteria which may have entered the urethra during intercourse). It may also help to drink a glass of water right afterwards as well.
-Don‘t hold it. Go to the bathroom as often as you can. Not releasing the urine may also cause bacteria to replicate and grow.
-Drink plenty of water. (this causes any bacteria that may be present to be eliminated from the bladder).
-Drink CRANBERRY JUICE. (it helps to prevent bacteria from growing in the urinary tract and fights against the infection), but ask your doctor first because cranberry juice interacts with some medications!
-Avoid caffeine and alcohol (these may irritate or cause spasms of the bladder)
-Avoid scented feminine products such as douches, pads, etc. (these may irritate the urethra).
I hope this helps.
-Dr. WomanSaver
|
| slappysquirrel |
|
|
Posted: 7/17/2006 12:48 PM |
|
Subject: Anonymous Question: UTI Prevention |
|
|
|
WomanSaver MoFo
Female Member
Age: 1
Total Posts: 1077
Bored beyond belief
Alabama
United States
offline
Invite To Chat Room
Send Note
|
I suffer from "honeymoon cystitis" too. I actually have a certain
type of antibiotic I take right after sex. I know some doctors
don‘t like giving out antibiotics because of the desensitization issue,
but what‘s a girl to do. Get the infection and suffer with
it? Constant doctor‘s appts? And when it starts at 2 in the
morning (those are the worst), a trip to the er? Constant trips
to the lab? I went through about 8 or 9 infections before my
doctor decided to take the preventative route. Another joy of
being a woman. Have your partner checked too and treated if
necessary. If he‘s the cause, then he just keeps giving you the
infection over and over.
|
| Dr.WomanSaverM.D. |
|
|
Posted: 7/18/2006 2:31 PM |
|
Subject: Anonymous Question: UTI Prevention |
|
|
|
WomanSaver MoFo
Female Member
Age: 100
Total Posts: 564
Doctor's Office
Costa Rica
offline
Invite To Chat Room
Send Note
|
| slappysquirrel wrote: | I suffer from "honeymoon cystitis" too. I actually have a certain type of antibiotic I take right after sex. I know some doctors don‘t like giving out antibiotics because of the desensitization issue, but what‘s a girl to do. Get the infection and suffer with it? Constant doctor‘s appts? And when it starts at 2 in the morning (those are the worst), a trip to the er? Constant trips to the lab? I went through about 8 or 9 infections before my doctor decided to take the preventative route. Another joy of being a woman. Have your partner checked too and treated if necessary. If he‘s the cause, then he just keeps giving you the infection over and over.
|
Hi Slappysquirrel,
Thanks for your input. Often prophylactic antibiotics (to prevent UTI) are given to women who have recurrent infections. I rather someone try the natural prevention techniques first before trying antibiotics due to resistance. Often, people can‘t afford the long course of antibiotics, and some of the prevention measures work great. But if one is having many recurrent infections and nothing else is working, they can always talk to their doctor about their options for prophylactic antibiotics if they wish to take them.
The person who asked the question only asked about prevention and treatment, so I didn‘t go into cause of UTI too much, but I should add that the most common way of getting a UTI for women is by spread of normal gut bacteria such as E.coli which spreads from the woman‘s rectum to the urethra (from back to front). Furthermore, it is not only the shorter urethra (as I mentioned in my last post) that predisposes women to this condition but also the close proximity of the anus to the urethra compared to men. The result is urethritis or cystitis. -See picture: top left is a front view, and bottom right is side view with the woman facing to the left of your screen.
Honeymoon cystitis occurs when a woman becomes sexually active, and is due to irritation, friction, or trauma of the urethra during sexual intercourse which promotes bacterial spread. Thus preventive measures are suggested, such as urinating AFTER intercourse to flush out any bacteria that may have entered the urethra, etc. So a recurrent UTI per se is not sexually transmitted, but rather sexually associated. A woman can still get a UTI if her partner is using a condom, because it is caused by her own bacteria.
In males a UTI presents differently. Because of the different anatomy in males, gut bacteria have a long way to travel from the anus to the urethra, (picture available upon request:)). So although not impossible, they are much less likely to get infected with E.coli and transmit it. When men get urethritis, it is usually associated with bacteria such as Neisseria gonorrhea (aka GC or gonococcus) or Chlamydia trachomatis which ARE sexually acquired from someone who has it. These bacteria usually cause different disease when transmitted to females. Although these organisms may be found in the female urethra when transmitted, they would more often be associated with other reproductive tract problems such as PID, and cervicitis (which we can discuss later), but NOT be a likely cause of recurrent UTI or "honymoon cystitis". When two people are in a monogamous relationship, practicing safe sex, GC or Chlamydia should not even be an issue. However if one suspects their partner has a sexually transmitted infection, then it is always a good idea for both partners to be tested and treated in order to prevent spreading the infection back and forth to each other or other sexual partners.
I hope this clears up some doubts on the differences between urinary tract infections and sexually transmitted infections. It‘s like comparing apples and oranges.
Please see the following sites below, and I will be glad to answer any more follow ups. :)
-Dr. WomanSaver
For more information:
UTI:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/urinary-tract-infection/DS00286/DSECTION=1
Gonorrhea:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gonorrhea/DS00180/DSECTION=1
Chlamydia:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chlamydia/DS00173/DSECTION=1
|
| Dr.WomanSaverM.D. |
|
|
Posted: 10/4/2006 6:43 PM |
|
Subject: Anonymous Question: UTI Prevention |
|
|
|
WomanSaver MoFo
Female Member
Age: 100
Total Posts: 564
Doctor's Office
Costa Rica
offline
Invite To Chat Room
Send Note
|
Bumping up! :)
|
| Sassafras |
|
|
Posted: 11/21/2006 5:13 PM |
|
Subject: Anonymous Question: UTI Prevention |
|
|
|
WomanSaver MoFo
Female Member
Age: 45
Total Posts: 348
Nomenhere
Colorado
United States
offline
Invite To Chat Room
Send Note
|
I have also heard that condoms or birth control like the sponge that have spermacide in them exacerbate the problem, so if you suffer from UTIs, you may want to avoid spermacides.
|
| Dr.WomanSaverM.D. |
|
|
Posted: 11/23/2006 9:17 AM |
|
Subject: Anonymous Question: UTI Prevention |
|
|
|
WomanSaver MoFo
Female Member
Age: 100
Total Posts: 564
Doctor's Office
Costa Rica
offline
Invite To Chat Room
Send Note
|
| Sassafras wrote: | | I have also heard that condoms or birth control like the sponge that have spermacide in them exacerbate the problem, so if you suffer from UTIs, you may want to avoid spermacides. |
Thats right. spermicides can sometimes kill off the "good bacteria" and offset the balance thus promoting growth of the "bad bacteria" like E.coli that cause UTI.
|