Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the second most common form of infection affecting the human system.
Since they’re viewed as simple infections, over 50-60% of adult women, 10% of adult men, and roughly 2.5% of all children worldwide suffer.
As a result, millions suffer from chronic UTI symptoms globally, with recurring infections and harmful and life-threatening side effects of conventional antibiotic treatments.
All of this can easily be prevented by taking proper care of the system with the right lifestyle prescriptions and boosting urinary health naturally.
What Are Urinary Tract Infections?
As the name suggests, Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are infections in any part of the body’s urinary system.
The urinary tract/system consists of-
- Kidneys – filter out wastes from the blood and change them into urine
- Ureters – tubes that take the urine from the kidneys to the bladder
- Bladder – temporarily stores the urine
- Urethra – tube that takes the urine from the bladder to outside the body
When bacteria enter the system, it leads to inflammation and infection, along with other symptoms.
What Are the Symptoms of UTIs?
Common symptoms of UTIs include:
- Burning sensation when urinating
- Frequent urge to urinate
- Cloudy, dark, or strange-smelling urine
- Pelvic pain
- Pain in the genitals during urination (often in men)
- Wetting the bed (mostly among children and older adults)
- Mental confusion (usually in older people)
- Tiredness
- Loss of appetite
- If the UTI becomes chronic or isn’t treated timely, it can cause-
- Bloody urination
- Repeated infections
- Pain or pressure in the lower belly or back
- High fever and chills
- Flushed skin
- Nausea and/or vomiting
In severe cases, UTIs can also permanently damage the kidneys and even cause sepsis (a life-threatening inflammation of the human body).
How Are UTIs Caused?
Children under five are more likely to get a UTI. As they reach puberty, the onset of sexual activity can increase their risk of getting a UTI.
People with diabetes, especially women, are at a higher risk of getting UTIs.
As a result, their immune system weakens and makes them unable to fight off the infections. However, some get UTIs because of their genes.
While men can get UTIs, they are more prominent in women, especially after menopause, due to biological differences.
The lower levels of estrogen (female reproductive hormones) make it easier for the harmful bacteria to grow.
Females have a shorter urethra than males, which is also close to the anal outlet and the birth canal.
Thus, the bacteria can quickly go to the bladder and spread the infection to other parts of the urinary system.
On the other hand, older men, usually above 50 years of age, can get UTIs more often. They occur due to a bacteria called E. coli (Escherichia coli).
This bacterium is naturally found in the gastric tract and can infect the bladder.
What Are the Common Risk Factors Of UTIs?
Some prominent risk factors for such infections include:
- Sexual transmission (infections like herpes, gonorrhea, mycoplasma, chlamydia, etc.)
- A previous UTI
- Menopause, as it causes changes in the vaginal bacteria
- Pregnancy, as it leads to hormonal changes in the urinary tract
- Age (children and elderly are at a higher risk of getting UTIs)
- Using birth controls like spermicides and diaphragm (they can cause bacterial changes inside the vagina)
- Catheter tubes (one of the most common causes of UTIs among hospitalized patients)
Furthermore, conditions like high blood sugar, kidney/bladder stones, etc., can affect one’s urine flow and lead to a UTI.
Why Do UTIs Keep Coming Back?
Recurrent UTIs are more common among women. This is because in female anatomy, the urethra, anus, and vagina are very close to each other.
As a result, the bacterium E. coli can easily go from the rectum to the vagina/urethra and spread the infection. Another possible reason behind repeated UTIs is sexual activity.
Frequent sexual intercourse can increase the number of harmful bacteria in the bladder, thus, leading to higher chances of urinary infections.
This is why it is advised to empty the bladder before and after sex to flush the bacteria out.
Using birth control like spermicides can kill off Lactobacilli, a good and beneficial bacteria in the vagina.
This also makes it easier for E. coli to infect the urinary system. After menopause, the physiological changes further reduce the good bacteria in the vagina. They also decrease the bladder’s strength, making it harder to empty it.
Other health issues like autoimmune and neurological diseases, any past urinary tract surgeries, etc., can also make a person prone to recurring infections.
What Are the Common Treatments for UTIs?
Common treatments for UTIs are often antibiotics, depending upon the symptoms, severity, and bacteria involved.
Some traditionally prescribed drugs for UTIs include Ceftriaxone, Cephalexin, Doxycycline, etc. Most of the medications focus only on the symptoms and pain relief.
Do UTI Treatments Have Side Effects?
The health risks of antibiotics often outweigh their benefits in treating the condition. The commonly prescribed antibiotics cannot control recurring infections.
If the symptoms worsen, doctors prescribe strong antibiotics to be consumed for a longer amount of time.
However, overconsumption causes severe effects like diarrhea, skin problems, rash, nausea, vomiting, l yeast infections, etc.
How Do We Prevent/Manage UTIs and Improve Urinary Health?
To alleviate UTIs timely before they worsen and to prevent future infections, the following are some tips you can follow-
- Drink plenty of water. It helps dilute the urine, which leads to urinating more often. As a result, the bacteria are flushed from the urinary tract before they can infect the system.
- Don’t hold your urination.
- Empty your bladder before and after sexual activity.
- Keep your genital areas clean.
- Maintain proper bathroom hygiene.
- Avoid consuming excess caffeinated, alcoholic, and carbonated beverages.
- For women – wipe from front to back after urination and after a bowel moment.
- Avoid feminine products like douches, powders, deodorant sprays, etc., that can potentially irritate the genital area.
- Avoid birth control methods like diaphragms, spermicides, and unlubricated condoms, as they can contribute to bacterial growth.
- Consider using vaginal estrogen for better urinary health, especially post-menopause.
For a patient suffering from a UTI or any of its symptoms, it is best to choose natural treatments over harmful antibiotics.
Formulations such as Hempstreet’s UTME Functional Superbar can be incredibly effective. Natural ingredients like hemp seeds, rosemary extracts, cranberries, and D-mannose provide comprehensive support for urinary wellness.
This makes it an effective powerhouse for enhancing urinary tract health and improving comprehensive well-being without any side effects.
Such formulations can not only fight UTIs safely but also help in the:
- balancing the pH
- eases the associated pain
- maintain urinary tract function
- offer the essential nutrients to promote overall wellness.
Reach out to Hempstreet to discover how you can alleviate UTIs and their symptoms naturally, boost urinary health, avoid antibiotics, and prevent such infections in the future.
References
https://www.webmd.com/women/your-guide-urinary-tract-infections
https://www.verywellhealth.com/urinary-tract-infection-facts-and-statistics-6503753
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-tract-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20353447
https://www.healthline.com/health/uti-in-elderly#takeaway
https://www.health.harvard.edu/bladder-and-bowel/when-urinary-tract-infections-keep-coming-back
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/diet-and-utis-foods-to-avoid-with-a-uti
