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Suggest Treatment For Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection

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Posted on Tue, 7 Jun 2016
Question: Hi
My wife experience repeated terrible utis, protein ++ and a strong straw like odour to the urine. This she has managed for years and she has been on various medication such nitrofurantoin and trimethaprin. But to no avail post intercourse (
Usually when it has been more tha one occurrence ) she gets pain on urination. Also her pH has started to burn me. Is there anything we can do? Don't like seeing her in pain
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Rakhi Tayal (57 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Recurrent UTI needs to be prevented.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for trusting us with your health concern.
I understand your concern and will like to explain this in detail to you.
Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a major healthcare concern for premenopausal, healthy, sexually active women. A practical approach to the management and prevention of recurrent UTIs should be simple, practical, and cost effective. Low-dose or postcoital antimicrobial therapy can be effective for women with constellations of many recurrent UTIs, but for women with 2 to 4 UTIs per year, the most cost-effective and empowering management strategy is patient-initiated antimicrobial treatment.

The most common cause of UTIs are bacteria from the bowel that live on the skin near the rectum or in the vagina, which can spread and enter the urinary tract through the urethra. Once these bacteria enter the urethra, they travel upward, causing infection in the bladder and sometimes other parts of the urinary tract.

Sexual intercourse is a common cause of urinary tract infections because the female anatomy can make women more prone to urinary tract infections.
Another cause of bladder infections or UTI is waiting too long to urinate.
You must get a urine culture done and then take the proper antibiotics in proper dose in consultation with your doctor. Other methods to be adopted are
Water helps flush your urinary tract, so make sure you drink plenty of plain water
Don't hold it when you need to urinate! Women are often guilty of trying to finish a task before they go to the bathroom. Holding it when you need to go can help any bacteria that may be present develop into a full-fledged urinary tract infection.
You've probably heard that you should wipe from front to back after a bowl movement. This is especially important to help prevent bacteria from the anus from entering the vagina or urethra.

Always wash your genital area both before and after sexual intercourse
Avoid Feminine hygiene sprays and douches, particularly scented douches, can irritate the urethra and possibly lead to a UTI.

Drinking cranberry juice is a fairly well-known and natural way to both help prevent urinary tract infections, as well as help speed the recovery process when a UTI develops. Just drinking two 4-ounce glasses of cranberry juice daily is often enough to both prevent a UTI and speed recovery when an infection does develop.
Another nutritional route that may help prevent UTI is regularly taking vitamin C supplements. Vitamin C increases the acidity level of urine, which in turn helps decrease the number of harmful bacteria that may be present in your urinary tract system.
Always wear panties with a cotton crotch. Cotton fabric lets moisture escape while other fabrics can trap moisture, creating a potential breeding ground for bacteria.
If you are one of a large number of women who suffers from frequent, recurrent urinary tract infections, a change in your position during sexual intercourse may help reduce the number of UTIs that you experience. Changing sexual positions may reduce friction on your urethra and reduce your risk of recurrent UTI.

Please feel free to discuss further. I will be glad to answer the follow up queries that you have.
Wishing you good health.
Regards.
Dr. Rakhi Tayal.
For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Rakhi-Tayal
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Dr. Rakhi Tayal

OBGYN

Practicing since :2001

Answered : 14041 Questions

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Suggest Treatment For Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection

Brief Answer: Recurrent UTI needs to be prevented. Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for trusting us with your health concern. I understand your concern and will like to explain this in detail to you. Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a major healthcare concern for premenopausal, healthy, sexually active women. A practical approach to the management and prevention of recurrent UTIs should be simple, practical, and cost effective. Low-dose or postcoital antimicrobial therapy can be effective for women with constellations of many recurrent UTIs, but for women with 2 to 4 UTIs per year, the most cost-effective and empowering management strategy is patient-initiated antimicrobial treatment. The most common cause of UTIs are bacteria from the bowel that live on the skin near the rectum or in the vagina, which can spread and enter the urinary tract through the urethra. Once these bacteria enter the urethra, they travel upward, causing infection in the bladder and sometimes other parts of the urinary tract. Sexual intercourse is a common cause of urinary tract infections because the female anatomy can make women more prone to urinary tract infections. Another cause of bladder infections or UTI is waiting too long to urinate. You must get a urine culture done and then take the proper antibiotics in proper dose in consultation with your doctor. Other methods to be adopted are Water helps flush your urinary tract, so make sure you drink plenty of plain water Don't hold it when you need to urinate! Women are often guilty of trying to finish a task before they go to the bathroom. Holding it when you need to go can help any bacteria that may be present develop into a full-fledged urinary tract infection. You've probably heard that you should wipe from front to back after a bowl movement. This is especially important to help prevent bacteria from the anus from entering the vagina or urethra. Always wash your genital area both before and after sexual intercourse Avoid Feminine hygiene sprays and douches, particularly scented douches, can irritate the urethra and possibly lead to a UTI. Drinking cranberry juice is a fairly well-known and natural way to both help prevent urinary tract infections, as well as help speed the recovery process when a UTI develops. Just drinking two 4-ounce glasses of cranberry juice daily is often enough to both prevent a UTI and speed recovery when an infection does develop. Another nutritional route that may help prevent UTI is regularly taking vitamin C supplements. Vitamin C increases the acidity level of urine, which in turn helps decrease the number of harmful bacteria that may be present in your urinary tract system. Always wear panties with a cotton crotch. Cotton fabric lets moisture escape while other fabrics can trap moisture, creating a potential breeding ground for bacteria. If you are one of a large number of women who suffers from frequent, recurrent urinary tract infections, a change in your position during sexual intercourse may help reduce the number of UTIs that you experience. Changing sexual positions may reduce friction on your urethra and reduce your risk of recurrent UTI. Please feel free to discuss further. I will be glad to answer the follow up queries that you have. Wishing you good health. Regards. Dr. Rakhi Tayal. For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Rakhi-Tayal