Question: What Can I Do to Prevent Urinary Tract Infections or UTI?
Answer: There are several things you can do every day to help prevent recurrent urinary tract infections or UTI. To aid the prevention of future urinary tract infections:
- Always practice good hygiene habits. Keep the area around your vagina and rectum cleansed daily. Always wipe this area from front to back to prevent bacteria from entering the urethra or vagina. You might also want to take showers rather than baths.
- Do you drink enough water every day? Be sure you drink several 8 oz glasses of water every day to help flush potential UTI – causing out of your system. Many health care experts recommend drinking cranberry juice or taking cranberry supplements to patients who suffer from urinary tract infections – taking Vitamin C supplements also helps reduce the amount of bacteria produced by your body.
- Are you guilty of waiting too long before you urinate? It’s important to urinate when you feel the need, as well as before and after sex to help keep bacteria out of your genital area. Some women drink lots of water after sexual activity because they believe it helps rid their systems of bacteria.
- Avoid products that are often irritating to the genitals such as vaginal douches and feminine hygiene products.
- Wear white cotton panties. If you must wear other types of panties, make sure at least the crotch is cotton which absorbs moisture and helps to keep you dry to prevent bacteria. Make sure your panty hose also have a cotton crotch.More Women's Health Q&A
