How to manage recurrent UTIs

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are quite common, especially among young women. According to a study published in the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), around 50-60% of women will develop UTIs in their lifetime.

Although UTIs are easily treated with antibiotics, sometimes they become chronic. This is when a woman keeps on getting re-infected even after treatment. If three urine cultures turn out to be positive within a period of 12 months, then that’s considered a recurrent UTI. If you have also had two infections in the last 6 months, they are also considered as recurrent.

UTI risk factors

Woman in toilet(Medical News Today) Pulse Live Kenya

For someone with recurrent UTIs, a urine culture and sensitivity testing are necessary for diagnosis. History taking and pelvic examination are also very important. Women who have had a UTI before and those with a history of diabetes mellitus are usually at a higher risk of getting recurrent UTIs.

Some of the common signs and symptoms of UTIs include; frequent urge to urinate, cloudy urine that might have an odor, blood in urine, difficulty or pain during urination, and, pain above the pubic area.

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Managing recurrent UTIs

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So how can one deal with recurrent UTIs? Women who have had recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTIs) are encouraged to drink lots of fluids (2-3 liters) and also avoid holding urine. Urinating frequently helps in flushing out bacteria from the bladder and avoid any present bacteria from multiplying in the bladder.

During sex. Women are advised to make sure they clean the vaginal area before and after sex. This will ensure that no bacteria is pushed inwards and that there are no bacteria left on the area after sex. While going to the toilet, it is important to wipe from front to back to avoid the E-coli bacteria from spreading to the urethra.

Since sex is one of the factors that put women at the risk of recurrent UTIs, women should avoid having multiple partners. All the other things that lead to vaginal irritation such as douching, bubble baths, vaginal creams and lotions, deodorants and soaps should also be avoided.