The most common cause of urinary tract infections is by the bacteria E. coli which is found in the digestive system. It causes UTIs if women forget to wipe front to back or if anyone has poor hygiene habits, or after sex. It is important to try to remember to urinate after any sexual activity to help ‘flush’ out the waterworks.
Even though the pain is there and it’s the last thing you want to do, drink, drink and then drink some more. The more you flush out the infection, the quicker you’ll recover. Obviously what you drink is important and the most ideal is clean, pure water. Now is not the time to develop a caffeine habit as coffee and tea will only irritate and aggravate – this includes decaf varieties. Some people find that soft drinks, citrus, tomato, vinegar and artificial sweeteners can also aggravate their symptoms.
Barley water is a traditional remedy. Simply boil 1L of water with a handful of barley, simmer and reduce by half and drink when it has cooled. We have all heard that cranberry juice is effective but make sure it is sugar free to be of benefit. Cranberry has been shown to prevent adherence of the bacteria to the bladder wall especially when taken as a preventative.
Probiotics (especially acidophilus species) are excellent at normalising bacteria in the urinary area. Eating sugar free natural yoghurt or taking a probiotic supplement daily is very effective and topical application of cool plain yoghurt to the area can relieve some of the symptoms.
