How to Prevent and Treat Urinary Tract Infections

It’s only 10 a.m., yet you can’t seem to stop rushing to the ladies’ room. You’ve got all the symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI), but how did you get it? Here’s what you need to know about some of the surprising ways to prevent and treat urinary tract infections. Read on for answers to your 10 most burning UTI questions…

It’s been called the “honeymoon disease” because frisky newlyweds often come down with it. But the painful and urgent symptoms of urinary tract infections (UTIs) are more than just a harmless annoyance. They can result in serious trouble.

“Untreated UTIs lead to kidney infection, which can lead to kidney damage and sepsis, a life-threatening blood infection,” says Lissa Rankin, an ob-gyn and author of the book What’s Up Down There: Questions You’d Only Ask Your Gynecologist if She Was Your Best Friend (St. Martin’s Griffin).

UTI’s are common, partly because of the area’s anatomy – all those openings close together – and the migration of traveling bacteria. They can result from frequent sexual activity. But did you know that diabetes, kidney stones and even tampons can also cause them?

Read on for 10 UTI questions answered.

1. How do symptoms of urinary tract infection develop?
Here are the basics: Urine produced by your kidneys travels down two tubes called ureters and is stored in your bladder. When your bladder is full, urine flows out of your body through your urethra, located in front of the opening to your vagina.

Usually urine is sterile, so infections don’t develop in the urinary tract. But if you wipe from back to front after a bowel movement, bacteria can move from your anal area to the urethra, where infection can start and travel to the bladder, up the ureters to the kidneys.

“UTIs, also known as cystitis or bladder infections, can involve any part of the urinary system, including the urethra, bladder, ureters and kidneys,” says Lauren Feder, M.D., a primary care physician in Los Angeles who specializes in women’s health.

2. What are the symptoms of urinary tract infections?
Although not everyone with a UTI develops symptoms, most do. They include:

Lower abdominal pain

A frequent urge to pee (even when your bladder is nearly empty)

Pain, itching and burning in the bladder and urethra, especially when urinating

Urine that is cloudy, milky or pink (because it’s tinged with blood)

Urine that has strong or foul smell

“Fevers don’t usually accompany a bladder infection unless it’s severe, and at that point it probably involves the kidneys,” Feder says.

If the infection reaches the kidneys, symptoms may also include pain in the back or side below the ribs, nausea and vomiting. Kidney infections are serious and may require hospitalization and IV antibiotic treatment.

If they’re not treated promptly, permanent kidney damage may occur and the infection may spread throughout the body.

3. Who gets UTIs?
UTIs can develop in females and males, but women and girls are much more likely to get them.

That’s because “their urethra is shorter and closer to the anus, making it more prone to contamination,” Feder says.

Pregnant women with UTIs should watch out because the infection is more likely to travel to the kidneys and cause serious problems, such as preterm birth or high blood pressure. If you’re pregnant and suspect a UTI, call your ob-gyn immediately.

4. Can having sex cause UTIs?
Having sex isn’t one of the causes of UTI, but it does increase your risk of getting one.

Here’s why: When there’s lots of action in the vaginal area, there’s a higher likelihood that anal bacteria (yours or your partner’s) will be introduced into your urethra.

Several simple steps can lower your chances of getting a UTI during sex:

Bathe with your partner: “Showering with your partner before intercourse decreases germs on both of you,” says Robert E. Berry Jr., M.D., director of the division of ambulatory care at Women and Infants’ Hospital in Providence, R.I.

Pee after sex: Urine can help wash away germs.

Juice up: Drink cranberry juice daily or around the times of increased sexual activity to help prevent UTI, advises Berry.

“Cranberry compounds prevent bacteria from attaching to the bladder wall,” says Amy B. Howell, Ph.D., associate research scientist at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Studies have found that an 8- to 10-ounce glass of cranberry juice cocktail (27% cranberry juice) daily has been effective at reducing recurrent UTI in women by up to 50%.

“The juice can be sweetened with either sugar or sucralose [Splenda] – both are effective,” Howell says. “I recommend the light cocktail because it only has 10 grams of carbs. If you’re diabetic, overweight or trying to limit carbs, this is a good option.”

If you’d rather drink 100% cranberry juice, which is bitter and acidic, make it more palatable by diluting it with other juices or water.

Beware of supermarket advertising on cranberry juice products, because it can be misleading. Check the ingredients label for the percentage of cranberry juice.

“Even when a juice says it’s 100% juice, it may not be all cranberry,” Howell says. It may contain mostly apple, pear or white grape juices with just a splash of cranberry for taste and color.

“Just remember that cranberry is useful in helping prevent UTI – not in treating it – and should be taken daily, if possible,” Howell says. “If you have an active infection, seek medical treatment and get on antibiotics.”

5. Do multiple sex partners increase the odds of UTIs?
No. “The development of UTIs is more related to how much sex you have rather than who you have it with,” Rankin says.

Even then, sex is just one way that bacteria spread to the urinary tract, Rankin adds. Women who abstain from sex, and even children and babies, can still get UTIs.

Symptoms of urinary tract infection in children are similar to those in adults, but a child may also have wetting problems, a fever, poor appetite, a general “ill” feeling or no symptoms at all. A pediatrician will test for it by taking a urine sample to be cultured in a lab.

6. Are some people more likely to get UTIs?
Yes, risk is believed to be increased by:

Urinary-tract abnormalities that disrupt the flow of urine, such as a kidney stone

Diabetes and other disease that suppresses the immune system

Using a diaphragm, which is associated with greater bacteria buildup

Having sex with a partner who uses condoms with spermicidal foam, which can cause vaginal irritation

Menopause, when estrogen loss thins the urinary-tract walls

Using tampons – which increase UTI risk, according to a 1998 study in the Journal of Pediatric Adolescent Gynecology – rather than pads

7. Can foods cause UTIs?
“I’m unaware of any particular foods that [increase] your chance of getting a UTI,” says Lila Schmidt, M.D., a gynecologist at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego, Calif.

However, eating a balanced diet helps keep your immune system strong.

8. If a woman gets one UTI, is she more susceptible to them?
Yes, “developing a UTI increases the risk of [future] UTIs,” Rankin says.

In fact, recurrent UTI is a stubborn problem for some women. Nearly 20% of women who have a UTI will get a second one, and 30% of those who have a second one will develop a third, according to the National Institutes of Health. Among those women who have had three UTIs, 80% will get them again.

The reason is unknown, but researchers are looking into whether cell linings in women who get recurrent UTI change in a way that allows bacteria to attach to them.

9. What should I do if I think I have a UTI?
See your doctor. You’ll be asked to give a urine sample (a urinalysis), which will be examined for bacteria. If it’s caught early, your doctor can easily treat urinary tract infection with prescribed oral antibiotics.

Results of the urine test will help your doctor determine which antibiotic will work best and how long you should take it.

“Drugs like Bactrim or Macrobid are the most common,” Rankin says. “Over-the-counter symptom relief can be obtained with something like Uristat, a bladder anesthetic, but this isn’t a curative treatment.”

You’ll probably have to take antibiotics for a few days to two weeks, depending on the infection. Follow the directions exactly, and continue taking your medication even if you feel better. Symptoms of urinary tract infection usually disappear within a day or two, but the infection itself can take longer to clear up.

A heating pad or hot water bottle placed over the abdomen may also help ease UTI pain.

Women with recurrent UTI may be prescribed different antibiotic treatments. They may also be referred for ultrasound or other kinds of tests that look for evidence of a more serious problem, such as kidney damage.

10. How can I prevent UTI?

Drink lots of water – enough to increase urine output, which helps wash away bacteria that haven’t yet caused infection.

Urinate when you feel the need – at least every 2-3 hours – rather than holding it for long periods.

After going to the bathroom, wipe yourself from front to back.

Take showers rather than baths, which can allow bacteria to reach the bladder opening.

Shower before having sex.

Urinate shortly after having sex to flush away bacteria that may have been introduced into the vaginal areas and urethra.

Avoid feminine hygiene sprays, powders and scented douches that can irritate the urethra.

Wear panties with a cotton crotch that allows air flow. Bacteria grow more rapidly in warm, moist conditions.