Too fast, too soon
When you’re rushing to the toilet once too often and it’s more a pain than a relief, it could be that troublesome urinary tract infection (UTI) again.
It could be urinary tract infection when you:
1. Experience a “burning” pain on passing urine.
2. Have the urge to pass urine quickly.
3. Pass urine more frequently than normal.
4. Pass bloodstained, cloudy urine, or foul-smelling urine.
5. Experience lower abdominal or loin pain, with or without fever.
Better safe than sorry
Wipe the groin area from front to back to prevent bacteria from spreading from the rectal area to the vagina and ascending to the bladder.
Avoid potential irritants such as vaginal deodorants, vaginal douching agents and bubble baths.
Wash the genital area often, especially before and after sexual intercourse. Voiding after intercourse is encouraged.
Empty your bladder fully to prevent bacteria from multiplying in the bladder.
Seek treatment for vaginal/lower genital tract infection to prevent it from spreading. Drink cranberry juice to prevent UTI.
Spot the signs of UTI
You are heading for UTI if you have/are:
- Sexually active, especially with multiple sexual partners.
- Diabetes mellitus.
- Renal stones.
- Had recent instrumentation of the bladder, eg introducing a rubber catheter into the bladder.
- Irritable bowel syndrome.
- Neurogenic voiding disorder.
How to tell you have UTI?
A sample of urine can confirm it.
What can be done? The following are some diagnostic and treatment options and suggestions for follow-up care:
- Your doctor will screen your urine samples for infection.
- Antibiotics will be prescribed.
- Consume at least two litres of water a day, especially during hot days or if exercising.
- Take more vitamin C daily.
- Further assessment of the urinary system, by doing a renal ultrasound intravenous pyelogram, diagnostic cystoscopy, urine for tuberculosis and cytology to exclude any bladder growths/tumours.
Most UTI s are bladder infections, and normally not serious. However, if untreated, the infection can spread to the kidneys and lead to irreversible renal damage.
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