3 Things That May Be Causing Your Frequent UTIs
For many, the acronym UTI is an all too familiar one. Those with frequent UTIs are always trying to find ways to minimize the recurrence of the next one. According to the National Kidney Foundation, UTIs send people to the doctor 10 million times each year. That is a lot of antibiotics.
UTIs recur more often in those who require catheterization. Women get UTIs a lot more frequently than men due to a shorter urethra. Although these two factors and the combination of the two can cause distress, there are certain culprits that can cause a UTI uproar without you realizing it. Before you blame the usual suspects on your UTIs, check to see if one or more of these factors are causing your frequent UTIs.
3 Sneaky Ways You Are Causing Your Own Frequent UTIs
There are a few main ways the average catheter user creates his or her own UTI issues. By paying attention to these 3 things, you can be on your way to better health and less trips to the doctors office for a urine culture.
Not Self-Catheterizing On A Consistent Schedule – for those that require self-catheterization in order to live a more independent life, following a consistent, frequent schedule is critical for maintaining good health. Of those who follow their recommended catheterization schedule, many of them find that they have UTIs a lot less often.
The reason a consistent, frequent self-catheterization schedule is key is simple; bacteria has more of an opportunity to grow when it is in your bladder longer. For normally functioning bladders, those who hold their urine often have a tendency to find themselves with frequent UTIs. Add the need to self-catheterize into the bladder equation and you are gambling with your health.
If insecurity around catheterizing yourself or discomfort in using your catheters is why you put off following a recommended schedule, seek medical advice to help you feel more comfortable with self-catheterization or to perhaps find a better catheter for your needs and your body. Either way, frequent catheterization is not inconvenient. It is necessary for avoiding frequent UTIs.
Having Too Much Sugar In Your Diet – Those who regularly eat sugary foods and too much of them should expect to see their doctor often when it comes to UTIs. If there is one thing bacteria feeds on, it is sugar. When you supply your cause for UTIs with its primary food source, you are headed for trouble.
Most people think of candy and other sweets when it comes to giving up sugar. There are places that high concentrations of sugar can lurk in your food that will cause problems with sugar consumption as well.
Fruit juices are a common problem. Even the all-natural ones have a lot of sugar in them because they are usually sweetened with concentrated juices from fruit with a high sugar content. When you are looking at the sugar content of juice, don’t just look at the ingredients. Check the dietary sugar grams listed in the nutrition information. Chances are you’ll realize there is much more in there than you thought.
Salad dressings, sauces and certain condiments contain a whole lot of sugar, with low-fat salad dressing being one of the worst. Food products that are low in fat tend to be high in sugar to make up for the taste. Do yourself a healthier favor, go for regular dressings and sauces with a lower sugar content in general. They have a better taste and are easier on your sugar consumption.
Most produced sauce products, such as BBQ sauce, Asian flavored sauces, and ketchup have a high concentrations of sugar, namely high fructose corn syrup. If you find yourself using these products often, avoid them all together or find low sugar versions.
You should absolutely avoid daily consumption of soda. Not only does regular soda contain way too much sugar but the carbonation stimulates your bladder causing more problems. Stick to water or unsweetened ice tea. Speaking of which…
Failing To Drink Enough Water – Note how we said water, not fluids in general. Reason being caffeine, juice, soda, flavored drinks, etc. come with enough of their own health issues, even the artificially sweetened ones. Drinking enough water is necessary for general good health but also to keep those bacteria counts low in your bladder.
Regularly flushing your urinary system by drinking 8 to10 glasses of water a day goes along way in keeping your bladder and your urinary tract functioning well and free of illness. Unless there is a medical reason for you to avoid drinking a good amount of water, drink up! It will keep you out of the doctors office for frequent UTIs.
The One Thing Catheter Users Should Never Do If You Want To Avoid UTIs
Never reuse medical products that are supposed to be disposable. Gloves, drapes, and especially disposable catheters should never be reused. We’ve heard some crazy ways that patients try to sterilize their catheters but none of them kill bacteria effectively enough to avoid frequent UTIs. It can also be very bad for your health in general.
All disposable medical products must be thrown away after each use. If you are short of supplies, talk to your doctor or catheter supplier about getting samples to get you to your next delivery. If you find yourself suddenly using more catheters than you normally do, talk to your doctor. Underlying medical issues could be causing you to run out of catheters before your supposed to. Any new changes in your urinary function needs to be discussed with your doctor as soon as possible.
We hope these tips find you in better health in the weeks to come. Self-catheterization can be a gateway to resume doing all the things you love to do. Following your medical providers’ advice and adhering to these tips should help you realize the benefits of a good life with catheter use.
