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.
5 Reasons To Leave Your Catheter Supplier
Chances are, when you were told by your doctor that you needed to start using catheters to urinate that you were also instructed on what supplier would give them to you. Understandably, you dutifully contacted the catheter supplier you were told do. Where else would you get them? It’s not like your neighborhood drug store has them just sitting on the shelves.
While most wouldn’t know one supplier from the other at the beginning, perhaps you have started to realize that there are other catheter suppliers out there. Maybe you have wondered if the grass might be greener at another supplier. If you have had these thoughts then it just could be that you are not being treated well by the catheter supplier you have. Like any other relationship that has started to chill, there are probably a few little reasons to walk away, not one big one. If your relationship with your current catheter supplier looks like any of these, you might want to leave your catheter supplier.
Ways Your Catheter Supplier Can Stray In Your Relationship
Let’s call these the 5 carnal sins in a relationship with any supplier. First of all, you are the customer. Anyone telling you that you can’t do something that is perfectly within your right to do is just plain wrong.
Limits Your Choice Of Catheters. Sometimes your doctor will write on your prescription what brand and type of catheter to use. If you are using a specific type and brand of catheter and you are experiencing discomfort or frequent UTIs, talk to your doctor about switching your prescription to something else. Otherwise, you should be able to sample some different brands of catheters to find the one that works best for you. Not all intermittent catheters are the same. If your supplier is telling you that is true, it may likely be that they have a limited offering.
Catheter suppliers that are owned by a catheter brand will naturally steer you in the direction of their catheter. That just makes sense. If you are not happy with their brand and they won’t offer you anything else, it is time to go. You have choices, they are just not willing to offer you any.
Has Late Or Inaccurate Deliveries. If you are like most catheter users, you only get a certain amount per month under your insurance. By the time you need your supplies, you are down to the bottom of the box. Now is not the time to find you’ve been sent the wrong order or the order is missing something. Most will overnight you the proper order in an effort to fix the problem, but you shouldn’t have to worry about that every month. If you can’t trust your supplier to get it right and get your order to you on time, walk away and find a catheter supplier who can get you what you need the first time.
Bad Customer Service. Need we say more? When you need to speak to someone at your catheter supplier, the last thing you want to do is get frustrated by bad customer service on top of it. Not all catheter suppliers are large conglomerates with 800 number call center farms. A smaller supplier can offer the kind of customer service you need by building a relationship with you the old fashioned way; getting to know you. If you don’t like talking to a nameless voice on the other end of the phone every month, or if they don’t seem to resolve your issues when you call, it is time to make a move to a different supplier.
Doesn’t Work With Your Insurance Company. Some suppliers will tell you that they can accept your insurance but really mean they only have an out-of-network relationship with them. If you are working with a catheter supplier that is not in-network with your insurance company, you will either wind up paying more or your catheter supplier will farm your prescription out to a 3rd party supplier who does. This is usually true of Medicaid customers. Medicaid licenses are only handed out to a few suppliers. Find out if your supplier accepts your insurance in-network and if you will be working with them directly. If not, find a supplier who can work with you to keep your out-of-pocket expenses low and work with you first hand.
No Personal Relationship. Does your supplier know who you are? Would you like them to? It is nice when you have the kind of relationship with businesses you work with where they know you by first name and can contribute more to your relationship than a transaction every month. Many catheter users like being able to ask personal questions about catheter use to people with whom they feel comfortable. That only comes by building trust. Having a personal relationship means better care and greater customer satisfaction. If you aren’t feeling the love, find a supplier who can give you more for your relationship than a box of catheter supplies every month.
A more beneficial relationship with your catheter supplier may be just around the corner. If you are having any of the above issues with your current supplier, a change might be just what you need to feel better about catheter use. After all, with something so personal, doesn’t comfort matter on more than one level?
Partnership with Reeve Foundation’s Peer Mentor Program
New Britain Medical Supplies is excited to announce our partnership with the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and the start of our Peer Mentoring Program. This program is designed to help people living with paralysis and their families/caregivers to live a fulfilled and happy life by speaking to mentors who can offer emotional support as well as provide local resources. Whether you are newly injured or have been living with paralysis for a period of time, there are always questions that would be better answered by someone who has a similar experience.
By partnering with the Peer and Family Support Program, New Britain Medical will be offering office hours for those who are interested in the program that wish to speak to a “Reeve Mentor.” We will strive to match people with certified peer mentors who are of similar age, location, gender and level of injury or type of paralyzing injury. Even if it’s simply to offer advice on where to sign up for a sport, how to maintain health and wellness, or to just “chat,” our mentors can provide a myriad of resources and support.
If you or someone you know may be interested in the mentorship program, contact:
Joe Paladino – President, New Britain Medical
860.224.9017
Jpala59685@aol.com
Todd Johnston- Northeast Regional Coordinator
860.558.7384
NortheastRC@ChristopherReeve.org
For more information about the Peer and Mentorship Program.
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