By Melissa Balmer
Copyright © 2006, Seduction Insider, www.seductioninsider.com.
Nothing much can put a damper on a hot new sex life like a woman coming down with a urinary tract infection (also referred to as a bladder infection) (I’ll call them UTI’s as that’s how they’re usually referred to) aka the dreaded “Honeymooner’s Disease” – so called (yes, you probably guessed it) because it often occurs when a woman either becomes frequently sexually active for the first time (like during her honeymoon), or gets back into the swing of things after a bout of celibacy.
If you think it could never happen to you think again – an estimated 26 million women suffer from UTI’s according the popular over the counter UTI pain relief website www.uristat.com.
Any way you slice it the terrible burning pain in your lower abdomen that both makes you feel like you have to pee all the time, yet makes it uncomfortable to do so, is absolutely no fun. Other symptoms are a lower back pain, cloudy urine, blood in your urine, and a low-grade fever. Left untreated a bladder or urinary tract infection can spread to your kidneys and cause serious damage to them. The good news is that by taking preventative steps in advance you can:
1. Avoid getting such an infection in the first place.
2. Avoid getting further infections if you’ve already come down with the infection before – because sadly once you’ve come down with a UTI you’re much more likely to get them again, and again, and again…
In fact, in the reading up I’ve done for this article I’ve seen it stated several places that some women get an infection every time they have intercourse! Poor things!
How They Happen
First off, of course, you need to understand how UTI’s happen. During intercourse the penis can either push bacteria into the entrance of a woman’s urinary tract (which is imbedded in the wall of the woman’s vagina and leads right up to the bladder) which it has carried in itself, or it can pick up bacteria that was near the entrance of the woman’s vagina to begin with and then push it into the entrance of the woman’s urinary tract (bacteria which often comes from the rectum – a HUGE reason why you need to be careful to always wipe from front to back after using the toilet girls!).
Of course when/if you come down with your first UTI you need to see your doctor, or gynecologist, who will probably prescribe antibiotics to heal the infection. The problem with having multiple UTI’s treated with antibiotics is that you risk “using up” your body’s ability to use antibiotics to heal, which you might need for some far more serious condition down the road. Also, at this English site UTI Treatment it states there is a 25% recurrence rate with this form of treatment.
Nature’s Got the Cure
Fortunately for us nature has given us two fantastic fruits to help UTI’s from happening in the first place, and then help heal them when they’ve taken hold. Both cranberries and blueberries have been shown to contain a polymeric compound that inhibits bacteria’s ability to stick to the lining of the bladder and urinary tract. If it can’t stick it can’t cause an infection. It appears that the juices of both fruits and daily supplements both work – though in the reading I’ve done it’s been suggested to avoid any juice with added sugar as it might aggravate the condition. I’ve also read that eating fresh blueberries and cranberries work as well – though eating fresh cranberries is a bit of a challenge unless you’re a whiz at making cranberry relish, and blueberries can be very expensive and challenging to find both out of season and in areas that don’t grow them.
So how much do you need to drink/eat/take before it does any good? If you’re prone to these types of infections it’s suggested that you make it a part of your daily routine – either taking a supplement or drinking a glass of juice daily.
There are also other simple precautionary steps you can take to keep UTI’s at bay, and really it’s smart for all women to follow this advice because it not only helps prevent UTI’s but other types of bacterial infections that can wreck havoc in your sensitive sexual plumbing as well:
· Remember to drink plenty of water as it keeps your bladder flushed out.
· Don’t try to impress anyone with the length of time you can go without peeing. If you need to pee for goodness sakes go when you need to.
· Try to empty your bladder before sexual intercourse (which is just common sense as sex doesn’t feel great on a full bladder to begin with).
· Empty your bladder right after intercourse to flush out any bacteria that might have gotten in.
· Always, always wipe from the front to the back after your done using the toilet.
· Make sure to use enough additional lubrication for comfortable intercourse if you don’t produce enough yourself.
· Many doctors recommend taking 5,000 mg or more per day for those who are in the midst of an infection or who are prone to getting them.
· If you’re taking either Coumadin or Wayfarin for blood clotting ask your doctor before beginning to use cranberry juice as it may cause some complications.
· If you use a diaphragm for birth control and have recurring UTI’s ask your doctor to suggest another form of birth control.
· If you have a history of UTI’s already be careful not to stand for too long, and also keep your feet warm by wearing socks and/or slippers instead of going barefoot. These last two tips I picked up from a woman’s magazine over ten years ago (I wish I could remember which one). I’d been suffering from what seemed to be chronic bladder infections and after I incorporated regular cranberry juice and these last two tips I was able to keep them at bay.
· Don’t suffer needlessly. If you can’t get to your doctor right away, or if like me you have painful conditions before an infection even shows up, there are several over the counter remedies which will stop the pain until you can take the proper steps. The two products I’ve used which have been very helpful are Uristat and Cystex.
