What causes urinary track infections, and is there a way to prevent them?

Roxanne33

Normal urine is sterile. It contains fluids, salts, and waste products, but it is free of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. A urinary tract infection (UTI) occurs when microorganisms, usually bacteria from the digestive tract, cling to the opening of the urethra and begin to multiply. Most infections arise from one type of bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli), which normally live in the colon. Web site with all infos on UTI : http://www.best-price-cipro-dox.com/urinary_tract_infections.htm May 03 02, 1:01 PM

Lily	Always teach little girls to wipe their bottoms from the front to the back, so that germs are not transferred to the front.Drinking cranberry juice is good for urine infections. May 03 02, 1:22 PM

Linda

The above suggestions are excellent - especially the one about wiping from the front to the back. It's not easy, but it does prevent infections. How can you prevent one? Water, water, water, water, water! You want to flush out any potential bacteria that might be present. One study I read said that two good urinations completely eliminated bacteria that was placed into volunteer subjects' bladders (I'm wondering about the woman would would volunteer for such a study! You'd have to pay me mega bucks for that study!) Cranberry juice is an excellent way to prevent an infection - the compounds in it prevent the bacteria from being able to grab hold of the cell walls of the bladder. HOWEVER, once you actually have an infection, you don't want to use cranberry juice. It's too harsh on an already infected site. At that point, you want to stick to plain water - and lots of it. And, you also want to remember that most of the prepared cranberry juices out there are not real juices - they are flavored drinks. Read your labels and make sure you're actually getting real cranberry juice and not just a lot of sugared water. Something else to remember if you actually get an infection and have to take Cipro (the most common antibiotic given for urinary tract infections): DON'T take any kind of milk product (including yogurt - yes, ladies, I know you need to eat yogurt to prevent a subsequent yeast infection, but make sure you wait an hour before doing so!) within an hour of taking the drug. Sources say that 'Eating yogurt, drinking milk, using antacids or taking calcium supplements within two hours of swallowing antibiotics like tetracycline, Cipro or Noroxin could prevent absorption of the antibiotic, so it wouldn't fight the infection.' Just a little additional info there! :) May 03 02, 5:42 PM

robynraymer

I hope this will be acceptable to a family friendly website--if not, feel free to delete it. Many women get UTIs as a result of physical intimacy with their partners. The best solution is to pee before and afterwards, and drink lots of water and/or cranberry juice. Also, if you get a UTI, you need to see a doctor soon, because they can lead to other problems. Jun 30 04, 10:48 AM

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