How many times do you hear that a man has a urinary tract infection? Very few times. How many times do you hear that a female has a urinary tract infection (UTI)? Many times. There are some predisposing factors for UTI's. These are history of kidney stones, urinary tract structural anatomy abnormalities, poor vaginal flora, genetic factors, procedures on the urinary tract and an underlying medical condition. In 9 out of 10 patients, one of the previous predisposing factors exist. I have seen other predisposing factors. These include poor fluid intake, lack of voiding after intercourse, certain soaps, and delayed voiding habits. The greatest other factor is overuse of antibiotics for the treatment of these UTI's.
I usually send patients after 3 repeated UTI's to a urologist. Post menopausal females suffering with a UTI usually have reduced bladder tone, post void residual, bladder or uterine prolapse and/or sometimes a uropathogen causing it.
For UTI prevention I recommend voiding after intercourse, ingesting cranberry juice, increasing the fluid intake, and always voiding upon urge. Some doctors feel there is no evidence indicating the benefits of cranberry in prevention of UTI's. There are studies documenting prevention in comparison to placebo. Cranberry has also been shown to reduce the ability of E.coli to adhere to the lining of the bladder and urethra. I utilize D-mannose (available at http://www.longevitynutritionals.com/) This is the polysaccharide found in cranberries. For acute UTI 1/2 to 1 tsp twice to three times a day and for maintenance for all females over 60 years old is 1 tsp once a day.
Reminder: Drink unsweetened cranberry juice
Until tomorrow...
I usually send patients after 3 repeated UTI's to a urologist. Post menopausal females suffering with a UTI usually have reduced bladder tone, post void residual, bladder or uterine prolapse and/or sometimes a uropathogen causing it.
For UTI prevention I recommend voiding after intercourse, ingesting cranberry juice, increasing the fluid intake, and always voiding upon urge. Some doctors feel there is no evidence indicating the benefits of cranberry in prevention of UTI's. There are studies documenting prevention in comparison to placebo. Cranberry has also been shown to reduce the ability of E.coli to adhere to the lining of the bladder and urethra. I utilize D-mannose (available at http://www.longevitynutritionals.com/) This is the polysaccharide found in cranberries. For acute UTI 1/2 to 1 tsp twice to three times a day and for maintenance for all females over 60 years old is 1 tsp once a day.
Reminder: Drink unsweetened cranberry juice
Until tomorrow...
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