Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary Tract Infections

Your bladder and urinary tract usually do a great job of removing impurities from your bloodstream. But sometimes the bladder and its exit tubes get infected, making urination a slow, painful and bothersome experience.

Although men are by no means immune, women are much more likely to get urinary tract infections (UTIs). Half of all women get them sometime during their lives; one in five has several episodes. Usually the cause is bacteria that enter the vagina and move to the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the kidneys. Once there, they cause burning, stinging and general discomfort, especially during urination. Here's the sum of doctors' advice on how to get your urinary tract on the right track again.

Fill up on fluids. "Absolutely the best thing a woman can do is drink fluids to flush out the bacteria that are causing the inflammation," says Elliot L. Cohen, M.D., assistant professor of clinical urology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. That's because the more nonalcoholic beverages you drink, the more often you'll urinate. And the more often you urinate, the faster you'll flush the bacteria from your system.

When to See the Doctor

Should you visit the doctor if you have a urinary tract infection? There are four major symptoms to watch out for.

Blood in the urine
Pain in the lower back or flank
Fever
Nausea or vomiting

Usually an antibiotic prescribed by the doctor can clear up the infection and put an end to the symptoms. But urologists warn that a very small number may develop more serious problems with the kidneys. So you should see a physician or urologist immediately if you have any of these symptoms.

**The Real Juice on the Cranberry Cure**

The legend of cranberry juice for urinary tract infections (UTIs) is surpassed perhaps only by the old saying that Mom's chicken soup is the best thing for colds. So here's the latest (as we go to press) report from the cranberry juice front.

Researchers at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, found that cranberry juice does help cure UTIs, but not because its too acidic for bacteria to live in (as many believe). The real reason: It prevents bacteria from anchoring onto bladder walls. That means that drinking cranberry juice helps "sweep" the bacteria from your urethra.

Some experts believe that any juice has the same impact. But maybe cranberry has an edge because it contains quinolic acid and vitamin C, both of which have been shown to have an impact on the infection.

If you don' t have an infection, cranberry juice may be a good preventive: "I recommend drinking 3 ounces of cranberry juice cocktail daily," says Varro E. Tyler, Ph.D., professor of pharmacognosy at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. "And if you develop a UTI? Drink 12 to 32 ounces a day."

Up your vitamin C intake. "About 1,000 milligrams taken throughout the day will acidify the urine enough to interfere with bacterial growth," says Richard J. Macchia, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Urology at the State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn. He recommends vitamin C especially if you have a recurrent problem with UTIs. But, he cautions, check with your doctor if you're taking antibiotics prescribed for bladder infections; some of them don't work well when urine is highly acidic.

Use pads instead of tampons. "I advise those of my patients experiencing chronic infection at the time of menstruation to quit using tampons and replace them with pads," says Joseph Corriere, M.D., director of the Division of Urology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. For the same reason, he cautions that some women may want to reconsider use of a diaphragm.

Wipe from front to back. Front-to-back wiping is a form of prevention that is often recommended to keep UTIs (as well as yeast infections and other problems) from getting out of hand, according to Jack W. McAninch, M.D., chief of urology at San Francisco General Hospital. "It's common advice for women with recurrent infections," says Dr. McAninch.

Give your libido a rest. "No one's absolutely certain why certain women seem more susceptible to reinfection, but vaginal manipulation of some sort--sex, using a diaphragm, putting a tampon in--always seems to precede it," says Dr. Corriere.

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