Why does it happen?

Urinary tract infections (UTI’s) can affect the bladder, and the urethra and the kidneys.

Good toilet hygiene is essential as the most common cause is when bacteria are transferred from the bottom when wiping. That’s why it is important to wipe both front and back areas separately, and never from back to front.

After bowel movements, always wipe from front to back and wash area with soap and water afterward.

Symptoms

You can experience more than one symptom at the same time, so check the list below to see which apply to you.

• blood in urine

• cloudy urine mixed with discharged mucus material from the urethra

• frequent urge to urinate, even with small amounts of urine in the bladder

• burning or stinging when urinating

• painful sexual intercourse

You can be at a higher risk for continuous UTI’s if you suffer from kidney stones, have multiple sexual partners, are catheter users or are immobilised for long periods.

Also if you are on frequent antibiotics then this can produce an immunity and the bacteria becomes increasingly resistant, so it may be necessary to change your medication.

PLEASE NOTE if you have symptoms such as blood in your urine, a fever, chills, or nausea, it might be a more serious infection, such as a kidney infection, so call your doctor right away.

Also, a UTI during pregnancy is concerning and needs reporting for immediate attention.

Are my hormones involved?  

Hormone balance throughout life is essential for many reasons, and they do play apart in helping to prevent vaginal and urinary tract infections.

Progesterone plays several roles in this process as it is part of our immune defence system that prevents such infections.

It does this by aiding in the formation of secretory IgA, an immune globulin that traps germs before they enter mucosal tissues such as those found in the vagina and thus again helping prevent urinary tract infections.

So having good progesterone levels is needed as when they are restored to normal levels, and hormones come back into balance, then vaginal lubrication returns and this reduces the impact of urinary tract infections.

At menopause urinary tract infections are more common, and once again it is down to the changing hormone levels.

If you want to know more about the role that progesterone plays, then this article can be helpful.

https://anna.blog.wellsprings-health.com/progesterones-role-in-helping-with-utis/