How You Can Forget about UTIs with Probiotics
MenoLabs News | Fri, Nov 01, 2019
While you grow older, you may notice changes in how you feel “down there” – menopause and shift in hormones affect your vagina and urinary tract. Some of these changes can bring with them side effects that will make your life more difficult. But there is no need to worry just yet because it seems that studies on UTIs and probiotics can give you just the info you need to heal.
Due to aging and lower estrogen in menopause, your bladder is not as elastic and does not have the same volume as before. Apart from that, the walls of your vagina become thinner, and so does your urethra, which makes it easier for harmful bacteria to reach your bladder. That is why UTIs happen more often for you a few years into menopause.
The thinning of your bladder in menopause could also be the reason for incontinence. If you felt small amounts of urine leak with such actions as working out, sneezing, laughing, or lifting something, it must have been an embarrassing event. And you should not ignore this, as incontinence needs to be treated with the training of the bladder, along with therapies and natural remedies.
UTI Meds
Since the cause of UTIs is bacteria, your doctor would usually suggest antibiotics for treating the infection. Some UTIs are so severe that you need meds to heal, but there are also minor infections that your body can go through on its own. There are certain benefits to using antibiotics for UTIs, but many people look for other methods because of the many side effects that often come with them.
One side effect of antibiotics that might work against you is that they kill all bacteria, the good and the bad. These pills do not know the difference, but the good bacteria, unlike the bad, support your health in many ways. When you are taking antibiotics, always supplement with probiotics, so that the balance of bacteria in your body remains.
Tips for Preventing UTIs Naturally
Before you have a UTI and have to see your doctor; as a result, there are some things you can do to support your uterine health. While these are not methods for healing a UTI, they can be helpful for your overall well being too.
Drink Plenty of Water
Water is the primary support for our body when it needs to detox. Water helps us get rid of the toxins in our bodies, and it also dilutes the urine and makes it travel faster. As a result, bacteria do not have time to create an infection in your urinary tract. Try to drink at least eight glasses of water per day, not counting other liquids, fruit, or veggies.
Keep Your Sex Hygiene in Check
When you have sex, your urinary tract is exposed to many bacteria from outside of your body. That is why making sure you practice good sex hygiene is useful for preventing UTIs. Urinate and wash the genitals before and after sex, and also use barrier protection like condoms.
Wipe the Right Way
It may sound absurd to you, and you are probably saying, “of course, I know how to do that,” but in reality, not all women do wipe the right way. Make sure to wipe from front to back. This way, bacteria from the rectum does not reach the urethra and create an infection in your urinary tract.
Take Vitamin C
This is an excellent tip for your overall well being and improving the strength of your immune system. Vitamin C is crucial for many functions in your body. It also seems to kill bacteria in the urinary tract by reacting with nitrates in the urine. That is why, for many years, cranberry juice has been the most common remedy for UTIs among women of all ages. The practice is still helpful, although it is harder to find natural cranberry juice.
Take Probiotics to Prevent UTIs
Probiotics can help prevent and treat UTIs. Knowing this has helped many women who did not want to rely on meds for managing their symptoms. Probiotics from yogurt, cheese, kefir, and other foods, along with probiotic supplements, are very beneficial for your symptoms of menopause in general. Let us discuss more on how you can use probiotics in preventing and treating UTIs.
Using Probiotics for Healing UTIs
Much has been done on the use of probiotics on healing UTIs. And many studies have shown positive results in favor of these friendly bacteria. For example, this study (1) discusses the connection between unhealthy vaginal microflora and UTIs. Although the results of the study do not suggest relying solely on probiotics for treating urogenital problems, they are strongly recommended as a complementary therapy.
Lactobacilli is the species of probiotic bacteria that can be found in a healthy gut and vaginal microflora. When you enter menopause, the amount of lactobacilli declines, so they do not protect you against UTIs as effectively. Using lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 and rhamnosus GR-1 was shown to have the best effect on preventing UTIs (2).
Even if probiotics might not treat a UTI you already have, they will help prevent them from coming back. Microflora of your vagina has an impact on urogenital infections you may have (3). That is why using probiotics is a considerable measure to support your urinary health.
(1) Santosh Waigankar and Vimal Patel. “Role of probiotics in urogenital healthcare.”
(2) ME Falagas, GI Betsi, T Tokas, and S Athanasiou. “Probiotics for prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections in women: a review of the evidence from microbiological and clinical studies.”
(3) Turgay Akgul and Tolga Karakan. “The role of probiotics in women with recurrent urinary tract infections.”