During winter, painful urinary tract infections (UTI) become more common so it’s important to know a little about them and how they can be avoided. Fortunately, in most cases, relief is easy to find and treatment fast.
Urinary tract infections are the second most common infection in the general population, though women are much more likely to have one than men. Diabetics, men with prostate problems and the elderly are also at a higher risk of these infections.
Symptoms include a burning sensation when passing urine, the urge to go to the bathroom frequently, cloudy urine or lower abdominal pain.
Causes can be hard to pinpoint, but it’s important to maintain good hygiene habits and make sure to use the bathroom after sexual activity. Some people will find they are having regular infections, and if this is the case, see your doctor. You may need medication to completely clear the infection, or look at ways to help guard against them.
One of the simplest ways to avoid UTIs is to drink plenty of water. This helps to make sure that any bacteria in the urinary tract and bladder is ‘flushed out’. The colder winter months mean we generally drink less and without this regular ‘flushing’, explains why the infections are more common.
Besides drinking more water, there’s some great products available to relieve UTIs and they can also help with prevention. Ural are powder sachets that you mix with water and drink. It helps relieve the burning sensations quickly and flush out the bacteria. They are relatively inexpensive, and I recommend them when a customer wants fast relief. I also like that you need to drink fluids to take Ural, thus helping to further flush out the infection.
Cranberry has been used for hundreds of years for its anti-bacterial properties that stop the bacteria from living on the urinary tract walls. The capsules are very effective at helping treat and also prevent infections. Many of my customers who suffered frequent infections have found that taking cranberry capsules helps prevent these and they are quite inexpensive.
Another product I like is Ethical Nutrients Urinary Tract Support as it is both anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. This means it relieves the painful symptoms fast and kills the infection. The tablets are very small, around the size of a tic-tac, so they’re easy for children and elderly people to take. If symptoms do not improve dramatically with these products, you should see your doctor.
