Having a urinary tract infection once in your life is pretty bad. It comes with a constant urge to urinate, but when you go to the bathroom, you can only squeeze out a little urine and it burns a lot. But what happens when you have a frequent urinary infection?
There are many people who live with this problem, especially those with a vagina. About half of women experience at least one UTI in their lifetime, according to a July 2016 research in Andrology and Translational Urology. And, according to a separate August 2013 study in the Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, for every person with a penis who gets a UTI, eight people with a vagina get a UTI.
Why are urinary infections more common in people with a vagina?
When it comes to urinary tract infections, the size of the urethra is important .
A shorter urethra is an easier way for the bacteria that cause UTIs to get into the bladder. In adults with vaginas, the urethra is much shorter, measuring about 2.5 to 3.8 cm long, while the urethra in people with penises is between 17 and 20 cm long, according to an article from October of 2018 in Biology of Sex Differences.
Also, in people with vaginas, the opening of the urethra is very close to the opening of the vagina.
From birth, the vagina is full of different bacteria and yeasts. But occasionally that microbiome can be disrupted, and there may be fewer of certain types of good bacteria. If that bacteria enter the urethra, which can happen during sex or with improper cleaning after using the bathroom, it can lead to a urinary infection.
To further complicate matters, the vaginal opening is also near the anus. All it takes is for the E. coli from the anal area to move through the perineum, and it's a hop, to the vagina and urethra.
That said, although less common, people with penises can also have recurring UTIs.
5 reasons you have a frequent urinary infection
You're having a lot of sex
Whether you and your partner can't separate from each other or have fun with multiple people, having a lot of sex can lead to UTIs.
In premenopausal people assigned as female at birth, having sex at least three times a week and having new or multiple partners can increase the risk of urinary and recurrent infections.
Being sexually active can push bacteria into the opening of the urethra and into the bladder. The use of spermicide (alone or in condoms or diaphragms) also increases the risk, according to an earlier study from May 2008 in General Internal Medicine. Spermicide is believed to damage vaginal flora , encouraging the growth of bacteria that cause urinary infections.
The solution does not mean that you have to give up sex. First, if spermicide seems to be the problem, talk to your doctor to find another form of birth control and protect against sexually transmitted infections.
If you have urinary tract infections often must s urinate after intercourse. Although it has not been proven effective in randomized controlled studies in reducing the risk of UTI, it doesn't hurt to try if you're prone to infections. You don't need to run after orgasm, but try to go to the bathroom in about half an hour.
Another option is to take a prescribed low-dose antibiotic after sex. Talk to your doctor, who can discuss these options and find out which one may be best for you.
Then there is the infamous cranberry juice , which some swear can help keep UTIs at bay. The belief is that D-mannose, a type of sugar found in some fruits or cranberry extract tablets, can help prevent bacterial infection. Bilberry has proanthocyanins , D-mannose-like compounds that appear to help coat certain bacteria like E. coli and make the bacteria less able to adhere to the lower urinary tract and the walls of the bladder and urethra.
You are in postmenopause
About 11 percent of people with vaginas get UTIs, but the risk doubles for those 65 and older , according to May 2019 research in Therapeutic Advances in Urology. Frequent infections are also more common in postmenopausal women.
The pH of the vagina changes with age d . After menopause, the vaginal wall thins and the levels of good lactobacilli decrease. This causes the pH to rise, and we believe that a more alkaline environment is a more hospitable environment for opportunistic bacteria like E. coli to relax. Once E-coli reaches the vagina, it can easily enter the bladder.
The good news is that estrogen can help when applied to the vagina. Compared to a placebo cream, vaginal estrogen given through a cream or ring reduced the number of UTIs in those with recurrent infections, a small 2019 study of 35 women found published in Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery .
Instead of oral estrogens, creams or suppositories, which are applied directly to the vagina, are effective.
You have a structural problem
In people assigned to be male at birth, recurrent urinary tract infections may suggest that you have an enlarged prostate. In the case of women, it can be a sign of pelvic prolapse . This is when the muscles that support the pelvic organs weaken, causing them to drop into the pelvis and the vagina to bulge.
Both of these conditions can hamper your ability to fully empty your bladder, turning your bladder into a pool of warm urine where E. coli loves to reproduce.
If you have recurring UTIs caused by an enlarged prostate, surgery may be necessary. If your UTIs are due to pelvic organ prolapse, doing Kegel exercises can help keep the condition from getting worse.
Have kidney or bladder stones
For anyone, frequent urinary infections can also be a sign of kidney or bladder stones.
Bacteria love to stick to foreign objects. So if you have a structural abnormality like a stone, your body can't fight those bacteria as effectively.
B Eber more liquids, especially water, can help eliminate the calculations. If this advice doesn't fix your problems, it's important to see a doctor, who can perform tests for stones and recommend other treatments, such as surgery.
It is not a urinary infection
People sometimes think they have a UTI, but they really don't. Some may experience burning when urinating and other UTI symptoms, and those problems may improve with antibiotics. However, if what you think is a UTI keeps coming back, and in particular if you also experience discomfort during intercourse, it may be pelvic floor dysfunction.
In this condition, you cannot adequately control your pelvic floor muscles. It has a wide variety of causes, including stress and anxiety, an enlarged prostate, and pelvic pain .
Consult your doctor to request a urine culture, which is more specific than urinalysis and can help reveal an accurate diagnosis.
If you do have a dysfunction, pelvic floor physiotherapy (with a professional trained in this practice) or biofeedback (where you are hooked on devices that give you information about your body so that you can learn to control its processes) to retrain your muscles to help.
Daily relaxation practices like yoga or meditation can also provide relief by helping you learn to relax your pelvic muscles and because stress and anxiety are the driving factors for dysfunction. Stress reduction with yoga, meditation, and psychotherapy plays an important role in reducing and resolving symptoms.
