Bladder Health- Urinary Tract Infections

November is Bladder Health Awareness Month.

Check out these tips and information to help improve your own bladder health by learning about urinary tract infections (UTI). To make your reading a little shorter, we’ll break it up into two broad categories for females and males. If you are feeling adventurous, feel free to read through everything. After reading through this information, if you believe that you have a UTI please speak with your provider as to what treatment options would be best. It is recommended that you receive a culture to ensure that a UTI is actually present rather than simply treating based upon commonly associated symptoms.

First, let’s start with the ladies. 

Because of anatomical differences, women are more likely to get an UTI compared to men. Women have shorter urethras and the proximity of the urethra is closer to the rectal region. Due to this, women have a higher risk of transferring fecal matter near the urethra or vaginal region near the vaginal region and the urethra area (So, this is your reminder to use a patting based wiping technique or ensure that you move front to back with the tissue.) In addition to this, during sexual contact bacteria can be introduced at the vaginal region. The location of the vaginal entry is right below the urethra and it is possible for this bacteria to be introduced to the urinary tract.

Okay this is where we dive a little deeper into things and make a daringly broad statement. Anything that causes changes in vaginal pH can place women at risk for a UTI. 

1. The vaginal pH should be acidic in nature. If this acidic level is more than what is within a normal range, indicating a lower number on the pH scale, then it is likely that certain bacterial levels are higher than what they should be. On the contrary, if the pH level is higher than normal, meaning that the acidic level has decreased, then it may be related to a decrease in the presence of certain bacteria within the vaginal region. 
2. Maintaining the proper acidic pH range in the vaginal region is important for microbiome health. As we learn more about the microbiome as a whole, we are just at the beginning of uncovering how diet can influence various systems in the body including vaginal health. Your diet alone is not going to cause a UTI; however, it is possible that it could be a contributing factor. There are known foods that are known to irritate the bladder and can cause an increase in UTI based symptoms. Some common drinks that you should consider avoiding are coffee, tea, alcohol, and soda. Yes, you guessed correctly if you figured out that water is the best option for hydration and will cause the least amount of irritation to the bladder.
3. Feminine washes are evil. Okay, so they aren’t evil, but the feminine washes and perfumes are not healthy for the vulva or vagina. Douching also is not a recommended practice for numerous reasons. The vagina is self-cleansing and does not need any special bathing attention other than normal bathing with water. Even some soaps in this region can cause agitation and a mild soap is likely a better option compared to a more harsh product.
4. Unprotected intercourse can lead to unbalanced pH. Unlike the vagina, male semen has a pH that is higher than 7. Seven is considered neutral pH level and anything higher is considered to be alkaline. During unprotected intercourse the presence of the semen can trigger the growth of additional bacteria and leave the vagina unprotected against infection due the changes in pH level.
5. Antibiotics can lead to changes in vaginal pH levels. Antibiotics are great in that they help our body to fight off bacterial based infection. However, it is important to understand that antibiotics can also kill off the “good” bacteria that is needed to maintain vaginal health.
6. Hormonal changes. Yes, ladies. That time of the month can influence your vaginal pH levels. In addition, other events that cause hormonal fluctuations such as pregnancy and menopause can influence the vaginal pH. Hormones are a different beast and require an entire post alone, so we will just leave it at that for now.

Okay, now onto the gentlemen.

(And ladies, if you want to keep reading the guys’ section is a bit shorter simply because UTIs are not as common.)

Just in case you skipped ahead to only read the information for men, let’s do a quick recap. Men are less likely to get UTIs compared to women because they have a longer urethra and the location of the anal region is farther away. Overall, the occurrence of UTIs in men is relatively rare when compared to women.

Another known fact is that UTIs in men are more common in older individuals. This is because of typical age related changes that occur at the prostate. As men age the prostate increases in size. The increased prostate size can make complete emptying of the bladder harder and prevent bacteria from being flushed out during urination.

Sexual transmitted infections (STI) are another major cause of UTIs in men, especially younger men. The most effective way to address UTIs due to STIs is through practices that protect oneself through safe intercourse practices. It is always wise to consider STI testing for younger men in the presence of UTI symptoms. 

Now that you have learned a little bit about bladder health, specifically UTIs, let us know what questions you may have related to the bladder and pelvic region. Happy Bladder Health Awareness Month!

.