Five useful tips on How to avoid Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

Urinary Tract Infections commonly referred to as UTIs are infections that usually affect the kidneys, bladder and the urethra. It is mostly caused by bacteria that invade and infect the urinary tract. Although UTIs can affect both sexes, ladies are more susceptible because of the open structure of the vagina. However, with healthy habits and cleanliness, anyone can avoid UTIs. Here are some tips to help:

1. Maintain a neat toilet: Ladies, if the toilet is not clean enough, do not sit on it. A large number of germs and unseen pathogenic microorganisms are present in the bathrooms and toilets. Wash and disinfect your toilets regularly with disinfectants and antiseptics to prevent germs from getting into your lady areas.
2. Wipe from front to back: When wiping and washing down there, it is very advisable to wash from front to back instead of back to front. This is to prevent germs from the nether region getting introduced to the front.
3. Wash your underwear: To prevent infections and diseases, it is necessary to maintain an acceptable level of personal hygiene. Do not wear the same underwear for more than 24 hours. Even though the vagina washes itself by producing lactic acid that inhibits certain bacteria, there are limits to this and bacteria can become resistant.
4. Change the pads: Some ladies can wear a single menstrual pad for more than a day, claiming they have little flow. This is grossly unhygienic and may even lead to worse complications than UTIs. Sanitary pads are not made to be worn for more than a day and 24 hours of wearing a single pad is not even healthy. Endeavour to change into fresh pads at least every ten hours whether you have light or heavy flow.
5. Empty your bladder: As soon as you feel pressure to go to the bathroom, please do so. Avoid holding back urine in the system as much as possible so as to avoid weakening the kidney. Prevention is always better than cure.

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Opoola Jelifat is a young and passionate writer. She holds a B.Sc degree in Microbiology and enjoys reading, cooking and writing on real life issues. She is currently pursuing a Masters degree at the University of Ibadan. Contact her on opoolajelifat@gmail.com, and via Twitter and facebook by clicking the icons below.

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