1)Drink plenty of water and relieve yourself often. The simplest way to prevent a UTI is to flush bacteria out of the bladder and urinary tract before it can set in. Aim for at least 8 to 10 glasses per day. Stay hydrated. Urine should be a very light color, almost like water.
2)Avoid holding your pee. Avoid holding in your urine, as this can encourage bacterial growth. Try not to wait more than 3 to 4 hours to pee, and completely empty your bladder each time.
3)Empty bladder completely Due to stress of work, many women do not empty the bladder completely. They pee just enough to make the sensation go away because they are in a hurry to go back to what they were doing, or are so used to holding on to their urine that their body tightens the bladder muscles in the middle of peeing so they stop too early.
Incomplete evacuation will help the bacteria to harbor as urine is good culture medium for bacteria to thrive
4)Wipe from front to back. Bacteria tend to hang around the anus. If you wipe from front to back, especially after a bowel movement, the risk of bringing E.coli from the anus to the urethra is markedly reduced.
5)Wash up before sex and urinate after it. Sexual activity increases the chances of getting a UTI, especially if you’re a woman. That’s because bacteria can easily get into the urethra during sex.
Use soap and water before sex. This keeps bacteria away from the urethra. And urinating afterward pushes any bacteria that entered the urinary tract back out.
6)Steer clear of irritating feminine products. The vagina naturally contains more than 50 different microbes, many of which are a type of bacteria called Lactobacilli. These bacteria help keep the vagina healthy and the pH level balanced and prevent overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria.
Scented feminine products can disrupt this balance, allowing harmful bacteria to overgrow. This can result in UTIs, bacterial vaginosis, and yeast infections. Skip douches, deodorant sprays, scented powders, and other potentially irritating feminine products.For the same reason while using a hand shower, point it in a downward direction over the vagina rather than into the vagina directly.
7) Clothing choices Wear breathable cotton underwear because it allows air circulation down below. Synthetic fabrics trap moisture and create the perfect breeding ground for infection. Also, tight pants such as skinny jeans, do not allow for good circulation, which can give bacteria the perfect environment to grow and can cause infection. If you are prone to UTIs, wear loose-fitting bottoms that allow air to circulate around the vagina. At night, you can wear loose-fitting boxers or shorts.
8)Take showers instead of baths Not only it saves water but also prevents bacteria from entering the urethra. Avoid bath oils as well.
9)Try to limit or avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks, which may irritate the bladder. Maintain good Menstrual Hygiene:
Change sanitary napkins after every 4-6 hours during menstruation.
10)Rethink your birth control. A diaphragm, spermicide, or spermicide-lubricated condom and a non lubricated condom can make you more likely to get a UTI because they all can contribute to bacterial growth. If you often get UTIs and use one of these birth control methods, switch to a water-based lubricant for vaginal dryness, and consider trying another birth control method to see if it helps.
Avoid unlubricated condoms, which can stress vaginal tissues, and spermicidal lubricants (like nonoxynol-9), which can trigger vaginal inflammation. Flavored condoms and lubricants are also a no-no as they are infused with sugars that promote bacterial growth and cause irritation.
11) UTI after menopause. Older women are at a higher risk of getting UTI due to age-related changes in immune function, bladder or bowel incontinence, Inadequate and infrequent evacuation of bladder which can increase the chance of an infection in your bladder. As you age, your vaginal tissue thins, making it more prone to infection and with less estrogen in your body, bacterial levels can change, allowing infection to set in.
Doing regular Kegels exercises to strengthen pelvic muscles and giving particular attention to complete evacuation of bladder reduces the repeated attacks of UTI.
While you may be successful in preventing UTI, it is equally important to recognize the symptoms of UTI. The common symptoms of UTI are burning sensation during urination, frequent urination, blood in urine, cloudy urine, foul-smelling urine, fever,pelvic and abdominal pain. Its important to recognize these symptoms and get treated early to prevent infection from travelling up to kidney. Also avoid over the counter antibiotics as it increases the risk of having UTI with drug resistant bacteria. Antibiotic resistance is a big problem. It is always better to get yourself checked and treated thoroughly to prevent recurrences.