A No-BS Guide To Treating And Preventing UTIs
by Marissa Pomerance
The sheer, unadulterated pain of UTIs just can’t be understated. Even though we act like they’re no big deal—nearly everyone gets them. And they are truly a horror show.
And if you get them consistently, like 20% of women do, then we especially feel your pain, because consistent UTIs are a nightmare to treat. We do everything we can to prevent them. Peeing before and after sex. Showering 8 times a day. Drinking a gallon of cranberry juice.
But.
Do any of these old-wives-tales-remedies truly work? And why do we keep getting them? And is there anything we can legitimately do to make sure we never get one again?
Well, we have your answers. And they might surprise you.
1. Here’s why you get them so much.
Some people are just more prone to UTIs than others. And to those “others,” we want you to know we envy your lives and urinary tracts.
While men can get UTIs, women get UTIs 30 times more often than men do. That pay gap isn’t looking so bad in comparison, huh? (Jokes!)
Since you’re here, you probably already know the symptoms. But just in case you’ve been blessed with a UTI-free existence, here’s a refresher. Symptoms include:
A burning sensation during urination
A persistent urge to pee
Cloudy or red urine
Strong-smelling urine
Pelvic pain
Back pain
And if you’re wondering why women (and more specifically, you) are so frustratingly susceptible to UTIs, here are a few potential reasons:
Anatomy: Unfortunately, sometimes it just comes down to our bodies; our urethras are shorter than men’s, making it easier for bacteria to get into the bladder. So there’s not much we can do about that. And some truly unlucky souls have a specific receptor in their bladder that lets bacteria take hold more easily.
Sexual activity: It’s true-- sexual activity can allow bacteria from the vagina to get into the urethra. And while sex can increase the chances of getting a UTI, you don’t have to be sexually active to get a UTI.
Hormones: Post-menopausal and pregnant women are more at risk because hormone changes can lead to pH changes in the vagina, which can encourage more potential infections.
Certain birth control methods: Diaphrams and spermicides can kill the good bacteria that protects you from UTIs.
These medical conditions: Any condition that makes it hard to empty the bladder regularly—like diabetes, a prolapsed bladder, or kidney conditions—can contribute to recurring UTIs.
Some of this, like our anatomy, just can’t be helped.
But, some of it can. Those tried-and-true methods we’ve all read about 857 times, like peeing before and after sex, urinating frequently, and wiping front to back, can actually help prevent recurring UTIs. But more on that in a minute.
2. If you’re prone to UTIs, avoid these condoms like the plague!
Here’s something we’d previously never heard, but that might just blow your mind; condoms that use a specific spermicide, called nonoxynol-9, may cause small abrasions on or near the urethra, allowing bacteria to get in, making you more prone to recurrent UTIs.
WHY HAS NO ONE EVER TOLD US THIS BEFORE?
And guess what? Most spermicides contain this ingredient.
Welp, if you want to make sure you never use a single UTI-inducing condom again, check the ingredients on the condoms you’re using, because huge brands like Trojan use nonoxynol-9 all the time.
To be safe, we recommend sticking to brands like Glyde and Sustain, which never use spermicides or nonoxynol-9.
3. Cranberry juice is nothing.
On the surface, drinking cranberry juice for UTIs seems like such a strange, random myth that came out of nowhere. But there’s a reason cranberry juice became the go-to solution for UTIs.
Cranberries do have an active ingredient that helps prevent bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall. So theoretically, drinking cranberry juice, or popping cranberry tablets, feels logical, right?
Actually, no. The problem is that cranberry juice and cranberry supplements don’t have enough of this active ingredient to really do anything. And generally, the studies on the efficacy of cranberry juice for UTIs have produced mixed results.
In fact, it actually might be better to just drink a bunch of water to help flush out bacteria.
4. Do I need to spend $90 on special, refrigerated probiotics to prevent UTIs?
The jury is still out on probiotics for UTIs. While studies have shown some promising potential results for warding off recurrent UTIs with probiotics, there isn’t enough evidence yet to prove, definitively, that probiotics are a miracle cure.
In which case, buying $90, refrigerate-only probiotic supplements from Whole Foods might be a waste of your money.
But, if you suffer from recurring UTIs and nothing is working, probiotics couldn’t hurt, either. And if you don’t want to spend $90, this brand offers a month’s supply of vaginal probiotics (which are potentially more effective than oral probiotics) that are specifically formulated for preventing UTIs. And luckily, they’re a much more reasonable $30.
5. So how do I actually get rid of this thing?
If left untreated, some UTIs can potentially become serious, leading to kidney infections, or even sepsis. Plus, most of us just want relief from our symptoms as quickly as possible.
Prevention, of course, is still the best method. And that includes a few things we already discussed (and that most of us have been told over and over):
Urinate frequently—don’t hold it in!
Pee before and after sex
Wipe front to back
Stay away from diaphragms, spermicides, and condoms with spermicide
Drink lots of water
Don’t douche or clean inside the vagina—it’s self-cleaning, after all
Change out of wet and sweaty clothing
If you want, you can try a probiotic—just set your expectations low.
For people who have recurring UTIs, you can ask your doctor about preventative, low-dose antibiotics, which can help reduce the recurrence of UTIs as long as you continue to take the antibiotics. However, there are some downsides to long-term antibiotic use, like the destruction of good bacteria and the potential of antibiotic resistance.
And while there are some great options for getting relief from UTI pain, like AZO (you know, those pills that make your pee red, prompting immediate fear and horror), remember that just because something is helping your symptoms, it doesn’t mean it’s curing your UTI. Yes, they’re supremely helpful for relieving pain if you can’t get to the doctor immediately, but it’s only a temporary solution.
Even in 2020, the most common way to treat a UTI is still an antibiotic. I know—yawn.
But. Some new therapies are finally beginning to emerge. And some of the most promising new treatments for UTIs are:
D-Mannose: A sugar, called d-mannose, can be taken (orally) to help prevent the growth of bacteria in the bladder.
New drugs: Recently, The FDA approved a new antibacterial drug to treat UTIs, as well as a new antibiotic to treat serious, drug-resistant UTIs.
A UTI Vaccine: Multiple UTI vaccines (!) are in development for people with recurrent UTIs. While nothing has been officially approved yet in the US, the results are looking promising, and could be a huge win against antibiotic-resistant UTIs.
In the meantime, we’ll just wait patiently for some quick fix (*cough vaccine*) that will rid us of this hideous pain forever.
Marissa Pomerance is the Managing Editor of The Candidly. She’s a Los Angeles native and lover of all things food, style, beauty, and wellness. You can find more of her articles here.
