Got Problems With UTIs? 3 Ways To Prevent Them Naturally

According to the National Kidney Foundation, one in every five women will experience at least one urinary tract infection (UTI) in her lifetime, at least 20 percent of those women will have a subsequent UTI, 30 percent will experience yet another one and 80 percent will have even more. UTIs can be painful. Luckily, they are preventable. Here are three ways you can prevent them naturally:

1. Add More Vitamin C to Your Diet.

According to one clinical trial, 100 mg of Vitamin C had the ability to lower the chances of an infection occurring, including a UTI. This is likely due to the fact that the Vitamin C makes a woman's urine more acidic, which essentially makes it less favorable for undesirable bacteria. While this study focused specifically on pregnant women, it doesn't mean that Vitamin C doesn't have the same effect on non-pregnant women. Whether you want to add more foods that are high in Vitamin C, such as bell peppers, broccoli, oranges and kiwi, or you want to take a Vitamin C supplement, increasing your daily intake of Vitamin C can definitely help reduce your risk of urinary tract infections.

2. Eat and Drink Cranberries.

If you tell your mother and grandmother that you have a UTI or think you have one, they'll probably tell you to start eating cranberries or drink a glass of cranberry juice. This is because it is an age-old trick at preventing and treating urinary tract infections. According to WebMD, it is believed that cranberries contain certain substances that are able to keep bacteria from sticking to the walls that line your urinary tract.

WebMD reports multiple studies that have been conducted on the link between cranberries and UTIs. One study showed that women could reduce their risk of developing UTIs by as much as 20 percent simply by drinking nearly two ounces of cranberry-lingonberry juice daily for six months. Another study showed that women who were sexually active and either took a concentrated cranberry tablet twice a day or drank eight ounces of unsweetened cranberry juice on a daily basis for one year were less likely to have UTIs.

3. Urinate Immediately After Having Sex.

If you are sexually active and are having a problem with UTIs, the problem may be with your sex life. However, it doesn't mean that you need to stop having sex. It just means that you need to take some precautionary measures to minimize the buildup of bacteria so that you can reduce your overall risk of developing a UTI. In order to do this, you need to urinate before and after sex, while also thoroughly cleaning your genital area. To further help eliminate bacteria from your urinary tract, drink plenty of fluids, especially water, to flush out any toxins.

If you believe that you may have developed a urinary tract infection, schedule an appointment with your primary care physician, such as at Alliance For Women's Health, Inc., so that you can get tested and get a prescription for antibiotics if it is indeed a UTI.

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