Prone to UTIs? 4 Tips to Avoid Them | Tennessee Valley Urology Center

We’ve previously talked about some of the things everyone can do to avoid a urinary tract infection, but what should one do when they’re particularly prone to UTIs? The team at Tennessee Valley Urology Center wants to help you with a few tips to help you avoid more frequent infections.

Take a shower over a bath.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking a bath, but for some women who are prone to urinary tract infections, bathtubs are a real problem. The water in your bathtub can collect bacteria from your skin or bath products and carry it into your vagina. If you get one UTI after another and you’re also taking baths, try sticking to showers and see if you experience an improvement.

Choose underwear that breathes.
There’s some debate among experts whether tight, non-cotton underwear can contribute to more frequent UTIs. But many professionals will tell you that moist underwear certainly doesn’t help the situation when a woman is especially prone to infections. Moist underwear breeds bacteria, so your best bet is to go with 100% cotton underwear because cotton breathes better and will stay more dry.

Get your probiotics.
Healthy bacteria like probiotics are well-known for their benefits to our gut health, but studies indicate they might also help improve vaginal and urinary tract health, too. Our bodies require a balance of good bacteria to help prevent the bad bacteria from proliferating. You might try regularly consuming fermented drinks like kombucha, probiotic yogurt like kefir, or even probiotic supplements.

Promptly change out of gym clothes and swimsuits.
Again, since bacteria thrive in warm and moist environments, you want to minimize risk as much as possible. Whenever you hit the gym or pool, change out of those sweaty or wet clothes fast and get into dry clothing. You reduce the risk of allowing bacteria to multiply and migrate into your urethra and vagina.

What questions do you have about avoiding a urinary tract infection? Here at Tennessee Valley Urology Center, we want to help you live your best and most comfortable life. Visit our website today to learn more about our services and give us a call to schedule your appointment.