– Post by Love Wellness Advisor: Dr. Shweta Pai. Join the discussion and read more on The Love Club
We’ve all heard of the classic Cranberry Juice remedy for treating a UTI but did you know that taking probiotics can actually help to prevent them?! Yup, like with many health-related issues, it all trickles down to having a healthy gut!
According to the National Institute of Health, UTIs are the second most common infection in the body and about 20% of women who experience a UTI will have a recurrence of the infection. Yikes!
UTIs often occur when urine pools in the bladder therefore making it the ideal spot for bacteria to grow. This pooling can be caused by an obstruction in urinary flow due to a descended bladder in women or an enlarged prostate in men. Urinary Tract Infections can also be caused by a lack of estrogen in the lining of a woman’s vagina as well as gut bacteria such as E.Coli invading the vagina and displacing the good bacteria (lactobacilli) that lives there.
The frustrating aspect of a UTI is all of the discomfort that comes along with it-back pain, fever, painful urination and if left untreated it could potentially turn into a kidney infection. More often than not, UTIs are over treated by the overuse of antibiotics. The problem with taking antimicrobial medications to fight these infections is that they wipe out not only the bad bacteria but the good as well which will totally throw off your vaginal flora and cause a recurrent UTI. What a nightmare!
To help limit recurrent UTIs, replenish the naturally occurring bacteria that lives in the vagina by taking probiotics! Thanks to this friendly bacteria, it’s able to restore the vagina’s natural bacterial environment by keeping the bad bacteria from growing and causing another infection.
To stay a step ahead of urinary tract infections, try our all-star duo-Good Girl Probiotics, to maintain a healthy amount of good bacteria and UTI Don't Think So to maintain PAC levels to support urinary tract health!
With love,
Dr. Pai