To quote one of my favorite American philosophers, Usher Raymond IV, “It’s gonna burn for me to say this,” but chances are you will suffer from a urinary tract infection (UTI) at some point in your life: an estimated 60% of women do at least once. In fact, after the flu and common cold, UTIs are the single most common medical complaint among women ages 18+. Though UTIs are easy to clear up for the most part, they can cause serious health problems if left untreated. Thus it is important to be able to recognize the signs of a UTI and take the correct steps toward treating it. However, being knowledgeable and proactive about UTIs can be hard, especially if you have received confusing advice and mixed messages about urinary tract health.
Myths about UTIs
First, let’s straighten out some common misconceptions about your urinary tract and you.
Myth: Only women can get UTIs.Fact: Men can experience a UTI, though it is rare. Women are more likely to contract a UTI because their urethras are shorter than men’s, making it easier for bacteria to crawl up into the bladder, causing an infection.
Myth: A UTI can be passed back and forth like an STD.Fact: Though UTIs are not sexually transmitted, they are commonly associated with sex. Intercourse can move bacteria from the vagina or vulva into the urethra, and push bacteria already present in the urethra up into the bladder, where they can cause cystitis. Sexual partners are also able to unknowingly pass bacteria that cause UTIs. Yeah, love hurts.
Myth: Getting a UTI means you’re dirty.Fact: As tempting as it may be to bleach every towel, sheet, and pair of underwear you own when you find out you have a UTI, UTIs are not caused by poor hygiene habits.
Symptoms of a UTI
How do you know if you have a UTI, especially if it’s your first time getting one? Common symptoms include an urgent and frequent need to urinate, abdominal pain or discomfort, feeling pressure in the lower abdomen, cloudy or blood-tinged urine, a strong odor in your urine, and, last but not least, a burning sensation when urinating.
Cause we got that fire, fire, fire, and…
Luckily, AZO, an over-the-counter UTI pain reliever, provides fast relief for pain, burning, and urgency.
Preventing a UTI
There are, however, several preventive measures you can take against UTIs, such as staying hydrated, taking showers instead of baths, urinating often, avoiding sitting in one position for hours on end, wiping front to back, avoiding feminine sprays and douches, wearing underwear that are cotton and loose-fitting (because granny panties always set the mood), urinating both before and after sex (because that won’t ruin the moment), asking your partner to “wash up” with soap and water before sex (because that really won’t ruin the moment), drinking cranberry juice, and taking cranberry supplements.
Honey Boo Boo gets it. Cranberries:
Your doctor might also warn you against engaging in unhygienic sex, but since when has the exchange of bodily fluids ever been hygienic in the first place? RIDDLE ME THAT.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Here’s what you can expect if when you contract a UTI:
The color of your urine will resemble that of a neon orange traffic cone. This is because a side effect of phenazopyridine, a drug found in AZO, is that your urine turns a reddish-orange color. Woof.
You shouldn’t consume alcohol or have sex while being treated for a UTI, so expect many weekends in…just you, yourself, and your CVS brand deluxe heating pad.
Turns out, cystitis-induced psychosis is a thing. In fact, UTIs are a leading cause of delirium in nursing homes. So don’t be shocked if you cry in front of your psychology professor, send your boyfriend a 500-word text at 3 a.m., and get an email from eBay congratulating you for placing the highest bid on a “full-body plaid scarf,” all in a 24-hour period (not that I know from personal experience or anything).
From your antibiotics, you are likely to develop a yeast infection. Great, something to look forward to! Taking a probiotic and eating yogurt can help prevent this.
On the bright side, you have a get out of jail class free card. Of course, I would never advise skipping school, but if you just can’t handle getting up to pee 6 times during class or are experiencing too much abdominal discomfort, the four magic words—“blood in my urine”—will win over and/or gross out even the toughest professor enough to give you an excused absence.
Sources:
http://www.azoproducts.com/uti/about
http://www.kidney.org/kidneyDisease/uti/index.html