Urinary Tract Infections are said to be receffect if they occur three or more than three times within a year or two more times within six months. As per the studies, around 30%- 44% of the women have chances of getting another UTI within the first 6 months of the first problem. The ratio between women and men having this infection is 8:1.

The same type of bacteria that is E.Coli that caused the previous infection is mainly responsible for this. Such infections are most prevalent in women. Even healthy women with basic genitourinary anatomy have chances of getting affected. Having sexual intercourse quite often is one of the most common reasons of this problem. In severe cases of RUTI, it can lead to the tract infection in the upper part, also known as urosepsis. In your initial stages your doctor might advise you to undergo antimicrobial treatment and other such ways to prevent you from using any kind  of  antibiotics.

 In the present article we are going to talk about recurrent Urinary Tract Infection, its symptoms, reasons for its occurrence, its effects and how to manage it.

So without wasting much time, let’s start.

What are the symptoms of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection (RUTI) ?

Any problem needs to be treated soon in order to prevent it from getting worse. But, for that you need to identify it to get a timely treatment. A urinary tract infection causes redness or swelling in the line of the urinary tract. Let us have a look at some of the most common symptoms for easy identification.

• Abdominal pain or pain in the pelvic region.

• Increase in pressure in the pelvis region below.

• Having a sense of urination quite often along with the continuous leakage of urine.

• Dysuria, also referred to as having irritation while urinating.

• Urge to urinate at night time.

• Having discolored, cloudy or foul smelling urine.

• Though not always present, there might be other symptoms as well.

• Pain while having intercourse.

• Irritation in penis.

• Pain in the side of the body.

• Chill and rising body temperature.

• Nausea and vomiting.

• Mood changes and feeling perplexed.

How to diagnose Recurrent UTIs?

As mentioned above, these UTIs are basically the ones that occur even after the proper treatment of the earlier. Around two- thirds of this problem occurs due to the bacteria that causes inflammation. The most prevalent methods of diagnosing this problem involve urinalysis. When the Urine is kept under the microscope and its contents are analysed. It involves RBCs, WBCs, leukocytes along with the bacteria that has resulted in the infection. After identifying the particular bacteria a specific drug is used to kill it.

The tests involve:

• A proper camera is used to have a look inside the urethra and to see if there is any blockage due to stones or by any other reason. This procedure is also known as Cystoscopy.

• Also a procedure if used wherein it is seen if there are any cancerous cells present in the Urinary Tract.

• Through renal ultrasound, doctors look at the kidneys  properly to see if any waste material is present.

• X-ray is taken to identify the existence of stones.

What are the causes of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections (RUTI) ?

The most prevalent reason for the occurrence of this problem is E.coli. However, there are other factors as well. Let us have a look at them.

• Having frequent sex.

• Having issues clearing the bladder.

• Having diabetes.

• If you previously had this infection.

• Bad hygiene.

Any such problem that leads to blocking of the tract.

How can you treat rUTI?

The best way to treat rUTI is taking a course of 3-5. The main antibiotics advised by the doctors include Nitrofurantoin, Trimethoprim-Sulfa and Fosfomycin. Let us have a look at some of the therapy to cure this issue.

• Therapy without any antibiotics: 

Though these are generally used to prevent rUTIs, there is not much information available on them. Though the use of cranberry products along with D- mannose are advised, the proof of its benefits are yet to be discovered. Even the benefits of oral and vaginal antibiotics are not yet known. However, estrogen therapy, leads to the decrease  in the acidic level of vagina, prevents accumulation of bacteria, and decreases the risk of rUTI in the women with later stages of menopause.

• Methenamine Hippurate:

This product leads to the enhancement in the levels of formaldehyde. Studies have shown that these agents have been successful in preventing rUTI to some extent. They also decrease the requirement of prophylactic agents.

• Other Vaccines: 

OM-89, is a vaccine most commonly found in the countries of Europe. They have proven to be of great use and are quite effective in reducing the infection. However, there are certain side effects of it as well. They cause irritation in women and also affect the kind of life they have. Hence there are certain measures that you need to take after consulting your medical expert. 

What are the different ways in which you can prevent rUTI?

In order to avoid rUTI infections you need to make certain changes in your lifestyle patterns. Let us have a look at them:

• It is very essential to control the amount of sugar in your blood.

• Use of spermicide gel should be avoided by women.

• Do not consume too much of antibiotics without any reason.

• Keep yourself hydrated by drinking enough amounts of water.

• You can also undergo certain antibiotic therapies in order to avoid this issue. Mainly, doctors might advise you to use prophylaxis drugs and you can do this in various ways as mentioned below:

• Using just one dose after having sex is more than enough and is known to be very beneficial in preventing the infection.

• Your doctor might advise you to take this drug once a day for six- twelve months and it works wonders.

• You may be asked to take a proper course of three days which is one of the best ways to treat this problem.

Conclusion and Suggestions

In order to treat rUTI, you might be asked to undertake certain drugs for a longer period of time, and these might also have certain side effects. Sometimes, if you do not treat the problem in time, it can have severe consequences as the infection n ght reach kidneys and might damage them. In severe cases it might even result in permanent damage. Hence it is really important to prevent the issue in the first place itself. There are various ways to do this.

• An average adult must drink 10-12 glasses of water each day to keep himself hydrated and flush the waste material along with harmful bacteria from the body.

• Though there is not sufficient proof of its effects, it is believed that Cranberries play a great role in preventing UTIs.

• Keep  your genitals clean by washing yourself daily.

• Do not forget to urinate after sex.

• Vagina is a self cleaning organ and hence you should never use artificial products for cleaning it. They can cause redness and irritation in your private parts and are also very harmful.

• You also should use better contraceptives such as lubricated condoms and diaphragms as they prevent the development of bacteria.