Urine Infection (cont.)
Recurrent infections in women
Women who have had three UTIs are likely to continue having them. Four
out of five such women get another within 18 months of the last UTI. Many
women have them even more often. A woman who has frequent recurrences (three
or more a year) can ask her doctor about one of the following treatment
options:
- Take low doses of an antibiotic such as TMP/SMZ or nitrofurantoin daily for
6 months or longer. If taken at bedtime, the drug remains in the bladder longer
and may be more effective. NIH-supported research at the University of
Washington has shown this therapy to be effective without causing serious side
effects.
- Take a single dose of an antibiotic after sexual intercourse.
- Take a short course (1 or 2 days) of antibiotics when symptoms appear.
Dipsticks that change color when an infection is present are now available
without a prescription. The strips detect nitrite, which is formed when bacteria
change nitrate in the urine to nitrite. The test can detect about 90 percent of
UTIs when used with the first morning urine specimen and may be useful for women
who have recurrent infections.
Doctors suggest some additional steps that a woman can take on her own to
avoid an infection:
- Drink plenty of water every day.
- Urinate when you feel the need; don't resist the urge to urinate.
- Wipe from front to back to prevent bacteria around the anus from entering
the vagina or urethra.
- Take showers instead of tub baths.
- Cleanse the genital area before sexual intercourse.
- Avoid using feminine hygiene sprays and scented douches, which may irritate
the urethra.
Some doctors suggest drinking cranberry juice.
Next: How are infections in pregnancy treated? »
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