This simple step might prevent you from getting UTIs



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It is estimated that 15% of the antibiotics used by humans in the world are used to treat urinary tract infections. These boring and often painful conditions are not serious in themselves and can disappear without treatment. Yet, there is a risk of serious complications if a urinary tract infection spreads from your lower urinary tract – the urethra and bladder – up to the kidneys. For this reason, despite the frankly terrifying spectrum of antibiotic resistance caused, in part, by excessive prescription, many urinary tract infections are still treated with antibiotic therapy.

Although men and women get urinary tract infections, a lot of the prescribed antibiotics are required by women prone to recurrent infections. In the hope of reducing women's dependence on antibiotics, doctors often recommend drinking large amounts of water, based on the theory that dilution of bacteria and elimination with more frequent urination will help prevent urinary tract infections to settle. However, peer-reviewed science supporting this simple remedy has been unconvincing and unconvincing – until now.

A new study, led by French and American doctors and published in JAMA Internal Medicine, presents the first convincing evidence that one can avoid recurrent urinary tract infections by regularly drinking lots of water.

"For decades, it has been said that increasing fluid intake could help prevent or cure urinary tract infections," wrote Deborah Grady, a physician at the University of California at San Francisco, not involved in research, in an editorial coaching. "In this issue of JAMA Internal Medicine, a randomized clinical trial confirms this popular wisdom."

Through a network of doctors in Sofia, Bulgaria, the team recruited 140 premenopausal women who experienced at least three episodes of cystitis (inflammation of the bladder normally caused by a bacterial infection) during the course of the year. past year. All participants had to be healthy, have no symptoms of UTI and drink less than 1.5 liters of fluid a day. Half of the group was asked to drink 1.5 liters of water each day in addition to their regular fluid intake, and the other half not to change their intake. Since this study was sponsored by a bottled water company, women who received extra water were sent cases of bottled water every two weeks.

The volume and concentration of urine were evaluated by laboratory tests at six and 12 months, and fluid intake was recorded each month with the aid of a fluid consumption journal. . Urine samples were also collected whenever a urinary tract infection was suspected.

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