It’s something women don’t really like to talk about – yet Urinary Tract Infections are pretty common – it’s estimated a third of woman have at least one attack by the age of 24.
Sometimes known as cystitis, UTI symptoms are not fun. Here are the symptoms:
- Itching and burning
- You feel like you have to pee all the time – and when you do, it stings!
- Your urine will be dark, stronger smelling and cloudy
- You may have a pain low in your tummy
- You generally feel unwell, aching and tired.
Sometimes a UTI starts when bacteria that naturally live harmlessly on your skin or in your bowel get pushed up inside your bladder or urethra, the tubes that carry urine, either from your kidneys to your bladder, or from your bladder to outside your body.
Higher risk when you’re pregnant
But your risk of cystitis also increases when you’re pregnant – it’s due to pregnancy hormones your body releases to relax your insides so you can accommodate a growing baby and give birth.
These hormones also relax the urethra and your bladder, so it’s easier to get an infection in your urethra or bladder.
Antibiotics are sometimes prescribed to kill UTI. And they work. But today doctors warn that more bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics. So preventing a UTI in the first place is a smarter move – and surprisingly easy.