The main point of prevention of urinary tract infection is to develop good lifestyle habits and correct the undesirable factors that may cause urinary tract infection, such as drinking more water and urinating more often, in order to prevent the problem before it occurs. It is also very necessary to take individualized preventive measures according to different age, gender and combined underlying diseases.
I. General prevention
1, reasonable use of drugs: urinary tract infections must go to a regular hospital, adhere to the principle of timely, adequate, full course of treatment, follow medical advice, do not “follow the feeling. The main manifestation of unreasonable medication is to take or stop medication at will, halfway through the treatment will only prolong the treatment time, affecting normal work and life. Sheng Meixiao, Department of Nephrology, Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
2, a good state of mind and sleep: many female patients with urinary tract infections, because of the fear of another attack, a wind of anxiety, in fact, there is no need to do so. Urinary tract infection is completely preventable, even if you have suffered from a urinary tract infection, as long as the positive attitude with the treatment, the vast majority of completely curable. The anxiety and lack of sleep will lead to a decrease in immunity, bacteria are more likely to take advantage of the situation.
3, it is advisable to take a shower, less sitz bath: it is recommended to take a shower, as far as possible not sitz bath, because sitting in the bath tub bath, sewage is easy to immerse in the urethra, causing infection. “Bubble bath” will also increase the risk of urinary tract infections, in large baths more careful. If you use a bath tub or bathtub and so on, be sure to first fully clean these sanitary ware, and shower after the bath.
4, avoid holding urine, drink more water, prevent sedentary: holding urine has many hazards to the human body, one of which is to significantly increase the risk of urinary tract infections. To develop good urination habits, urinate regularly, never hold urine for a long time, so as not to cause urinary tract infections or affect kidney function. Drinking more water (keeping the daily urine volume at 1,500 to 2,000 ml) is the most practical and effective way to prevent urinary tract infections. No matter how busy you are at work, you must get into the habit of drinking more water, and to general drinking water, do not drink too many sweet drinks. The actual fact is that you will not be able to get a lot of water after sweating, so that you will not be able to flush out the bacteria and other harmful substances in time and cause infection. In addition, sedentary will make the vulva localized for a long time in a humid and stuffy state, bacteria reproduction accelerated, especially in the sultry summer, so people who have been sitting in the office for a long time should regularly stand up and walk.
5, pay attention to cleanliness, change underwear: both men and women, change underwear every day, before and after sex to wash the vulva, so as not to retrograde the urethra bacteria caused by urinary tract infections, generally with warm boiled water to wash.
6, try to avoid urinary tract instrumentation: urinary tract instrumentation includes catheterization, cystoscopy, etc. These invasive operations can significantly increase the chances of urinary tract infection. The longer the catheter is left in place, the greater the risk of urinary tract infection. Therefore, invasive operations such as catheterization should be minimized except for necessary urinary tract instrumentation and treatment. If catheterization is necessary, remove the catheter as soon as possible.
7, enhance the body’s immunity and resistance to disease: life should be regular, to live a regular life, adhere to appropriate physical exercise, avoid overwork, smoking, alcohol abuse and unclean sex.
Second, the prevention of urinary tract infections in women
Women, especially women of childbearing age and postmenopausal middle-aged and elderly women, are more prone to urinary tract infections and should do a good job of prevention.
1, easy infection period prevention
(1) Menstrual period: In addition to the above preventive measures, women should pay special attention to the use of clean sanitary napkins, diligent change of sanitary napkins and moderate rest during menstruation.
(2) Pregnancy: urinary tract infections are highly prevalent and harmful during pregnancy, so women are advised to undergo screening and bacterial culture for urinary tract infections before or during early pregnancy for early detection and early treatment. Also, due to the increased vaginal discharge of pregnant women, it is more important to pay special attention to personal hygiene.
(3) Menopause: It is important to pay attention to the hygiene and health care of women during this period, as well as to actively treat some combined diseases to reduce the chance of invasion of pathogenic bacteria and prevent urinary tract infections.
2.Hygienic habits
(1)Hygiene after stool: the female urethral orifice is short and wide, wiping from back to front after stool will increase the risk of urethral contamination, the correct method should be to wipe from back to front, it is best to rinse with water.
(2) Sexual hygiene: For women who have urinary tract infections due to sexual intercourse, both men and women should wash their vulva before sex, especially the male should wash the dirt in the coronal sulcus. After sex, urinate once, using urine to flush the urethra, which can take away some of the bacteria and reduce the chances of infection. In addition, it should be noted that during the period of illness and menstruation should avoid sexual life, so as not to cause urinary tract infections.
Three, male urinary tract infection prevention
Men are generally less prone to urinary tract infections due to anatomical reasons. The causes of urinary tract infections in men, in addition to systemic infections, are often related to prostate enlargement, stones, and unclean sexual behavior.
1, keep the genital local hygiene: pay attention to the foreskin, glans, penis, perineum clean. Also drink more water and urinate more often. Actively treat infected lesions in all parts of the body.
2, don’t be sedentary or long time cycling: riding a bicycle, motorcycle or horse, long time sedentary, constipation, etc. may lead to direct pressure on the prostate, causing prostate congestion, prostate fluid excretion difficulties, inducing infection.
3, pay attention to mental health: psychological factors can cause urinary dysfunction through nerve reflexes, so that urine reflux to the prostate, causing aseptic inflammation of the prostate.
4, keep the urinary tract open: avoid holding urine, drink more water, and actively treat prostate enlargement and stones.
5, pay attention to sexual hygiene: cleanliness, the use of condoms, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.
Four, the prevention of urinary tract infection in children
Children’s urinary tract infection symptoms insidious, often no specific performance, the cause is often related to congenital malformations of the urinary tract, including ureter, bladder, lower urethra malformations, etc., especially the incidence of primary vesicoureteral reflux is high. Preventive measures include.
1, in daily life, parents should pay attention to try not to let young children wear crotch pants, infants should change diapers diligently, and help babies wash their buttocks in time after pooping to keep clean;
2, girls should wash the vulva from front to back scrub;
3, diarrhea, upper respiratory tract infections, pneumonia, sepsis and other diseases, must be actively treated to avoid bacterial invasion of the urinary tract through the blood circulation caused by infection;
4, recurring urinary tract infections should be noted in a timely manner to do specialist examinations to determine whether there is a urinary tract deformity and other causes;
5, the circumcision is recommended for those who have long foreskin and repeated infections.
V. Treatment of combined diseases
Actively check and treat various co-morbidities that can easily cause urinary tract infection, including diabetes, urological tumors, gynecological inflammation, various diseases that cause patients to have low immune function, urinary tract stones, foreign bodies in the urinary system, prostate inflammation, abnormalities in the structure and function of the genitourinary system, etc. For diabetic patients, strict control of blood sugar, more water, attention to personal hygiene, etc. are required. For patients with abnormalities in the structure and function of the genitourinary system, careful examination is needed for early detection and reasonable treatment.
Sixth, traditional Chinese medicine
Practice has proved that Chinese herbal medicine has its unique advantages in preventing and treating urinary tract infections, and has accumulated rich clinical experience. According to Chinese medicine, urinary tract infection belongs to the category of “gonorrhea”, and the basic pathogenesis is kidney deficiency, dampness and heat in the lower jiao, and unfavorable bladder gasification. Chinese medicine treatment is based on the principle of identification and treatment, and the basic method of treatment is to nourish the kidney and clear the diaphragm, and the prescription of medicine is based on different individuals and different stages of the disease. In the acute stage, antibiotic treatment can help to relieve the disease; in the remission stage, it can improve the immune function of the body, improve the acid-base environment of urine and prevent recurrence.
Seven, reasonable diet
Food can also affect the occurrence and treatment of individual urinary tract infections. For example, alcohol, chili and other foods have a stimulating effect on the prostate and urethra, and can cause vasodilation and edema, or lead to a decrease in resistance and induce infection. Studies have found that the occurrence of infections is often associated with oxidative stress. Coarse grains, nuts, vegetable oils, fresh vegetables and fruits can be supplemented with various types of antioxidants. Coarse grains, vegetables and other fiber-rich foods also help keep bowels open and also help prevent urinary tract infections, especially in men with prostatitis. The actual body’s active ingredient is zinc, which regulates the body’s immune function, so you should eat more zinc-rich foods, etc.