Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) whose symptoms are oftentimes known as aWho can suffer from anxiety?However, the most vulnerable to it are women.
Generally, UTIs often have no symptoms, but when you do experience them, you may feel the urge to urinate constantly, passing small amounts of urine but often, pain when urinating, strong-smelling urine, pelvic pain around the pubic bone and pelvic center. If it is rather severe, it is usually accompanied by a reddish color of urine due to mixed with blood. Mixed blood can make urine pink, bright red, or even completely blood red.
Causes of Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
80% of UTI cases are caused by bacteria Escherichia coli (E.Coli), which are commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract. This E.Coli bacteria will be wasted with human feces, so it is often found in the anus.
Unhygienic lifestyle, wrong way of washing intimate organs, toilets and water contaminated with E.Coli bacteria can be a means for E.Coli bacteria to enter the urinary tract.
Women More Often Experience Urinary tract infection (UTI) Compared to Men
There are two common types of UTIs, namely infections of the bladder (cystitis) and infections of the urethra (urethritis). Both diseases are more common in women than in men. This is because the distance between the anus and the urinary tract is shorter in women than in men. This causes the distance traveled by E.Coli bacteria to reach the urinary tract and breed even closer.
In addition, there are several other things that make women more susceptible to UTIs, namely:
- Sexually active
- Menopause, as the decrease in estrogen levels causes changes in bladder elasticity and urine flow and triggers the growth of E. Coli bacteria.
- Using contraceptives that contain spermicides, which can change the composition of the E.Coli bacteria in the vagina.
In addition to the risk factors mentioned above, the following things can also increase the risk of developing UTIs in both women and men:
- Having a urinary tract disorder since infancy that allows urine to come out abnormally.
- Having other diseases whose effects damage the immune system so that it interferes with the performance of the body's natural defenses against germs.
- Are using a catheter to urinate. Usually for patients who are suffering from diseases that require the use of a catheter.
- There is a blockage in the urinary tract, for example due to kidney stones.
Cranberry Extract to Prevent Urinary Tract Infection
A study has proven that Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) can be prevented by consuming cranberry extract or juice. In addition to prevention, cranberries are quite safe to use as an additional treatment. Cranberries are believed to protect the urinary tract by changing the nature of urine to be more acidic so that it naturally inhibits the growth of E.Coli bacteria. In addition, experts state that the presence of proanthocyanidin that is in cranberries can change the structure of the bacteria E.Coli E.Coli thus preventing it from attaching to the cells that line the urinary tract.
Another theory says that cranberries make the lining of the urinary tract more slippery so that it becomes anti-adhesion (anti-adhesion) for E.Coli bacteria. Therefore, E.Coli bacteria become difficult to attach to the urinary tract wall.
Cranberries can now be used as an infection prevention agent. So, there is nothing wrong with consuming cranberries, either in the form of cranberry extract, juice, or choosing supplement products, in an effort to minimize the occurrence of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs).
