Urinary Tract Infections – A common issue in the corporate crowd

Travelling is a nightmare for many women in India, majorly because of the lack of clean restrooms. Trains, restaurants, and the other public washroom options aren’t the cleanest and have chances of spreading Urinary tract infections (UTI) in women.

Corporate offices mostly have common washrooms. The sad part is, to avoid infections, women control their pee. This, in fact, could aggravate the chances of UTI.

Here are a few symptoms of UTI to look out for: –

• Persistent urge to urinate without passing much urine
• Burning with urination
• Blood in urine
• Dense/cloudy urine
• Urine that looks like cola or tea
• Foul smelling urine
• Pelvic pain in women
• Cramping, fatigue and even fever

What data says?

Women are more prone to catching UTI’s compared to men due to the anatomy of their urinary tract. In India, 10 million people are affected by urinary tract infections in a year. And 1 in 2 women contract UTI, while 1 in 5 get affected by it for the second time.

A UTI is usually easily curable in its early stages, but its important not to self medicate or delay contacting a doctor. A delayed or inadequate treatment can cause it to come back again, or even complicate it to involve your kidneys.

The good news is that simple measures and timely action can help prevent a UTI or its recurrence.

Preventive Measures for UTI

• Keep yourself hydrated and drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water in a day.
• Maintain proper hygiene. Keep the area dry. Dab yourself dry with tissue paper after washing yourself. Avoid tight synthetic underclothes/jeans in summer as they can cause excess sweating.
• Always clean from front to back.
• Try using Indian-type toilet that lets you squat and relieve yourself,  wherever possible. This reduces the chance of UTI by 50% as you don’t touch the seat.
• When you want to urinate, do not delay. Find the nearest place to pee as holding it for long can be the primary reason for your urinary tract infection.
• Some women get a UTI after intercourse. Always use condoms and wash your private parts and urinate after sex to avoid this. Do not use any harsh cleaning agents or perfumed soaps while washing the genital area.
• Also, when you see and feel symptoms, it is important to meet a doctor and give your urine sample before starting medication. At the CK Birla Hospital in Gurgaon, we have 24 hour laboratory services and experienced gynaecologists to guide you.

What can you carry?

• There are devices like funnels explicitly designed for women to urinate. These help you to stay off from the toilet seat and still pee.
• You could also use disposable toilet seat covers, if your bladder gets full quickly. They restrict the touch of your skin to the toilet seat and save the trouble. You can also carry tissue paper rolls in your bag.
• Also, you can find many easy to carry toilet sanitizers. They are available in the form of sprays. Use them on the seat before you use the toilet seats in the restaurants, offices and even in aircrafts.

Conclusion

UTI’s can be prevented by good hydration, maintaining hygiene and taking simple measures while using public washrooms. If you still feel an increase in your frequency of peeing, or a repeated urge to pee or pain or burning while passing urine, please seek help from your doctor. It is important to give a urine sample before taking any antibiotics. We, at the CK Birla Hospital in Gurgaon, have experts who specialize in diagnosing UTI infections, provide medication to prevent repeated infections, and deal with special situations like a urinary stone or UTI if you are planning for pregnancy or already pregnant.