Taking care of urinary health in women is a matter of not only hygiene but also of choice and etiquette. Today, women are empowered and take responsibilities of their household and professional lives together multitasking just like an octopus. Whether you are sitting for long hours at work, traveling, writing a long school examination or simply too busy mothering an infant and other responsibilities, watch out for some health markers that might indicate poor urinary health.
Signs of Urinary Problems in Women –
• Lower back and abdomen or pelvic pain:
Pain in abdomen and pelvic pain is common before or after urination when you are going through urinary tract infections. It may also mean burning micturition. If you have a health condition or are on medications, consult your doctor before doing any exercises or starting self medication.
• Overactive bladder (OAB) or Increased Urine Frequency:
You might feel the urge to use the bathroom all of a sudden and urinate. You answer nature’s call more than 8 times in a span of 24 hours. Caffeine, alcohol, hormonal changes in women, urinary tract infections, diabetes, nervous system problems, and certain medications may be the leading causes of OAB. Consult your doctor for medication as this condition is treatable. Doing relaxing activities like yoga and meditation are known to help as well.
• Dysuria or painful urination:
Pain, itching or burning sensation while urinating is usually caused by UTI or urinary tract infections, vaginal infections, bladder infections, inflammation of the urethra tube or other problems. The condition is treatable after treatment of the underlying cause with antibiotics. Consult a urogynecologist near you for an online consultation. Alternatively, we recommend hydrating by drinking at least 3 liters of water a day and wiping dry after urination.
• Urinary Incontinence or loss of control on urine:
Sometimes it is difficult to control the urge and you urinate a little or pee yourself before you even get to the bathroom. This type of problem causes embarrassment when you are surrounded by people. Leaking urine while coughing, sneezing, laughing, or when stressing bladder is stress incontinence. Urine retention in bladder and leaky urine with any movements is overflow incontinence. You might get urge incontinence with involuntary loss of urine or functional incontinence meaning peeing before getting into the bathroom. An analysis of the urine sample is necessary in this case. Keeping a track of your water intake and the amount of urine helps as well. Another test is carried out after emptying your bladder for the signs of urine retention in your bladder with ultrasound or catheter. Get in touch with the best urologist for women at Kinder Hospital, Bangalore for a complete consultation and treatment.
• Interstitial Cystitis:
Interstitial Cystitis causes bladder pressure, bladder pain and pelvic pain. It causes you to frequently pass urine (upto 60 times a day) in lesser quantities than normal, pain during bladder filling and relief while bladder emptying, painful sex and chronic pelvic pain. When you are experiencing chronic pelvic pain, bladder pain, consult your doctor. Interstitial cystitis combined with Urinary Tract Infection severely damages your lifestyle. The condition is treatable with bladder distention, surgeries such as fulguration, resection, bladder augmentation, direct instilling medications into bladder, nerve stimulation, physical therapy and oral medications. To find out the status of how badly you are affected, doctors may perform pelvic exam, urine test, cystoscopy and biopsy. Connect with Kinder Hospital Bangalore to get medical and surgical care for interstitial cystitis and related conditions.
• Dark color, cloudy or bloody urine:
It is mostly caused due to lack of adequate water intake. It may indicate liver disease. It may also indicate dangerous toxins circulating in the body.
Many bacterial infections such as E. Coli are the leading cause of UTI or Urinary Tract Infections in women.
Tips for Women for Best Urinary Health:
1) Hydrate: Water is a nutrient, an unsung hero to regulate almost every process in your body. It is no brainer that our bodies are made of 60-70% water. Drink 3-4 liters of water everyday for better overall health.
2) Be cool and comfortable: Use organic cotton underwear and avoid tight fitting clothing. Maintain breathability of the clothes. For instance, sitting on a non breathable fabric like leather for a long time can also lead to poor urinary health. Not many women are willing to sacrifice fashion for comfort. However, when it comes to health, do your best to stay away from unbreathable fabrics. In tropical climates, you sweat more in the region of your underwear. In such weather, having highly breathable cotton underwear is a must.
3) Build urinary health with herbs: Adopt a healthy lifestyle by using herbs that build urinary health with your diet. These include garlic, cranberry, green tea, parsley, chamomile, mint, bearberry and more. Get in touch with your healthcare provider before using herbs for treating your condition.
4) Do not hold urine: As and when you get an urge to urinate, use the bathroom. Never hold your pee for long because it may concentrate the toxins in your body leading to serious consequences. Take your time to empty your bladder completely and be in a relaxed state. Urinate after sex. Wipe yourself dry from front to back after urination.
5) Eat a healthy balanced diet with a lot of fiber: Fiber causes stools to pass with ease and avoid constipation. This will avoid bladder pressure and result in a healthier urinary system. Incorporate salads, chia seeds, whole grains, vegetables and fruits in your diet rich in fiber. Watch your weight when you are obese or overweight. Cutting down your weight would improve your urinary health for the better.
6) Quit alcohol, smoking and caffeine: A diet with high doses of alcohol, smoking and caffeine impairs the normal functioning of most of the systems of your body including the urinary system. These all are diuretics i.e. they take out water from your body causing dehydration and excessive urination. Avoid these at all costs when you have any bladder problems.
7) Maintain hygiene: Laundering your beddings like bedsheets, pillowcases and duvets regularly with generous use of essential oils is the best way to maintain hygiene. Washing your intimate clothing with medicated solutions and changing them frequently also maintains hygiene in the long run. Avoid touching inflamed skin directly with your unwashed hands. Consult your doctor before using essential oils for washing your clothes as they are aware of your medical history and use them correctly.
8) Get moving: Exercising, yoga and physical activity causes tightening and relaxation of muscles. For instance, Kegel exercises for pelvic floor muscles are effective for pain relief. As women go through changes all their lives, it is important to exercise regularly for optimal functioning of your body. Physical exercise can keep you in shape, put a glow back on your face and is super beneficial for internal organs of your body. Stay healthy with regular exercising and avoid pain such as menstrual cramps and build immunity to bacterial and fungal attacks.
9) Seek medical attention if needed: If you have signs and symptoms of urinary problems as mentioned above, seek professional medical assistance. Book a consultation and get your tests done. Be regular with taking the medications prescribed by your doctor on time and get tested again for any improvement in your condition before discontinuing your medication. Do not do self treatment as the underlying condition may worsen giving you more pain and discomfort in the long run. There are many chances of urinary infections in pregnancy. Seek help from a urogynaecologist at Kinder Hospital Bangalore and get the treatment done safely.
10) Watch out for changes in your urinary health: Pay close attention to your habits, symptoms and patterns if you have a bladder condition. It will help you and your doctor make the right diagnosis in time. Neglect may cause your condition to worsen, resorting to urethroplasty surgery and more complicated procedures to cure your condition. Seek medical attention and reach out to your doctor immediately when facing issues like bloody urine, cloudy urine, foul smelling urine and getting far lesser quantity of urine than your water intake. Find the best urethroplasty surgeons in Bangalore at Kinder Hospital. Book your consultation now!
11) Try meditation: There are many stress related immune problems that occur in our bodies. When you and your body is stressed out, you are likely to get more diseases and UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) is no different. Try relaxing your mind and meet your soul with meditation. It will improve your overall health and wellbeing keeping infections at bay. Also it helps regain control over your nerves in conditions like urinary incontinence.
Final Thoughts:
Water, comfy clothes, herbs, not holding urine, high fiber diet, hygiene, physical activity, meditation, observing symptoms, going to the doctor, and quitting alcohol, caffeine and smoking are the best ways to regain urinary health in women. Seek professional assistance from highly qualified urologists, urogynaecologists and surgeons at Kinder Hospital Bangalore. Book an appointment now.
