How to Naturally Prevent Cystitis

Cystitis is one common infection; it’s also one of the most painful. In this article, we will talk about practices to prevent cystitis naturally.

Cystitis and Its Signs and Symptoms

Cystitis is one form of urinary tract infection (UTI). Specifically, it is the inflammation of the bladder wall due to bacterial infection. The good news is most cases of cystitis are mild. However, if left untreated, it can result in more serious complications, such as kidney infections.

Some of the most common signs of cystitis are:

• Pain during urination
• Having dark urine
• Frequent urge to urinate
• Bladder pain
• Symptoms of infection, such as low-grade fever and a general feeling of sickness

How to Prevent Cystitis Naturally

To prevent cystitis naturally, you can consider doing the following measures.

Perform proper hygiene practices

If you are prone to cystitis, consider taking showers instead of soaking in a bathtub. This is because soaking may heighten the risk of infection, especially if you are using bath products (bubble bath and soap) that have strong or harsh chemicals.

Additionally, after using the bathroom, be sure to wipe from front to back to prevent infection from spreading from anus to the vulva.

Be careful with your feminine care products

Experts indicate that there’s no need for feminine care products. Washing with soap and water is already enough. However, if you’re not comfortable with not using products, just make sure that they do not contain harsh chemicals.

Keep warm

Some reports suggest keeping the lower abdomen and feet warm to prevent bladder infection.

Strengthen your immune system

Since infection causes cystitis, experts believe that boosting your immunity is a great way to prevent it.

Wear loose pants and cotton underwear

Tight pants may irritate the genital area, making it more prone to irritation and infection. On the other hand, non-cotton underwear doesn’t absorb moisture effectively, causing the area to be damp. Infection-causing bacteria often thrive in warm, moist places.

Empty your bladder completely

The longer the urine stays in your bladder, the higher the risk of infection. With this in mind, take your time when you’re passing urine.

Urinate when you feel the urge

It would only take a few minutes to empty your bladder, so make it a habit to void when you feel the need to urinate.

Take Note of Your Diet

To prevent cystitis naturally, it helps to be mindful of your diet. Consider adding more of the following to your dietary routine.

Water

Adding more water in your routine is important to prevent cystitis naturally. It helps in 3 ways:

• Drinking more water means you’ll empty your bladder frequently. This is important because having “stagnant” urine is a good breeding ground for infection-causing bacteria.
• Water dilutes urine, making it less acidic. Urine that’s too acidic might irritate the bladder, making it more vulnerable to infection.
• Hydration helps improve overall body condition.

Many experts suggest that if you cannot do anything else to prevent cystitis, at least drink more water throughout the day.

Probiotics and Prebiotics

Another natural way to prevent cystitis is through the addition of probiotics and prebiotics to your diet.

Probiotics are foods that have live, good bacteria in them, while prebiotics serve as the foods for those live bacteria.

Adding more friendly bacteria in your body is a great way to counter not only bladder infections but also other digestive diseases.  This is because they keep the bad bacteria in check.

Many yogurts contain live bacteria; if you’re not fond of yogurt, there are other options, such as probiotic milk drinks.

Fruits and Green Leafy Vegetables

And of course, don’t forget to add green, leafy vegetables and fruits to your diet. They boost the immune system in a way that you’re more protected against infections, such as cystitis.

Practice Proper Hygiene Before and After Sex

The bacteria that can cause bladder inflammation could enter the urethra during sexual intercourse.

Due to this, one way to prevent cystitis naturally is to wash your hands and the genital area properly before intercourse. It would also help to ask your partner to do the same thing.

Finally, to flush out bacteria, don’t forget to empty your bladder after making love.

Think about Contraception

According to some reports, birth control methods that use spermicide (sperm-killing agents) could potentially increase the risk of cystitis. The same could be said for a diaphragm.

If you’re using one of these two contraceptive methods but want to prevent cystitis naturally, you might want to consider changing them.

Key Takeaways

Bladder infection or cystitis may be common, but it doesn’t mean that it’s unpreventable. To prevent cystitis naturally, one must primarily be mindful of their daily practices and their diet and other habits that affect their overall health.

Learn more about urological health, here.