Your Risking Risks: Urinary Tract Infections
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are behind many recurrent UTIs. What can a woman do to reduce risks?
Women may also want to ask their doctor about trying the following drug methods for UTI prevention:
Scientists are looking for innovative ways to prevent recurrent urinary tract infections. For example, Stamm says that some researchers are studying use of vaginal suppositories containing Lactobacillus.
That's because some urinary tract infections may spring from loss of normal Lactobacilli in the vagina, which allows harmful E. coli to flourish and spread to the urethra. Lactobacillus-replacement therapy may help thwart E. coli. Other researchers are hard at work developing and testing UTI vaccines.
It's also no secret that researchers have been intrigued with cranberries. While data have been mixed, Stamm says, there's enough evidence of benefit that he recommends cranberry juice for patients with recurrent UTIs.
When Camesano had recurrent infections, nurses advised her to drink cranberry juice. "It made a big difference for me," she says. Enough to prompt her to turn her professional expertise toward unlocking the secrets that may make the little red berry a potent ally.
Camesano is now an associate professor of chemical engineering at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. Her recent research found that cranberries contain a group of tannins called proanthocyanidins. These tannins alter the shape and membranes of E. coli, making it difficult for the bacteria to attach to the urinary tract and cause aurinary tract infection urinary tract infection.
That means drinking at least one glass of unsweetened cranberry juice a day may be a good long-term prevention strategy, Camesano says. While it's not clear how long these changes to E. coli last, a steady intake of cranberry juice might prolong the benefits.
"If you're drinking cranberry juice every day, you're going to maximize the chances that your own E. coli are not going to be able to attach to cells in your urinary tract," says Camesano. "I think it's important to be consistent."
Cut Urinary Tract Infection Risks
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are behind many recurrent UTIs. What can a woman do to reduce risks?
Preventing Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections continued...
Women may also want to ask their doctor about trying the following drug methods for UTI prevention:
- Taking a single dose of antibiotic after sex. This is especially useful for women who notice that urinary tract infections often start after intercourse, Stamm says.
- Starting a one- or two-day course of antibiotics as soon as symptoms appear. This requires a woman to keep a prescription or drugs at home. "That's pre-emptive therapy," Stamm says. "You can let the infection start and nip it in the bud."
Scientists are looking for innovative ways to prevent recurrent urinary tract infections. For example, Stamm says that some researchers are studying use of vaginal suppositories containing Lactobacillus.
That's because some urinary tract infections may spring from loss of normal Lactobacilli in the vagina, which allows harmful E. coli to flourish and spread to the urethra. Lactobacillus-replacement therapy may help thwart E. coli. Other researchers are hard at work developing and testing UTI vaccines.
How Cranberries Help
It's also no secret that researchers have been intrigued with cranberries. While data have been mixed, Stamm says, there's enough evidence of benefit that he recommends cranberry juice for patients with recurrent UTIs.
When Camesano had recurrent infections, nurses advised her to drink cranberry juice. "It made a big difference for me," she says. Enough to prompt her to turn her professional expertise toward unlocking the secrets that may make the little red berry a potent ally.
Camesano is now an associate professor of chemical engineering at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. Her recent research found that cranberries contain a group of tannins called proanthocyanidins. These tannins alter the shape and membranes of E. coli, making it difficult for the bacteria to attach to the urinary tract and cause a
That means drinking at least one glass of unsweetened cranberry juice a day may be a good long-term prevention strategy, Camesano says. While it's not clear how long these changes to E. coli last, a steady intake of cranberry juice might prolong the benefits.
"If you're drinking cranberry juice every day, you're going to maximize the chances that your own E. coli are not going to be able to attach to cells in your urinary tract," says Camesano. "I think it's important to be consistent."
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