If you get repeat urine infections, here are 8 essential ladies’ hygiene tips you must never ignore!

Why Do Urine Infections Happen So EASILY in Women?

Hygiene is essential when looking at how to prevent ladies’ urine infections, given how close the openings to the bladder and the anus are.

You can help reduce the risk of more germs multiplying in the bladder, causing urine infection, by preventing their entry to the urethra from outside.

The urethra is the short tube connecting the opening of the bladder to the outside.

Its opening is located inside the space between your legs just above the vagina when lying down.

As a result, knowing where it’s located is important so that when you are cleaning around your private area or using products, you do not accidentally lead germs into the bladder.

Ladies’ Hygiene Tips To Prevent Kidney/Bladder Infections

• After passing urine, wipe off extra drops between the legs by dabbing with a clean tissue or wipe.
  • Doing this prevents urine from soiling your underwear, causing an unpleasant odour and creating an environment where germs can happily grow.
  • Always wipe from the front to the back after using the bathroom.
  • Avoid reaching from behind as you could track germs from the anus or back passage onto your hand and tissue. 
• After opening your bowels, clean the area around the anus gently, wiping from front to back.
  • Never wipe twice with the same tissue; avoid wiping near the front.
  • By this, you avoid bringing any germs naturally coming from your anus or rectum into contact with your urethra. 
• As a lady with frequent urine infections, you should not take long baths.
  • The bathwater can rapidly become contaminated with germs from your skin.
  • Sitting in the bath for a long time may allow those germs to enter the urethra, where they start to proceed to the bladder and multiply.
  • Showers will be a more suitable option regularly.
• Therefore, whether you are in a shower or bath, wash your genital area properly from front to back. After washing, rinse thoroughly and remember to dry from front to back. 

Do Special/Medicated Soaps Help Prevent Kidney Infections?

• Use simple bath soaps to wash.
  • Using recommended antibacterial soaps can help treat some skin conditions like infected acne, eczema, and folliculitis. But bathing with them does not make you less prone to urine infections.
  • In addition, avoid bubble baths, bath oils douches, feminine hygiene products, and similar products.
  • While these products do not directly cause urine infections, their chemicals change the bacterial composition in the vagina and womb.(Read about Toilet Infections). And this can trigger an infection to grow in the bladder if you are prone to them. It could even cause mild cystitis to become more severe. 
• What about sanitary hygiene?
  • Using tampons instead of sanitary pads is preferred for ladies with repeat urine infections.
  • The tampons keep the bladder area drier than the sanitary pads, reducing the chance of germs overgrowing.
• When you feel the need to empty your bladder, do so as soon as possible.
  • Please resist the temptation to ‘hold it’ till a more convenient place or time.
  • If you can aim to empty your bladder at least every 4 hours (whether you feel like doing so or not), you reduce the chance for germs to multiply and lead to infection.

Menopause Consideration

• Ladies around or after menopause are more at risk of repeat urine infections.
  • Changes in the oestrogen levels as menopause approaches affect the tissues in the genitals and make it easier for germs to grow and multiply in the bladder.
  • Being aware of this fact and keeping a close eye on your hygiene, diet, and other habits can help reduce the risk of frequent infections.
  • In one of my videos, I talk about natural methods for preventing repeat infections, so you can click the link to watch the playlist.

Ladies’ Hygiene Tips Relevant at Any Age

Finally. ladies’ hygiene tips are relevant at any age. They do have some role in helping to prevent urine infections.

But that’s not all to think about – read here to learn other ways urine infections can happen in women.

If you struggle with frequent urine infections and found these ladies’ hygiene tips useful, please let us know or send in a question via our help link here.

More Reading

• Five Authentic Ways To Prevent Repeat Urine Infections Naturally
• Urine Infections (I)- Common Reasons Women get them.
• Urine Infections (II) – Common Reasons Men Get Them
• An Age Thing? …What Menopause Means to You
• What’s Normal and What’s Not: Early Pregnancy Symptoms Explained

References

Best Antibacterial Body Wash For Sensitive Skin (beajin.com)

Prevention of Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) in Women: General Guidelines and Suggestions, Sterilizing Washcloths for Home Use, Summary of Tips (medscape.com)

Are Bubblebaths Actually Any Good For You? | Grazia (graziadaily.co.uk)

Editing by AskAwayHealth Team

Disclaimer

All AskAwayHealth articles are written by practising  Medical Practitioners on a wide range of healthcare conditions to provide evidence-based guidance and to help promote quality healthcare. 

The advice in our material is not meant to replace the management of your specific condition by a qualified healthcare practitioner.
To discuss your condition, don’t hesitate to get in touch with a health practitioner or reach us directly

Image Credits: Canva