Fighting Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

Have you ever suffered Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)? Well, I have had it and there's never a year that I am spared of visiting the doctor because of this. UTI is a very common condition. In fact, in the US, it is the 15th most common condition seen by doctors. This is just one of the many things I learned about UTI that were discussed in a recent symposium organized by the Cathay Drug Co, Inc. and Zambon Italy.

A photo posted by Mauie Flores (@the24hourmommy) on Jul 19, 2016 at 12:16am PDT

UTI is caused by bacteria, usually by E. Coli. Bladder infection or Cystitis is a common form of UTI. When left untreated, it could cause a kidney infection that can later on develop to more complicated kidney problems.

Having UTI is an inconvenience. Aside from painful and frequent urination, common symptoms include pelvic pain or pain in the back, and cloudy, strange-smelling urine. A urinalysis will confirm the presence of bacteria and blood (if not obvious) in the urine. That's just how simple it could get. I experienced all these in my mild UTI episodes. In 2008, I had the biggest scare of my life when I got high-grade fever and chills. I didn't have difficulty urinating but my hands were sweaty. At the clinic, our family doctor referred me immediately to a urologist knowing my history of recurrent UTI episodes. After my blood and urine samples were tested, that's when I knew that I had another UTI episode. But my urologist was not satisfied with that. He had me tested for kidney infection as well because he said that my symptoms were not for the mild cases anymore. Thank goodness that my kidneys were not-infected.


As it turns out, it is understandable that I get UTI every year because it is more common in women that in men. This is because women have a shorter urethra and the presence of antibacterial substances in male prostatic fluid. UTI is really a curse for women, if you ask me! It commonly affects menopausal women. It is also common among pregnant women because of the pressure of the growing belly on the bladder and urethra. This is a cause of alarm because UTI during pregnancy can lead to high blood pressure and premature childbirth.

UTI is treated with antibiotics. For my latest bout with UTI, my pharmacist sister informed me that the antibiotic my doctor prescribed is already a strong one. I started with the mild antibiotics in my past episodes. I know the drill already. Bacteria can grow a resistance to drugs so it becomes understandable for doctors to prescribe a stronger antibiotic on the next episode.

The antibiotic treatments I had for UTI were all for seven days. Interestingly, introduced at the event was Monurol (Fosfomycin Trometamol), a single dose medication for UTI. I was really amazed that there is such a drug. Pwede pala yun! I was already thinking of texting my doctor to ask her why she didn't give me Monurol para once lang. I'm always a fan of convenience. By the way, Monurol is distributed here in the Philippines by The Cathay Drug Co., Inc.

Natural options for treating UTI is drinking buko juice (coconut water) or cranberry juice. If you ask me, though, I would still prefer to be treated with antibiotics and these two.

I also drink buko juice often to prevent contracting an infection as much as possible. Drinking a lot of water also works for me because it makes me wiwi more often. Delaying is not an option when I have to pee because, if I do, I'm 100% sure that I'll need to visit my doctor again. And I make sure that when I wipe after I pee, I do it front to back. Most importantly, I avoided wearing panty liners. If ever I need to, I make sure that I use the ionized kind. But that would be for a different post, haha!

I hope I have helped you somehow with the info I got from the symposium and from my experiences. If you're experiencing any of the symptoms I mentioned, please don't hesitate to visit your doctor right away!



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