Urinary tract infections (or UTIs) are annoying, inconvenient and uncomfortable.
If you get them regularly, they can really start to become a pain – both figuratively and literally.
UTIs affect your urinary tract, including your bladder (cystitis), urethra (urethritis) and kidneys (kidney infection).
These infections can cause pain when peeing, a need to pee more urgently, pee that looks cloudy, blood in your pee, and pain in your stomach and lower back. They can also lead to more serious issues such as kidney infections.
If you notice any weird symptoms around going to the loo, particularly any blood, fever or persistent pain – you should speak to your doctor to rule out any other potential causes, or to prescribe treatment.
But, as with most medical issues, prevention is better than cure, and there are a few precautions you can take o reduce your risk of getting a UTI – including how you actually urinate.
‘Double-voiding’ is a technique for ensuring that all urine is passed from the body – which doesn’t always happen if you’re in a hurry on the loo.
Emptying the bladder completely is recommended to avoid UTIs, and Dr Shree Datta, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at MyHealthcare Clinic in London, has revealed her advice for successfully releasing any leftover wee in your bladder.
‘A lot of people do not completely empty their bladder, if they are in a hurry for example, so they could leave a significant amount of urine in there,’ Dr Datta tells Metro.co.uk.
‘One way to address this is to use the double-voiding technique. That means you pee, or “void”, then take a moment while you stand up.
‘You then sit down and void again, and very often you can pass a further significant amount of urine.
‘It’s as simple as that and can make a huge difference in the longer term.’
Dr Datta says the aim of the double-voiding technique is to try to make sure there is no residual urine in the bladder – because static urine over time can lead to a higher risk of infection.
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