You may have heard that cranberries (in juice or supplement form) play some role in helping urinary tract infections (UTIs). Some swear by it to help prevent UTIs, while others say it is a great treatment. While no conclusive evidence exists, we wanted to help sort through fact and fiction to get to the bottom of this “berry” interesting topic.

We asked one of our experts, Elizabeth Kavaler, M.D., urologist and author, for her thoughts.  According to Dr. Kavaler, the first thing to keep in mind is that treating and preventing urinary tract infections are two very different subjects. Cranberries are filled with antioxidants and have long been considered a very valuable ally for our health.  In addition to these antioxidants, cranberries contain hippuronic acid. This compound has been shown in some studies to make it much more difficult for the bacteria that causes urinary tract infections to attach to the bladder wall (because this acid works to acidify the urine). This lowers the risk of getting a UTI in some cases.  An important note however, is to make sure that you are drinking 100% cranberry juice because most of the sweetened versions with added sugar do not contain hippuronic acid.

However, once you have a UTI, cranberries in any form will do little to help treat it, and can actually exacerbate painful urination, one of the main symptoms associated with a UTI. This pain is caused by irritation and inflammation of the urethra and urethral opening. Once you have a UTI, the same acid in the cranberry juice that acidifies the urine to help keep bacteria at bay can actually increase the irritation and cause more pain when urinating. The best thing to do is to go to your doctor for proper antibiotic treatment (he or she will take a culture to confirm the UTI), and, in the meantime, take an over-the-counter urinary pain relief medication like Cystex® to help calm the symptoms.

Cystex® Urinary Pain Relief Tablets is the only over-the-counter (OTC) medication that has a dual-action formula, with both a pain reliever to help with the discomfort and burning, as well as an antiseptic to help keep the bacteria in check and the infection from worsening before you can get into your doctor’s office.

So, bottom line…..by all means drink 100% cranberry juice to help ward off UTIs and to add antioxidants to your body, but once you have a UTI, it is best to stick to proper medication and forgo the berries.

For more information on UTIs, visit http://www.cystex.com.

Since this blog is about all things “urinary,” let’s talk color. When growing up, you learn that certain objects are distinct colors, such as the sky is blue, grass is green and urine is yellow. However, what does it mean when one day you find your urine to be green, brown, or even blood-tinged? Changes in your urine color can be the first indicator of possible medical issues. Your “pee” can foresee problems that you may have been unaware you have.

Healthy urine should be clear, which is a sign that you’ve been drinking a good amount of liquids and are hydrated and healthy. However, the color of urine is often affected by medication, vitamins, diet, or diseases, such as kidney or liver disorders.

Dark yellow urine is often due to dehydration and not enough liquid consumption, which can be fixed by drinking more liquids. On an average day, we need at least 32 ounces of fluids per day.

Fluorescent yellow or orange urine signifies the consumption of darker colored foods, such as beets and carrots, or too much vitamin C. This can be an early sign of liver dysfunction if the urine consistently stays dark yellow/orange or brownish in color and you are experiencing other symptoms.  (Brown urine, along with other symptoms, can be a sign of a serious condition, such as liver or kidney diseases.)

Green or blue urine is often caused by artificial coloring in foods or drugs (e.g. dyes). Urine that is a brighter green color, however, can also be an indication of an excess of B vitamins.

Murky, cloudy urine can be related to either bacterial vaginosis (BV) or a yeast infection, a bad case of a UTI, kidney stones, or other urinary tract diseases. Other complaints associated with cloudy urine are painful urination, reduced urine outflow and increased urinary frequency.

Blood-tinged or rust-colored urine that is accompanied by pain, burning and frequent urination is most likely a bacterial urinary tract infection (UTI). The urine may also be cloudy and/or have an odor. If this is the case, contact your healthcare provider for a urine culture; if you do have a UTI you’ll need a prescription antibiotic medication to clear up the infection. While waiting to see your doctor or for your culture results, which can sometimes take a few days, try Cystex® Urinary Pain Relief Tablets, available over-the-counter at drug stores.

Cystex® is unique in that it not only helps relieve the pain and discomfort of a UTI, but it also contains an antibacterial agent  that helps stop the progression of the infection until your physician puts you on a course of antibiotic medication.

Larrian Gillespie says that any changes in urine color that don’t go away in a few days should be addressed with your healthcare provider.
She also says that the strength of your urine flow is important to pay attention to.

More on that later.

I think that I might have a urinary tract infection (UTI). What are the symptoms?

The telltale signs of a urinary tract infection (UTI) include frequent urination, urgency to urinate (yet often releasing just a few drops of urine at a time), pain/discomfort in the back or lower abdomen, a burning feeling when urinating or even blood in the urine. If these classic urinary tract infection (UTI) signs are present, it is important to act fast to help alleviate the pain and slow down the progression of the infection until you can set up a doctor appointment. Cystex® Urinary Pain Relief Tablets is a unique over-the-counter urinary tract infection (UTI) medication that is the only one with a dual-action formula that combines pain/burning relief with an antibacterial to help stop the progression of the infection.

If it seems like you’re getting a urinary tract infection (UTI) whenever you have sex, you’re not alone in thinking this. Truth is, while many women may find themselves in this “boat”, it’s not the size of the wave or the motion of the ocean that causes the UTI. According to urologist Elizabeth Kavaler, MD, size and frequency won’t cause a UTI, but the very nature of sexual intercourse makes it one of the more common causes of bacteria from the anal-vaginal areas getting into the urethra and possibly causing a UTI.

As awful as it might sound, it is perfectly normal for E-coli bacteria to make its way from the anal area to the vaginal area and up the urethra – ending up in your bladder – happens to all women, regardless of how careful you might be. However, normal urination is usually able to purge unwanted bacteria from the bladder. Problems arise when you are dehydrated or have a “weak flow” for some other reason. Sexual activity just ups the anty that more bacteria will make its way into the bladder, causing an infection, if you are not flushing it out the normal way.

So, while it’s not really fact or fiction, if you believe that you are getting UTIs after sexual activity, listen up: a UTI-free sex life is possible, it just takes some planning and preventative measures. And no, it won’t take all the fun out of it! Here are Dr. Kavaler’s tips on how to reduce the risk of getting a UTI after sex:

• Position Matters: It is possible that the missionary position – man on top, woman on bottom – can be causing a problem with excessive rubbing and friction near the urethral opening (that’s because the male partner is riding high on the woman’s pelvis). This awkward alignment might be forcing bacteria into the urethra and resulting in an infection. (Again, if you are urinating properly, any excessive bacteria should be flushed out.)
• Be Aware of Barrier Methods: Some barrier methods of birth control, such as diaphragms, and sponges and spermicidal jellies containing nonoxynol-9, have been implicated in the development of UTIs. Dr. Kavaler suggests using condoms and the birth control pill.
• Get With the Flow: Keep yourself hydrated by drinking four glasses of water a day to improve your “flow.” If you stay hydrated and empty your bladder after sex, you will purge the bladder of any new and unwanted bacteria that made its way into the urethra (and bladder) from sexual activity.
• Preventative Pills: For recurrent UTI sufferers (more than three in one year), Dr. Kavaler recommends talking to your doctor about using prophylactic antibiotics that you take after sexual relations. However, for those who would prefer to not take antibiotics preventatively, she suggests taking the over-the-counter urinary medication Cystex® a few hours before sex. Cystex contains a natural antiseptic ingredient, methenamine, which helps keep bacteria from clinging to the walls of the urinary tract to prevent a UTI from actually occurring. Cystex also contains an analgesic (pain reliever) and can be taken if you do get a UTI. It is the only OTC urinary product that contains this antibacterial agent that helps stop the progression of the infection (while you wait to see your healthcare provider) and possibly act as a preventative.

If you wish to learn more information about the sex and UTI connection, please click here – Burning Love