At last, you’ve arrived at your vacation destination only to be welcomed by a urinary tract infection (UTI). Although there’s never an ideal time to have a painful and annoying UTI, vacation time is at the top of the list, since its symptoms – painful urination and frequency – among others – is sure to put a damper on your fun in the sun.

Have no fear and listen up! The Cystex Experts are here with a few tips to help minimize your risk of getting a UTI while you’re away and guide you through this common infection, should you get one:

• When packing your bikini and sunscreen, make sure to also pack vitamin C, which  helps acidify the urine and inhibit the growth of some UTI-causing bacteria. Take 1,000 mg. daily while on vacation.
• In between sipping frozen cocktails on the beach, make sure to drink plenty of water and limit your consumption of alcohol to keep from becoming dehydrated. Eight glasses of water a day isn’t necessary for everyone: the amount of water you need depends on what makes you feel comfortable, your level of activity, your diet and the climate. On average, 32 ounces of fluid a day is enough to remove bacteria out of the bladder. Also, urinate regularly and empty your bladder completely (each time) to eliminate any unwanted bacteria.
• Unfortunately, while you’re away from home, you’ll have to use public restrooms more frequently than you might like,   so before you leave home, check out The Bathroom Diaries at Cystex.com, which rates and reviews public restrooms, including hours of availability, details about cleanliness, and safety from a personal perspective. If you follow this advice and still get a UTI while you’re away, try Cystex®, the over-the-counter urinary pain relief and prevention product that will help with the pain of a UTI and also slow the progression of the infection with an extra ingredient –  methenamine — that helps stop bacteria from adhering to the walls of the urinary tract. (Other UTI products sold over-the-counter do not have this bacteria-fighting ingredient,) When used as a preventative treatment, Cystex® should be taken before any situation or activity that might cause the infection. Always follow the instructions on the package.

Ultra high heeled shoes may be sexy, but did you know that they may not only be bad for your feet, but bad for your bladder? If you regularly wear high heels and also are experiencing UTIs, you might want to consider blaming your stilettos, says our expert, Larrian Gillespie, a retired urogynecologist and author of the book, You Don’t Have to Live with Cystitis, The Groundbreaking Guide to the Prevention and Cure of One of Women’s Most Stubborn Ailments (Quill, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)..

She says that wearing high-heeled shoes that are too high for your hip and leg structure can cause your torso to tilt forward, which forces your hips and spine out of alignment. If this occurs often, you could develop a “swayback,” also known as lordosis, which is a painful condition that creates pressure on the nerves in the lower back.

Okay, so how does this cause an infection in your bladder? Well, Gillespie says that this pressure contributes to “inefficient urination,” which is the precursor for urinary tract infections.

This is how it works: The back contains many fine nerves, which can become strained by lifting/carrying heavy items, exercising, wearing high heels, from altered position, etc. The discs in the lower back can also become damaged, compressing the nerves and signaling the bladder to empty – even when it isn’t full. The injuries also can disrupt or inhibit urine flow, which causes bacteria to become trapped in the bladder causing a UTI. And, as you may have read on this blog or seen elsewhere on Cystex.com, good urine flow is necessary for flushing all the “bad” bacteria out of the bladder.

High heels aren’t the only culprit of lower back problems. Back strain can also be caused by overexerting yourself while exercising. (no, this is not a good reason to stop exercising!) Just make sure to use proper workout techniques by participating in aerobic activities that give you a natural, fluid motion, such as walking, and use weight machines instead of free weights – and ask someone to show you the proper way to use the equipment. If you currently suffer from back injuries, try swimming, which creates the least pressure on the injured area.

Also, lighten the load you carry around. Carrying a heavy backpack, tote or large, filled-to-the-brim pocketbook, no matter how chic and gorgeous it is, can contribute to the development of lordosis. (According to Time magazine’s special Style issue in 2007, the average weight of a woman’s purse was 5.2 pounds.) So ligten the load by getting rid of that hard-covered novel you keep saying you’re going to read on your lunch hour (but don’t) and only carry what you need to help avoid unnecessary back strain.

If you are prone to lower back problems and find you continue to get recurring UTIs help is out there. Make an appointment with your doctor and in the meantime, try Cystex®, which is an over-the-counter urinary medication that not only helps with the pain of a UTI, it also contains the natural antiseptic methenamine that helps stop bacteria from adhering to the wall of the urinary tract, thereby helping to prevent the infection from occurring in the first place. For more information, visit www.Cystex.com.