Are you someone who often feels a burning sensation while peeing or experiences pelvic pain in the center of the pelvis area. Well if you have been ignoring these signs for long then you need to know that they can be the symptoms of Urinary Tract Infection. Urinary tract infection is a condition that affects parts of your urinary tract such as the kidneys urethra, bladder and uterus. UTIs mostly tend to affect the lower part of your urinary tract. Where women are said to be at a higher risk of developing this kind of infection there are several reasons that can contribute to the occurrence of this condition. Where this condition in itself is very uncomfortable and annoying it can turn into a severe condition that can spread to your kidneys as well. Some women tend to experience more UTIs during your periods. When UTIs get combined with the occurrence of aunt flow, it can lead to causing a lot of discomfort. Read along to know more about the relationship between periods and UTIs, its causes along with ways to combat this situation from Dr. Riddhima Shetty, Obstetrician Gynecologist, MS, DNB, OBYG.
What are UTIs?
Before getting to know the reason for occurrence of UTIs during periods and ways to combat this situation, let us understand what these UTIs actually are. UTI is an abbreviation for the Urinary Tract Infection which is a condition that tends to affect a
Also Read: 5 Tips To Prevent And Tackle Urinary Tract Infection
person’s urinary tract. When this condition tends to limit to your bladder it causes a lot of pain and discomfort, however a further spread of the infection towards the kidney can give rise to a severe condition. Where there is not just one but several different kinds of UTIs that are categorized upon the part of the urinary tract it affects. The three types of UTIs are- cystitis that affects the bladder, acute pyelonephritis that affects the kidneys and urethritis that affects the urethra. Some of the symptoms that a person experiences while suffering from a Urinary Tract Infection are pelvic pain, frequent urination, burning sensation while peeing, cloudy urine, blood traces in the urine, etc.
Reason behind UTIs during Periods
Although periods and UTIs both these conditions tend to cause a lot, one can only imagine how it would make them feel when they come in together. In some cases women experience more UTIs when on their periods. The reason behind this condition can lie within the way you have been using your menstrual hygiene products. Dr. Riddhima Shetty explains the reason why some women experience frequent UTIs when on their periods.- “If you have noticed yourself getting more UTIs during your periods, the problem may lie in the way you are using your menstrual products. It might be possible that you are allergic to the parabens, dyes and fragrances that can be present in your pads or tampons.
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Another reason for UTIs during periods can be that you are not changing the product often enough. You need to make sure that your product should be well sanitized in the case of a menstrual cup, and any product that you are using must be changed within 6 to 8 hours. Even when you feel that your pad or tampon are still dry, you need to change it within this time period as there is a lot of humidity, sweat and bacteria that does get collected in it and becomes the source of infection. As your urethra or the opening of the urinary tract is already very sensitive during periods and hence it is at a higher risk of catching infections.”
Ways to prevent UTIs during periods
One of the most important questions that concerns many women out there is how can they prevent this recurring situation of UTI or urinary tract infection during their periods. As this condition can be really bothersome and can cause a lot of discomfort, it is necessary to take necessary precautions and preventive measures to avoid it. Here are some of the preventions as advised by Dr. Riddhima Shetty that you can take in order to steer clear from this condition-
- Change your menstrual hygiene product such as tampons, pads and menstrual cups every 6 hours even if they are dry.
- Thoroughly sanitise your menstrual cup with warm water in between your cycles so that not bacterial growth can take place.
- Hydrate well and do not forget to pee after sex.
- Try and buy menstrual products that are unscented and have not been treated with any kind of fragrance.
- If possible then switch to cotton pads as they are not treated with any kinds of chemicals or fragrances and hence would not irritate your urethra.
This article is based upon a post by Dr. Riddhima Shetty, Obstetrician Gynecologist, MS, DNB, OBYG on her instagram handle.
