Urinary tract infections and good gut health
If you have ever suffered from a urinary tract infection (UTI) you will know of the pain and discomfort this can cause. Urinary tract infections are one of the world’s most common type of infections and as you can imagine, when these bacterial infections are reoccurring it can affect a person’s quality of life.
What is a Urinary Tract Infection?
A UTI most often occurs when bacteria infects the urinary tract, which can lead to uncomfortable symptoms. When bad bacteria bypass the body’s immune response, it can lead to infections in the bladder and urinary tract. A common source of infection comes from bad bacteria in the gut, highlighting the importance of good gut health.
The common symptoms of a UTI include:
- Increased need to urinate
- A feeling of not fully emptying your bladder
- Cloudy urine
- Feeling tired, sluggish, unwell
- A pain or burning when you urinate
Some tips to help speed up recovery of a UTI include:
- Drink plenty of water
- Avoid caffeinated drinks, sugary foods/drinks and citrus as these can cause further irritation
- Get plenty of rest and good quality sleep
- Visit your GP if necessary
Remember if you need to use an antibiotic treatment to deal with a UTI, it is a good idea to replenish the good bacteria in the gut in order to restore a healthy balance of gut bacteria. As we know, taking an antibiotic can kill harmful AND beneficial bacteria and unfortunately this can leave you in a position where the bacterial balance of the gut is off. Due to this, it’s important to take action to help build up beneficial gut bacteria after taking an antibiotic and hopefully this will also help to prevent regular UTIs occurring.
Research suggests that a healthy gut could prevent reoccurring UTIs and that the gut microbiome has a protective effect on urinary tract health. The gut microbiome contains a wide range of live bacteria, and keeping this ecosystem of bacteria balanced and diverse is key to supporting a healthy gut.
Supporting a healthy gut
Paying attention to diet is essential when it comes to supporting the gut and it is recommended to increase fibre intake as this is a prebiotic that will help the bacteria in the gut to thrive. You can get fibre from plant foods and always remember diversity is key in order to support the many different types of bacteria that reside in the gut! Some good sources of fibre include root vegetables, nuts and seeds, wholegrains, bananas, broccoli and beans.
Support the gut by introducing live and active bacteria with a food supplement such as Symprove. Symprove works to help restore and re-balance the bacteria in the gut using 4 strains of live and active bacteria. Replenishing the gut bacteria with this water-based formula means the beneficial bacteria can survive the stomach acid and reach the gut alive where it survives and thrives. Restoring good gut health may help to reduce the likelihood of reoccurring UTIs.
For further advice on UTIs, gut health, or other health related matters our team of expert pharmacists are here to support you. Pop in or contact any of our nine Dublin-based stores or reach out to us on social media.
