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The urinary tract
The urinary tract refers to the group of body parts that produce, store, and remove urine from your body. They serve a very important role in your health as they allow waste to leave your body through urine.
The main components of the urinary tract are:
- Kidneys: where urine is produced.
- Ureters: tubes that connect the kidneys and bladder.
- Urethra: tube that allows urine to pass from the bladder and out of the body.
Sometimes, a part of the urinary tract can become infected. This usually occurs when bacteria enter through the urethra, and can cause a urinary tract infection (UTI). Women are typically more prone to developing UTIs due to the female urethra being shorter, allowing bacteria to more easily reach the bladder and cause an infection.
How to keep your urinary tract healthy
To keep your urinary tract in a healthy condition, you should keep the following tips in mind:
- Drink plenty of water: Staying hydrated is important as it can help flush out bacteria from the urinary tract through urination.
- Practice good personal hygiene: This includes showering often, wiping from front to back after using the bathroom, and changing pads and tampons frequently during your period to avoid bacteria buildup.Â
- Avoid douching: Douching can upset the natural balance of bacteria in your vagina, making you more prone to an infection.Â
- Urinate after sex: This can help flush out any bacteria in your urinary tract that may have been introduced during sex.Â
- Use the bathroom often and when needed: Holding in your urine can cause bacteria to build up, making you more prone to infections.Â
- Taking urinary tract support supplements: supplements made with cranberry and D mannose can help support your urinary tract health. Ease offers a Urinary Tract Health Essentials bundle consisting of a supplement gummy and capsule duo that can help you keep infections at bay.
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If you suspect an infection
Although these tips are useful in keeping your urinary tract healthy and reducing the chance of an infection, you may still end up developing an infection such as a UTI. Look out for these symptoms if you think you may have a UTI:
- Frequent and/or urgent need to urinate
- Urinary incontinence
- Painful urination or blood in the urine
- Cloudy or otherwise abnormally colored urine
- Foul-smelling urine
- Pain in pelvic area
If you suspect you’re experiencing a UTI it is best that you talk to your healthcare provider. If you’re unsure where to seek help, you can consider signing up for a UTI teleconsultation with Ease and get your treatment delivered within 4hrs.
Keeping your urinary tract healthy is important to help prevent common infections such as UTIs. However, if you think you may have an infection, it is important to consult with your doctor. At Ease, we provide UTI teleconsultations and treatment. Our licensed physicians are also available for sexual health teleconsultations to answer any questions or address any concerns you may have.