Oh we love a bank holiday, don’t we? Yeah we do. Not with a urinary tract infection (UTI) though, eh?
Yes, while bank holidays are a great time for catching up with friends, sleep, or even having a few saucy days in the bedroom with your partner, all of this frivolity can come at a cost, according to one pharmacist.
Superdrug’s pharmacy superintendent Niamh McMillan spoke with The Mirror about the upcoming bank holiday and said: “The three-day weekend allows more time for socialising and intimacy.
“Sex, spermicides or a new sexual partner can all be triggers for a UTI, especially for women, thanks to bacteria passing from the urethra into the bladder.”
She added that waiting too long to urinate after sex allows bacteria to linger in the urinary tract and that everybody, but especially women, should pee right after sex to avoid UTIs occurring.
What are the signs of a UTI?
According to the NHS, UTIs affect your urinary tract, including your bladder (cystitis), urethra (urethritis) or kidneys (kidney infection). UTIs may be treated with antibiotics, but they’re not always needed.
The most common signs of a UTI are:
- Pain or a burning sensation when peeing (dysuria)
- Needing to pee more often than usual
- Needing to pee more often than usual during the night (nocturia)
- Needing to pee suddenly or more urgently than usual
- Pee that looks cloudy
- Blood in your pee
- Lower tummy pain or pain in your back, just under the ribs
- A high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery
- A very low temperature below 36C
They’re often not very serious but they can develop into something more serious and are very uncomfortable.
How to prevent a UTI?
You can still have all of the bank holiday fun you were looking forward to AND prevent a UTI while you do. Mayo Clinic recommends following these steps to avoid developing an infection:
- Drink plenty of fluids and especially water
- Don’t hold in your pee
- Pee after sex (and between sessions)
- Take cranberry supplements
If your UTI symptoms don’t clear within 2 days, speak to your GP.