Burning sensations while urinating, incessant urge to go to the corner, pain in the lower abdomen ... So many symptoms that lead to the same conclusion: it is probably a urinary infection.
More common in women than in men, because the urethra channel that evacuates urine out of the body is shorter, it can be very painful and requires consultation with a doctor.
Why is there a urinary tract infection?
"In women, the urinary tract infection is often linked to a lack of drinking or bad measures of local hygiene," says Dr. Loïc Etienne, emergency doctor, co-author of "You have the power to change your health "(Marabout ed.)
If you do not drink enough, the urine is concentrated. We go to the bathroom less often and the bacteria ( Escherichia coli) are not eliminated regularly enough. The ideal is to pee at least once every 4 hours. The wearing of synthetic underwear also promotes the occurrence of cystitis because they are conducive to maceration and multiplication of microbes. "So it's better to focus on cotton underpants and panties," says Dr. Etienne.
Chronic constipation may also be involved, since stagnation of stool in the rectum increases the spread of intestinal germs to the vulva.
Cystitis: treatments that relieve
Acute cystitis is usually not serious. She is treated in a few days with a single dose antibiotic treatment (antibiotic "minute") issued by the doctor. But more and more urinary infections are becoming resistant because of the overconsumption of antibiotics *.
However, in case of associated fever and pain in the lower back, we consult without delay: urinalysis (ECBU) is needed to adapt the prescription.
Before switching to a heavier prescription, one can try herbal medicine, whose effectiveness is more to prove.
"The bearberry is a powerful antiseptic urinary," says Dr. Jean-Michel Morel, Phytotherapist, author of the "Treaty practice of herbal medicine" (Grancher ed). This medicinal plant can be taken in herbal tea (10 g for ¾ of water) or in the form of dry extracts (Elusanes Busserole, 2 capsules 3 times a day for 3 weeks).
"To properly drain the urinary system, supplement with infusions of flowering tops of heather or birch leaves," advises the specialist.
Probiotics and cranberries, the winning combo to prevent infections
"To limit recurrences, we must consider a basic treatment: probiotics to restore the balance of the intestinal and vaginal flora, accompanied by cranberries in food supplements (dosed at least 36 mg of proanthocyanidin) to avoid the adhesion of E. coli bacteria to mucous membranes of the urinary tract, "says Dr. Jean-Michel Morel.
These preventive measures are particularly valuable during menopause, a period of high risk of infection due to the drop in female hormone levels. An American study published in October 2016 in the medical journal Jama ** casts doubt on the effectiveness of cranberries, but its conclusions are questionable insofar as it was carried out on elderly people whose immune system is weakened.
"Do not forget either of the two basic rules," says Dr. Loïc Etienne "After each bowel movement, wipe from front to back - and not the other way around - to avoid spreading microbes on the vulva And pee after each sexual intercourse to eliminate bacteria entering the urethra as a result of friction ". Simple reflexes to adopt daily.
* Multidrug resistance is observed in more than 10% of urinary tract infections in Paca region and more than 7% in Occitania and Ile-de-France, according to the National Institute for Public Health Surveillance (Invs).
** jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2576822
