Whether or not you suffer from cystitis the rest of the year, summer is a difficult time. Adopting a few habits can help you get through this period without worries by limiting the risk of urinary tract infections.
Dehydration, traveling, wet swimsuit, change of die. A few tips can help you avoid urinary tract infections during your vacation! We tell you everything.
Can heat cause a urinary tract infection?
Urinary tract infections are more likely to develop in summer, especially in women. It is not the heat that causes a urinary tract infection; instead, it is not drinking enough water when it is hot.
Why is it risky? Simply because we sweat a lot and should drink more. When we don’t, we go to the toilet less often.
When you drink less water, you also eliminate germs less well, and the risk increases that bacteria will cause real cystitis, which can be very painful and disabling: you have a burning sensation when you urinate, as well as a constant need to urinate.
We also change our environment and diet in the summer.
Why is it risky? Because we are more exposed to constipation or diarrhoea, especially if we go abroad. “However, these digestive problems promote the proliferation of intestinal bacteria that can pass into the urinary tract and cause an infection. Excessing raw fruits and vegetables, which we consume more in the summer, can also contribute to acidifying the urine and promoting cystitis.
Preventing urinary tract infections in summer: what steps should you take?
Specific actions can help prevent urinary tract infections in summer:
- Remember to drink more. “You should drink more than usual, especially if it is boiling, without ever exceeding 2 litres,” says the gynaecologist.
- Don’t hesitate to take cranberry ( dosed at 36 mg Pac/day) for 2 to 3 weeks as a preventative measure from the start of the holidays if you know you are prone to cystitis: it limits the adhesion of colibacilli to the walls of the urethra and bladder. The forms in sachets or sticks to dilute can also be exciting and encourage drinking more.
- Cranberry is sometimes associated with heather, which facilitates urinary flow and the evacuation of germs, or with propolis, for its antimicrobial action;
- Put in your first aid kit something to treat traveller’s diarrhoea and constipation if you “block” whenever you’re away from home;
- Allow time to go to the bathroom, even in a hotel, and always wipe from front to back to avoid vulvovaginal contamination;
- Be careful not to eat too many raw vegetables;
- If you go swimming, remove your wet swimsuit immediately and avoid leaving it on all day. A damp environment can allow bacteria to grow and travel up the urethra;
- Wear loose clothing and cotton underwear as much as possible.
