STDs & UTIs symptoms in females | Zyla Health
One of the least discussed topics in a women’s life is her personal hygiene. You will be surprised to know the fact that women are more prone to Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) than men.
If only female hygiene was considered important, we could prevent approximately 60% of women from being diagnosed with vaginal and urinary tract infections every year. Regular care and following a good personal hygiene routine are enough to keep yourself safe and healthy.
Ignoring any issue associated with genital health can lead to a number of complications in the future. Female hygiene is not only for sexual well-being but it is important for overall body health and fitness.
In this blog, we will focus on what UTIs and STDs are, especially on STDs & UTI symptoms in females and various ways to prevent them. Do not neglect or feel shy to make yourself aware and practice personal hygiene. Let’s spread awareness together!
Why is female hygiene important?
Sometimes you might be too busy to take care of your personal hygiene and not be able to pay full attention to your hygiene which can lead to itching, burning sensation on the skin as well as while urinating and pain.
Just like your digestive system which contain good bacterias, the skin and lining surrounding the vaginal area contain friendly bacterias too that produce acid. This acid helps maintain the internal environment and prevents the growth of yeast or bacteria which can lead to infection.
In addition to the confidence that you feel after maintaining a clean body, it is essential for you to know that cleanliness lessens the risk of contracting and spreading diseases such as UTIs and STDs.
As now you have understood the importance of female hygiene, let us know more about what is UTI, common UTI symptoms in females and ways to prevent it.
What is Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)?
As a woman, your chance of getting a UTI is as high as 1 in 2 with many women having repeated infections, sometimes for years. Let’s read further what is UTI and the parts which are mostly affected.
UTI is an infection that affects any part of your urinary system which includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. The most commonly affected regions of the urinary system are the urethra and bladder.
Women can get a UTI at any stage of their life, it is not age-specific. The best way to prevent a UTI is by maintaining your personal hygiene. Female hygiene is a lifelong process to follow..
If you’re seeking help to manage your UTI symptoms, you can download the Zyla app or visit our website Zyla.in and enrol in our Ova Women’s Health Program to start working on your health with the guidance of doctors.
Causes of UTI in female
UTIs are caused by microorganisms, mostly bacteria that enter the urethra and bladder leading to inflammation and infection. Sometimes bacteria can also travel up the ureters and infect the kidneys.
Although your urinary system is designed to keep out such bacterial invaders, these defences sometimes fail. When this happens, bacterias start growing to take hold and lead to a full-blown infection in the urinary tract.
As we all know bacteria are the most common cause of UTIs. The most common bacteria which is known to cause UTIs is E.Coli. Some other causes which can add to your chances of getting a UTI are:
- People with diabetes are prone to UTIs due to frequent urination, high blood sugar levels and reduced immunity.
- Pregnancy can also be a reason for UTIs because during pregnancy the uterus grows and blocks the urinary blockage leading to the growth of microorganisms.
- Having problems like urinary blockage, and difficulty in emptying the bladder.
- Being sexually active as it can introduce bacteria to the urinary tract too.
- Structural problems in the urinary tract, such as enlarged prostate.
- Poor hygiene, for example, children who are potty-training.
UTI symptoms in female
To identify UTI, you must be aware of the UTI symptoms in females and react immediately to manage it. UTIs don’t always cause signs and symptoms but when they do these are most common:
- Burning sensation while urinating
- Frequent but small amount of urine
- Urinary urgency i.e. a persistent urge to urinate
- Changes in the urine colour like — cloudy appearance, red, bright pink, cola-coloured, or sometimes blood in the urine
- Strong smelling urine
- Pain in the pelvic region
Sometimes UTIs may be overlooked or mistaken for other conditions in older adults. Other symptoms that may also be associated with UTIs are:
- Pain during sex
- Lower back pain or pain in the side of the body
- Fatigue
- Fever and chills
- Vomiting and nausea
- Mental changes or confusion
Watch out if you have pain or burning sensation while urinating, you might have a urinary tract infection (UTI).
When treated promptly and properly, lower urinary tract infections can be easily managed without any further complications but if left untreated, they can have serious consequences. To treat a UTI, you must take antibiotics as it helps to kill bacteria and fight infection.
Do you want to know what you can eat to improve your immunity and prevent UTIs? Download the Zyla app or visit our website Zyla.in to get all the required guidance.
Ways to prevent UTI
Now you already know the causes and symptoms of UTI, let’s discuss the various ways to prevent it.
You can take these steps to reduce the risk and prevent a UTI:
1. Practice good personal hygiene
You can easily prevent UTIs by practising good personal hygiene. Follow these simple female hygiene tips:
- Change pads and tampons frequently.
- Avoid using harsh deodorants.
- Do not hold urine for long, also when using public toilets do not sit completely on the toilet seats to prevent contact and infections.
- After bathing, wear clean and dried undergarments.
2. Drink plenty of fluids
When you add extra fluids, it helps to dilute your urine leading to frequent urination which allows the bacteria to be flushed out from the urinary tract before any infection begins.
To know more about the benefits of hydration and symptoms of dehydration, read our blog “Dehydration symptoms and treatment”.
3. Wipe from front to back
Doing this after urinating and after a bowel movement, helps you prevent the bacteria from spreading to the regions of the urethra and vagina.
4. Empty your bladder
Always urinate before and after intercourse as it helps to flush out the bacteria that may have entered your urethra region.
5. Manage through nutrition
Good food is wise medicine that you can take. These are the foods through which you can manage UTIs.
- Vitamin C-rich foods
Vitamin C-rich foods are known to improve immunity. Their acidic nature inhibits the growth of UTI-causing bacteria thereby making a great way to prevent UTIs.
You can include oranges, lemon, tomato, kiwi, amla, papaya, and spinach as some of the vitamin C-rich foods in your diet.
- Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory foods
Food with antibacterial properties such as cinnamon (dalchini), cumin (jeera), thyme (ajwain), clove (laung), ginger (adrak), turmeric (haldi) and garlic (lehsun) can fight against bacterias when they enter the body.
These are also known to have anti-inflammatory properties which help in preventing the growth of bacterias.
- Probiotics
Probiotics help in improving gut health by promoting the growth of good bacteria. This will reduce the growth of bacteria which can cause infection. Curd is a natural probiotic. Other probiotic foods include kimchi, tempeh, and pickles.
In case of any UTI symptoms in females, make a visit to your doctor right away to prevent further complications and get the right treatment. Also, follow the above guidelines to prevent future UTI episodes.
If you’re seeking help to improve your UTI, you can download the Zyla app or visit our website Zyla.in and check out our Ova Women’s Health Program.
Sometimes other illnesses, such as Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), might have similar symptoms to UTIs, let’s move on and know what are sexually transmitted diseases, their symptoms, causes and various home remedies to manage them…
What are Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)?
Sexually Transmitted Diseases that get transmitted from one person to another are generally acquired through sexual contact and the bacteria, virus or parasites can pass from person to person in blood, semen or vaginal or other bodily fluids leading to STDs.
Sometimes it can be contacted non-sexually such as:
- From mothers to their infants during pregnancy or childbirth
- Through blood transfusions
- Sharing the same needles
Some of the types of STDs include chlamydia, gonorrhoea, hepatitis, herpes, HIV/AIDS, human papillomavirus (HPV), and syphilis.
You might often confuse between sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Are they the same? No, they aren’t the same as an infection starts when a bacteria, virus or parasite attacks the body, it may come with no symptoms but a disease usually always comes with clear signs and symptoms.
Remember: An STD will always start out as an STI but not all STIs turn into STDs.
Causes of STDs
As already mentioned above, all STDs are caused by STIs which are transmitted through sexual contact including bodily fluids or skin contact via vaginal, oral or anal sex.
Some STIs never become a disease, especially when treated promptly and properly, and they can even go away on their own. But if the pathogens end up damaging the body cells and disrupting their functions, STI will progress to STD.
Did you know, on average, 30 different bacterias, viruses, and parasites are known to get transmitted through sexual contact?
As mentioned earlier, symptoms of STDs might be the same as that of UTI symptoms in females so let’s find out…
Symptoms of STDs
STDs and STIs can have a range of signs and symptoms, including no symptoms at all, leading to go unnoticed until any complication occurs.
Here are the signs and symptoms that might indicate a STI:
- Experience of painful or burning sensation while urinating
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding
- Smelly vaginal discharge
- Painful experience during sex
- Severe pain in the lower abdomen
- Sometimes chills and fever
- Sometimes rashes or redness on the hands and feet
- Sores or bumps on the genitals or in the oral or rectal area
You might notice signs and symptoms a few days after the exposure. However, it may take years as well before you have any noticeable problems, depending on the organism causing the STI.
Now you know the possible causes, signs and symptoms of STDs, let us read about various ways to prevent it.
Ways to prevent STDs
The best way to avoid STDs is to prevent STIs. There are several ways through which you can prevent STIs or manage it:
- Abstain from sex — This can be considered an effective way to prevent STDs
- Urinate before and after sex as it helps in flushing the bacteria out
- Use condoms and dental dams as a contraceptive barrier to prevent STDs
- Get yourself tested for STDs before any sexual contact
- Get your STDs vaccination done
- Use a clean and new syringe whenever you need to inject
- Avoid sharing towels
Home remedies for STDs
Let me tell you about the home remedies which are known to have antibacterial, antifungal, and disinfectant properties, which can be used as an effective medium in the management of STDs:
- Applying aloe vera gel is very effective in treating infection and itching for different types of STDs.
- Apple cider vinegar has antibacterial, antifungal, antibiotic, and disinfectant properties which help in boosting immunity and fighting against pathogens.
- Basil (tulsi) leaves are known to destroy many bacteria and fungi, that way helps in managing STDs.
- Garlic (lehsun) and ginger (adrak) are known for their antibacterial properties as they help in eliminating vaginal yeast infections and reducing pain.
- Honey is a natural home remedy that helps in fighting against infections.
As we all know nutrition plays a vital role in the prevention of STDs, the important nutrients to be included to boost your immunity are Vitamin A, E, and C.
- Vitamin A is required for normal growth of the tissue, maintaining the integrity of epithelial cells present in the vaginal mucosa, and fighting infections. Some of the vitamin A-rich food sources include carrot, papaya, fish, sweet potato and muskmelon.
- Vitamin C improves the integrity of connective tissue and also helps to reduce the spread of infection. You can choose citrus fruits, kiwi, guava and bell peppers to boost yourself with vitamin C
- Vitamin E increases the immune response. To get your daily dose of vitamin E, you can include a handful of sunflower seeds (surajmukhi ke beej), almonds (badam) and peanuts (moongphalee) in your diet.
Most UTIs are single events and if treated properly, will not come back while many STDs are treatable but not all of them have a cure. If you feel your symptoms are worsening, connect with your healthcare provider to see if any different treatment or approach is required.
In any case, do not self-diagnose or medicate yourself. Always consult a doctor before taking any medication.
The best way to prevent STD and UTI symptoms in females is to get regularly screened and practice proper female hygiene.
If you’re seeking help to improve your health and want to better manage your health conditions, you can download the Zyla app or visit our website Zyla.in and check out our Ova Women’s Health Program.
Zyla has a team of 50+ medical experts who can provide personalized treatment through a holistic approach. Start your health journey today!
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