Some of our kegg users shared their long-history of UTIs and they recently became more attentive in observing alterations of their cervical mucus during infections. When ‘kegg’ was in it’s prototype phase, I traveled a lot and started to suffer for frequent UTIs. Then, more recently I noticed how this was affecting not just my cervical mucus but my overall well-being. Literally, there were days in which I had to answer all my work emails from the restroom and it was awful.
What's a UTI?
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection in any part of your urinary system — your kidneys, ureters, bladder, and/or your urethra.
A urinary tract infection occurs when bacteria enter the urethra, travel up the urinary tract, and multiply. As the bacteria spread, your urinary tract becomes inflamed and infected.
90%* of the time, the cause of the infection is due to the bacteria E. coli. E. coli normally lives without harm in our intestinal tract but becomes problematic once it enters the urinary tract.
A bladder infection is the most common type of UTI, but not all UTIs are bladder infections. Your urinary tract consists of your kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.
A bladder infection occurs when the bacteria that caused a UTI reaches the bladder.
Like UTIs, bladder infections are most commonly caused by E. coli that enters the urethra and eventually the bladder. If you are someone who gets a lot of UTIs, your chances and frequency of getting a bladder infection are higher.
Is sex the only cause of UTIs?
Certainly not. Your daily habits, including your eating habits, can also influence your risk of contracting UTIs. If you want to revisit your diet, you should consider reducing the consumption of:
- acidic foods like tomatoes, citrus, vinegar, and pickled foods
- coffee, tea, alcohol, and soda
- artificial sweeteners, chocolate, and sweets
- spicy foods
In addition, your mental health may play a role. A study evaluating the relationship between recurrent UTIs (rUTIs) and anxiety and depression found that 56.4% of female patients with rUTIs had mild to moderate anxiety and 35.9% had mild to moderate depression. It’s important to keep in mind that a good mental wellness is beneficial to your physical health*.
Some diseases and congenital abnormalities may increase your risk of contracting UTIs. Please consult your doctor if you have concerns.
One last situation that requires further studies is the correlation between periods and infections.
- Higher vaginal pH during menstruation may increase the risk of UTIs during this time by impacting the vaginal microbiome
- Changes in hormones can also lead to cyclical changes in the vaginal microbiome. This drop in estrogen may leave the vaginal microbiome temporarily more vulnerable.
- The increase in moisture and the use of certain menstruation products may allow for easier movement of bacteria to the urinary tract.
- Bacteria from the skin and the vagina can travel to the urinary tract. This likely increases during menstruation.
How do UTIs impact fertility?
Recent studies have shown that there is no certainty about recurrent UTIs being the leading cause of infertility. What we know and what I have personally noticed thanks to empirical observations is that these types of infections:
- Cause mental and physical distress that can potentially impact cervical fluid and delay cycles, making timing intercourses properly very hard.
- Affect the vaginal environment with potential consequences on electrolytes in the cervical mucus.
- Can lead to a production of a vaginal discharge not related to fertility.
- They are often easy to treat but the effects of medications on the cervical fluid are still unknown.
Using kegg during any of these infections could result in inaccurate data and your kegg chart may look ‘wonky’. We recommend not using kegg during these days and encourage good hygienic care of kegg.
How do I prevent UTIs?
You can take the following steps to decrease the risk of developing a urinary tract infection:
Drink lots of fluids, particularly water, as this helps dilute the urine and ensures that you pee more frequently, flushing bacteria from the urinary tract.
Make sure to always pee after sex and squeeze out any residual seminal fluid if you are not trying to conceive. Peeing after intercourse may help flush out the bacteria from your bladder.
Wipe from front to back after using the bathroom. This helps prevent bacteria from the anus spreading to the urethra and vagina.
- Be mindful of your sexual habits. Insert only cleaned objects into your vagina (this also includes sex toys and fingers) and avoid bringing bacteria from anus to vagina.
- Some birth control options can also increase the chance for infection (diaphragms, spermicides etc).
Speak to your physician regarding your urinary health and how to prevent UTIs.
How can Uqora help me?
Even if you are doing everything right, some of us are more prone to UTIs. That was also the story for Uqora founder, Jenna Ryan who I recently had the pleasure to meet. As it happened to me, Jenna struggled with recurrent UTIs despite trying everything. Her experience inspired her and her now-husband to create Uqora. In collaboration with doctors and scientists, Uqora specializes in UTI relief and proactive urinary tract health supplements (and no, they aren’t made from cranberry).
In the last months, I added uqora product to my daily routine. Uqora’s flagship line of proactive urinary tract health products includes three supplements to support you in a different way, keeping you covered from all angles:
- Target: flush your urinary tract after sex or whenever you need extra support
- Control: cleanse biofilm and strengthen the bladder wall to help keep your bladder clear
- Promote: a vaginal probiotic to balance the vaginal microbiome. Which is crucial for urinary health success.
uqora.com/kegg for 15% off your first order.
Uqora’s users can enjoy $55 OFF kegg by using the code ‘ uqora55 ‘ on our website kegg.tech
We will add a FREE Proov test ($30 value) to each order. This offer is subject to availability.
If you have ever experienced a UTI you know how consuming the pain, discomfort and search for a solution can be. We at kegg hope to encourage and facilitate more research in the area of recurrent Urinary Tract Infections and aim to one day offer women more answers and help in how to best avoid and alleviate UTIs.
Are you a kegg user with a diagnosed UTI or recurrent UTIs? Please let us know! Your kegg data could help us learn more and help the cause of beating UTIs! Email at hello@kegg.tech
