With the right approach to managing your bladder health, you can say farewell to UTIs
Yes, people who rely on intermittent catheterisation are more prone to urinary tract infections (UTIs), but this is not a given. In fact, UTIs can easily be avoided if the person knows how to care for their bladder. Speaking at the My Bladder, My Rights webinar hosted by QASA in 2022, Dr Virginia Wilson shared some advice on how people can better manage their bladder health.
Hydrate
First and foremost, something that might feel counterintuitive … hydration. It plays an important role in keeping the body and organs healthy. Dr Wilson recommends people drink at least two litres of water a day. When exercising, or on very hot days when a lot of water is lost through sweating, it is recommended to drink even more. Hydration during the night is not as crucial. When lying down, the kidney will produce less urine, which means there is less water required to replenish the body.
Regularly empty the bladder
Of course, the more water you drink, the more you will need to empty the bladder. By regularly emptying your bladder, you will ensure your bladder health and prevent bladder reflux, or vesicoureteral, during which urine flows back up the ureters to the kidney. How the bladder is emptied is also vital!
Wash your hands
It might seem like something obvious, but even after COVID, many people don’t thoroughly wash their hands. When emptying your bladder through intermittent catheterisation, correctly washing your hands becomes even more crucial as you can spread bacteria that leads to a UTI. As Dr Wilson mentioned during the webinar:
“Sanitisers became essential during COVID. Everyone thinks it is the equivalent to washing your hands, it is not. You need to wash your hands.” The same can’t be said for the catheter.
Refuse to reuse
Individuals who rely on intermittent catheterisation are urged to make the shift to single-use catheters with the goal of disposing of a catheter after every use. Catheters can still carry bacteria or bio film even after being washed. It coats the catheter and bladder, and can lead to an infection. While catheters can be costly, individuals with medical aid can rest assured that this should be paid in full by their service provider. The My Bladder, My Right webinar discussed in more detail why medical aids should fund these catheters and how people can go about approaching their medical aid. Read the highlights of the webinar here.
Consult your doctor
It can be very beneficial to speak to a urologist to have a Urodynamic test done. This test looks at how well parts of the lower urinary tract work to store and release urine. It looks at your bladder, sphincters, urethra and kidneys. It also checks for stones, tumours or reflux. This could assist with providing valuable information on how to better care for your bladder as each person’s situation is unique.
Dr Wilson also recommended that people take roughly 500 milligrams of vitamin C twice a day for their general health. For more information on managing your bladder health, you can read the 2019 paper published by the Clinical Advisory Panel, titled: Best practice recommendations for bladder management in spinal cord-afflicted patients in South Africa. Read it here.