Additionally, a number of common\u00a0foods<\/strong>\u00a0and drinks \u2014 artificial sweeteners, spicy\u00a0foods<\/strong>, alcohol, coffee, acidic fruits, citrus, or caffeinated drinks \u2014\u00a0can<\/strong>\u00a0irritate your bladder, and may worsen\u00a0UTI<\/strong>\u00a0symptoms \u2014 so\u00a0you<\/strong>\u00a0should steer clear of them if\u00a0you have<\/strong>\u00a0signs of a\u00a0bladder infection<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"a](\"https:\/\/images.everydayhealth.com\/images\/urinary-conditions\/urinary-tract-infection\/foods-you-shouldnt-eat-when-treating-a-uti-01-rm-1440x810.jpg?w=768\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThinkstock; Peter Dazeley\/Getty Images<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the National Kidney Foundation, one in five women will have at least one urinary tract infection (UTI) in her lifetime \u2014 20 percent of them will have more than one. In fact, bladder infections result in nearly 10 million doctor’s visits each year as women seek treatment for the pain, pressure, and constant urge to urinate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A bladder infection occurs when bacteria enter the urinary tract. The bacteria irritate the urinary tract, which often results in painful urination and even lower abdominal pain or cramping. Though\u00a0certain\u00a0antibiotics\u00a0can treat a bladder infection, it’s important to know the symptoms of a bladder infection to help your body heal \u2014 and to prevent further bladder irritation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not everyone with a bladder infection has obvious symptoms. But\u00a0according to the Mayo Clinic, common signs of a bladder infection may include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Blood in the urine (urine that looks red, bright pink, or cola-colored)<\/li>
- Feeling of pressure or cramping in the lower abdomen<\/li>
- Foul smelling urine<\/li>
- Kidney or bladder stones<\/li>
- Low-grade fever or chills<\/li>
- Pain during intercourse<\/li>
- Passing frequent, small amounts of urine<\/li>
- Pelvic pain<\/li>
- Stinging or burning feeling when urinating<\/li>
- Strong persistent need to urinate<\/li>
- Urine that is cloudy<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
A bladder infection can be irritating and painful, but it can become a very serious health problem if the bacterial infection spreads to your kidneys. That\u2019s why understanding your body is important and seeking treatment early on for bladder infections helps you manage the symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Women are 10 times more likely than men to get bladder infections because they have a shorter urethra. In women, bacteria can reach the bladder faster because of the shorter distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While being a woman puts you at greater risk for bladder infections, other risk factors that are common include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Abnormal urinary tract shape or function<\/li>
- Certain types of contraception, particularly diaphragms with spermicidal agents<\/li>
- Diabetes<\/li>
- Genetic predisposition \u2014 bladder infections run in some families<\/li>
- Postmenopausal. In postmenopausal women altered hormone levels are linked to bladder infections.<\/li>
- Pregnancy. Changes in a woman\u2019s hormones during pregnancy increase the risk of a bladder infection.<\/li>
- Sexual activity. Bacteria is pushed into the urethra during intercourse. Also, having multiple sex partners increases the risk of bladder infections.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, a number of common foods and drinks \u2014 artificial sweeteners, spicy foods, alcohol, coffee, acidic fruits, citrus, or caffeinated drinks \u2014 can irritate your bladder, and may worsen\u00a0UTI symptoms\u00a0\u2014 so you should steer clear of them if you have signs of a bladder infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take a Break From Coffee to Ease Bladder Infection Symptoms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"a](\"https:\/\/images.everydayhealth.com\/images\/urinary-conditions\/urinary-tract-infection\/foods-you-shouldnt-eat-when-treating-a-uti-02-1440x810.jpg?w=768\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThinkstock<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sure, your morning cup of java perks you up, but it may also make your UTI symptoms act up again. Caffeine is known to irritate the bladder and worsen bladder infection symptoms. A study of people with interstitial cystitis<\/a> (chronic inflammation of the bladder) found that people who drank coffee experienced worsened symptoms. Try a mug of noncaffeinated herbal tea to replace your morning coffee ritual until you are UTI-free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Drinking Alcohol Cause a UTI?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"an](\"https:\/\/images.everydayhealth.com\/images\/urinary-conditions\/urinary-tract-infection\/foods-you-shouldnt-eat-when-treating-a-uti-03-1440x810.jpg?w=768\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThinkstock<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may know that beer, wine, and liquor can irritate your stomach if you’ve got\u00a0reflux\u00a0or an ulcer, and alcohol can irritate the bladder, too, particularly if you have a bladder infection. Though you want to get plenty of fluids when you’ve got a\u00a0UTI, it’s important to avoid alcohol. So, take a hiatus from cocktails \u2014 at least while you’re trying to flush out the bacteria and recover from a urinary tract infection.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Foods You Shouldn’t Eat When Treating a UTI If you’re experiencing discomfort when you urinate, your cup of coffee, hot-sauce-drenched tacos, or some other food could be to blame. Additionally, a number of common\u00a0foods\u00a0and drinks \u2014 artificial sweeteners, spicy\u00a0foods, alcohol, coffee, acidic fruits, citrus, or caffeinated drinks \u2014\u00a0can\u00a0irritate your bladder, and may worsen\u00a0UTI\u00a0symptoms \u2014 so\u00a0you\u00a0should\u2026 Read More »<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}