What is the transmission route in case of a urinary tract infection?
Apart from urethritis, urinary tract infections are not transmissible from one person to another. A cystitis is caused by bacteria that enter the bladder via the urethra. If the bacteria rise even further, they can cause an inflammation of the renal pelvis.
In most cases, urinary tract infections are caused by bacteria. In extremely rare cases, viruses, fungi or parasites can also irritate the bladder mucosa and thus lead to an inflammation. Especially women tend to develop cystitis again and again.
It is therefore crucial to take preventive measures. Non-drug measures include a sufficient fluid intake of at least 2 liters a day, emptying the bladder completely when going to the toilet and dressing warmly. Proper intimate hygiene is also of great importance.
After defecation, the vagina should always be wiped from front to back. When washing with a cloth, the vagina should always be cleaned first and only then the anal area. Otherwise there is a risk of bacteria from the intestinal tract being introduced into the urinary tract.
These bacteria can then cause a urinary tract infection. During sexual intercourse, care should also be taken not to have vaginal intercourse immediately after anal intercourse. Women should empty their bladders and wash themselves after sexual intercourse.
Patients who suffer from cystitis mainly after sexual intercourse can try prophylaxis with medication. In this case the antibiotic Trimethoprim is taken once after sexual intercourse. The quality of the effectiveness is not sufficiently proven by studies.
It is also frequently heard that regular intake of cranberry preparations is supposed to protect against recurrent urinary tract infections. Women who suffer more frequently from urinary tract infections can try this. So far, however, there are no recommendations in the guidelines.There is also a kind of vaccine that is supposed to reduce the body’s sensitivity to certain bacteria.
For example, there are capsules that contain killed Escherichia coli pathogens. It should be taken 1 tablet daily over 3 months. A vaccination against cystitis is also available as an injection.
It contains inactivated bacterial pathogens. 3 vaccinations should be given at intervals of 2 weeks. After about one year a booster vaccination should be given.
The effectiveness of the vaccination has not yet been sufficiently proven. Yes, there is the possibility of a vaccination against recurrent (recurrent) urinary tract infections. There are different variants of the vaccination.
A vaccine is administered in the form of injections. It contains inactivated bacteria. These bacteria are those that typically cause urinary tract infections.
The aim is to present the pathogens to the body in an attenuated form so that the immune system develops an adequate defense against these pathogens and can then effectively kill them in the event of a urinary tract infection. The basic immunization consists of 3 injections which must be given at intervals of 2 weeks. This basic immunization is intended to ensure that the body is immune against the corresponding bacteria for about 1 year.
After one year a booster vaccination must be given. There is also a vaccination in tablet form. The tablets contain inactivated Escherichia coli pathogens.
In the first three months one tablet must be taken daily, then the basic immunization is completed. Afterwards, the vaccination is refreshed in months 7-9. Here, 1 tablet per day must be taken 3 times over 10 days.
The interval between each 10 days must be 20 days. Up to now, the benefit of the mentioned vaccinations for the prevention of urinary tract infections has not been sufficiently proven. L-methionine is an essential amino acid.
In the literature there is evidence that acidification of the urine (for example with methionine) is helpful in preventing recurrent urinary tract infections. This has to do with the fact that bacteria grow less well in acidic environments. So if the urine is acidified with methionine, this should create more difficult conditions for the bacteria and their growth. There is not yet sufficient evidence of the efficacy of methionine, so there are no recommendations for its use.
