Hi Jess,
Normal vaginal pH is 3.8 to 4.5. Urine pH ranges from 4.5 to 8.
http://www.webmd.com/hw/womens_conditions/hw6026.asp
http://www.rnceus.com/ua/uaph.html
First, are you sure you have a UTI and not a vaginal infection?
When your doctor gave you antibiotics, did you take them as
prescribed, finishing the entire dose? Sometimes a patient may start
feeling better and discontinue their medication. What happens then is,
the more resistant organisms continue to grow, causing a recurrence of
the infection.
If you have had this for a year, you really need to return to the
doctor, and request a clean catch urine, with a culture and
sensitivity. The culture will identify the organism, and the
sensitivity part will determine which antibiotic is most effective on
your infection. UTI?s are often caused by Gram-negative organisms and
doctors can sometimes guess at what antibiotic typically works, but
this is not true for every patient. Perisistent infections call for a
culture and sensitivity.
If it?s not a UTI and it IS a vaginal infection, again, you need to
return to the doctor to be diagnosed, It is difficult to treat
yourself when you are not sure of the offending organism; yeast,
trichomonas, gardnerella or a sexually transmitted organism such as
gonorrhea, Chlamydia or herpes.
Be sure you are drinking plenty of water, and a healthy diet. Foods
such as chocolate, tomatoes, pickles, Nutra-sweet, and caffeinated
drinks such as sodas and coffee can irritate the urinary tract of some
women. Cranberry juice does help to acidify the urine, making it
harder for organisms to thrive, but alone, it will not completely cure
an infection.
?Only your healthcare professional can tell you for sure if you have a
UTI. A visit to a medical office or clinic is your first step in
curing your UTI.?
?Typical symptoms of a UTI include a strong feeling that you need to
urinate, a need to urinate very often, burning and pain while you are
urinating, and a change in the way your urine looks or smells. Since
many other conditions have these same kinds of symptoms, it's
important to talk to your healthcare professional. This is the best
person to make a diagnosis and tell you how to treat your UTI. This
section explains the symptoms you may have if you have a UTI.?
http://www.allaboututi.com/symptoms/index.asp
http://www.allaboututi.com/symptoms/do_you.asp
?UTIs are treated with antibacterial drugs. The choice of drug and
length of treatment depend on the patient's history and the urine
tests that identify the offending bacteria. The sensitivity test is
especially useful in helping the doctor select the most effective
drug. The drugs most often used to treat routine, uncomplicated UTIs
are trimethoprim (Trimpex), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim,
Septra, Cotrim), amoxicillin (Amoxil, Trimox, Wymox), nitrofurantoin
(Macrodantin, Furadantin), and ampicillin (Omnipen, Polycillin,
Principen, Totacillin). A class of drugs called quinolones includes
four drugs approved in recent years for treating UTI. These drugs
include ofloxacin (Floxin), norfloxacin (Noroxin), ciprofloxacin
(Cipro), and trovafloxin (Trovan).
Often, a UTI can be cured with 1 or 2 days of treatment if the
infection is not complicated by an obstruction or other disorder.
Still, many doctors ask their patients to take antibiotics for a week
or two to ensure that the infection has been cured. Single-dose
treatment is not recommended for some groups of patients, for example,
those who have delayed treatment or have signs of a kidney infection,
patients with diabetes or structural abnormalities, or men who have
prostate infections. Longer treatment is also needed by patients with
infections caused by Mycoplasma or Chlamydia, which are usually
treated with tetracycline, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMZ), or
doxycycline. A followup urinalysis helps to confirm that the urinary
tract is infection-free. It is important to take the full course of
treatment because symptoms may disappear before the infection is fully
cleared.?
Doctors suggest some additional steps that a woman can take on her own
to avoid an infection:
? Drink plenty of water every day.
? Urinate when you feel the need; don't resist the urge to urinate.
? Wipe from front to back to prevent bacteria around the anus from
entering the vagina or urethra.
? Take showers instead of tub baths.
? Cleanse the genital area before sexual intercourse.
? Avoid using feminine hygiene sprays and scented douches, which may
irritate the urethra.
Some doctors suggest drinking cranberry juice.?
Another tip: urinate after intercourse.
http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/utiadult/#treatment
Until you get to the doctor, you may want to try some home remedies to
alleviate symptoms. You will still need to visit your doctor, even if
pain and symptoms subside.
?An alkaline pH is more conducive for the bacteria in the urinary
tract, so citrates are more effective in alkalinizing. Calcium citrate
is rich in citrates.
Cranberry juice is effective in containing the bacteria in the urinary
tract and the bladder. Garlic is better in washing out the germs and
bacteria deposited in the urinary tract. Garlic rich food should be
taken everyday to avoid urinary tract infection.
Boiled water can be mixed with certain herbs and can be taken once a
day as a cure for urinary tract infection, those herbs are Uva
ursi,Galium aparine and Equiseturn arvense.
Few herbs can be used as antiseptic for urinary tract infection; those
herbs are Buchu and corn silk and Usnea lichen. Drinking a lot of
water in a day completely washes out all those bacteria in the urinary
tract.?
http://uti.getridnow.com/urinary-tract-infection-remedies.html
?Drink at least 8 glasses of water and other liquids a day. Drink
juice made from unsweetened cranberry juice concentrate. Take
cranberry tablets (look for these at health food stores). Avoid
alcohol, spicy foods, and caffeine. These can irritate the bladder.
Get plenty of rest. Check for fever twice a day; in the morning and
again in the evening. Take an over-the-counter medicine for pain.
(see ?OTC Medications? for "Pain relief") or take the OTC medicine
Uristat, which relieves pain and spasms that come with a bladder
infection. {Note: Uristat helps with symptoms, but doesn?t get rid of
the infection. You should see your health care provider to diagnose
and treat the problem.} Go to the bathroom as soon as you feel the
urge. Empty your bladder completely.?
http://healthcenter.ucdavis.edu/selfcare/utis.htm
http://www.seattlechildrens.org/child_health_safety/pdf/flyers/PE178.pdf
If you are in pain, ask your pharmacist for an over the counter
medication that contains pyridium. This will help anesthetize the
bladder and give you some comfort. Beware, it will make your urine
orange and greasy, staining underwear and toilet seats. Even though
this medication can ease pain, it will not cure an infection-you still
need to be seen by a doctor.
Please visit your doctor as soon as possible and get an accurate
diagnosis. You will be glad you did.
Good luck, and good health!
Sincerely, Crabcakes
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