The risk of cystitis increases in summer
Half of women suffer from cystitis at some time in their lives and this infection caused by the bacteria Escherichia coli is greater in July and August due to wet swimsuits and the consumption of caffeine, alcohol and carbonated drinks, which increase the risk of cystitis in summer. To avoid it, follow these tips and to treat it we recommend the cranberry.
According to a review of studies conducted by the Urological Institute of Madrid and the Research Center on Phytotherapy (INFITO) the proliferation of the bacterium Escherichia coli, is due to the increase in risk practices related to their infection, such as sexual relations and bathing in public places
The Spanish Association of Urology, in its multidisciplinary guide on cystitis, warns that between 50% and 60% of premenopausal women suffer some urinary tract infection (90% of which are cystitis), and the peak incidence "is he observes between the ages of 18 and 39, coinciding with the age of maximum sexual activity in women ". Sexual relations "are responsible for 80% of urinary tract infections and it is in summer when they increase the most," said Dr. Juan Carlos Ruiz de la Roja, director of the Urological Institute.
Factors that favor the appearance of cystitis
High temperatures coupled with humidity increase the survival and proliferation of pathogens related to cystitis, an ideal breeding ground that takes advantage of the bacteria responsible for cystitis.
The factors that increase the risk of infection at this time are, according to Dr. Ruiz de la Roja:
1. Bathing in public places, due to "the wet swimsuits".
2. Changing eating habits.
3. Acid or spicy foods.
4. Caffeine, alcohol and carbonated drinks.
Tips to avoid cystitis
1 Beber abundant liquid.
2. Urinating right after a sexual relationship.
3. Take one dose every 12 hours of pharmaceutical preparations of cranberry (cranberry), as a guide to the White Paper prepared by the Ibero-American Society of Neurourology and Urogynecology and the Spanish Society of Community Pharmacy.
The optimal dose to prevent episodes of cystitis, adds this expert, is of preparations with a composition of "140 mg of proanthocyanidins (PAC), according to the method of analysis of the European Pharmacopoeia, in two doses, to ensure a uniform performance" .
The effectiveness of cranberry for cystitis
New clinical trials have confirmed this effectiveness of cranberry or cranberry in the cistitis. Thus, the Phytomedicine magazine published an investigation in the month of April in which concluded that cranberry or cranberry "could be used effectively in the prevention and elimination of urinary tract infections, especially recurrent." The properties of cranberry are attributed to its proanthocyanidins, which prevent bacteria, especially the E. coli, adhere to the walls of the urinary tract up to 80%, according to a team from the University of Rennes (France) in an essay published this year in the Journal of Medicinal Food.
However, to ensure the efficacy and safety of cranberry "it is essential that they are in the form of a standardized pharmaceutical preparation, such as capsules or tablets, in which the amount of PACs is detailed, as well as the dosage and indications", explains Teresa Ortega, professor of Pharmacology at the Complutense University of Madrid and vice president of INFITO.
Unlike antibiotics, cranberry "is free of serious side effects and can be taken for prolonged periods, both as prevention and treatment, in combination with antibiotics," he says. So much so that even their pharmaceutical preparations can be used in pregnancy, as stated in the White Paper.
Resistance to antibiotics
One of the problems of Treatment of cystitis is bacterial resistance to antibioticswarns Dr. De la Roja. According to a recent study published in the journal Praxis, "the pharmacological resistance of Escherichia coli, the most common uropathogen, has increased worldwide. "Researchers at the University of Zurich found that resistance to all classes of antibiotics indicated for the urinary tract had increased, one of the causes being indiscriminate use. of antibiotics in winter, as demonstrated by a team from Princeton University (USA), published in the latest issue of the journal Clinical of Infectious Diseases.
Marisol New
