Choose Cotton Underwear to Help Prevent UTIs
Bacteria thrive in warm, moist conditions. Given that the genital area is one of the warmest, moistest areas of your body, it’s easy to understand why women sometimes struggle with keeping urinary tract infections (UTIs) at bay.
There are many UTI prevention tips you can follow but, here, we are focusing on just one—an easy one!
Wear cotton underwear
There’s a reason cotton is popular —it breathes. Cotton is soft, absorbent and allows air to flow through. This means less opportunity for bacteria to thrive and grow. Even better, underwear made with moisture-wicking cotton is specially designed to pull moisture away from the body.
To help prevent UTIs, you want to wear fabric that allows air to flow through so the warmth and moisture your body gives off doesn’t get trapped while you stand, move around or sit all day. Cotton crotches in panties made from synthetic fabric help, but that material is usually lined beneath the cotton with the air-trapping synthetic fabric.
If cotton undies aren’t your thing but you have had more than one UTI, especially more than one in the same year, give all-cotton panties a try - cotton has come a long way. Still hesitant? Just buy a few and alternate between all-cotton underwear and underwear made from synthetic fabrics. On days when you want to wear tight jeans or shapewear, choose cotton underwear since the tight-fitting clothing will increase the heat and moisture in your intimate area. Every prevention step you take helps.
Refresh after you sweat
Whether your underwear is made from cotton or another fabric, be sure to change into fresh undies once they get wet—that means sweat too. Your body takes a while to stop sweating after exercise, so this is where cotton becomes more of a friend to help keep UTIs away. Even if you don’t normally wear cotton underwear, switching into cotton undies after you dry off post-workout is a smart move. Your intimate area will still be warm and moist after the heat of exercise and cotton can help some of that heat and moisture flow out instead of staying trapped.
Go panty-free at night
Ditch underwear completely when you go to bed. Let your body really breathe and don’t wear any underwear or tight-fitting clothing around your bottom half.
If you do get a UTI—and let’s face it, cotton underwear isn’t the “end all, be all” of urinary tract infection prevention—talk to your doctor to get treatment right away. Also consider taking Uristat® Pain Relief Tablets to help relieve the intense pain that often accompanies UTIs and doesn’t subside until antibiotics start to take effect.
