Ugh! Urinary Tract Infections! They’re horrible aren’t they? And maybe you’ve noticed that as you journey through menopause, or if you are breastfeeding, they seem to increase in frequency. Why is that? Well, let’s take a look at why hormonal changes are a key factor in UTI’s – and what can help.
Estrogen levels have an important role in the maintenance of happy nether regions. Here's what the scientists say: estrogen causes vaginal lactobacilli (good bacteria) to proliferate. Lactobacilli in turn, reduce the pH level of the vulvar and vaginal biome, and this helps prevent colonization from pathogenic ‘bad’ bacteria. What this means is that our good bacteria are dependent on estrogen to help keep the 'bad' bacteria at bay. Once estrogen levels drop our good bacteria declines, and then the bad bacteria can thrive.
'Bad' bacteria (forgive me if this sounds like cops and robbers!) get to the bladder mostly from the anal area and intercourse, but also from things like diaphragms, spermicides, catheters, not changing a menstrual pad frequently enough.
So what we see is that as estrogen levels decline during breastfeeding or in menopause, lactobacilli numbers also fall, while vaginal pH rises. This creates conditions for nasties like E.coli (a common fecal bacteria) to colonize and increase the likelihood of urinary tract infection.
So what can you do about it? Well, if you feel a UTI coming on, you need to try and flush it out of your system. Drinking lots of cranberry, juice, chamomile tea and lemon water can all help.
NatFem can also be a bit of a secret weapon in the battle against UTI’s, and for a very good reason. Bacteria cannot live in anhydrous environments. Anhydrous is a fancy word for ‘does not include water’. NatFem Original Balm and Oil do NOT have any water in them. NatFem also contains a range of herbs (like calendula and gotu kola) selected for their antimicrobial actions. So it makes sense that when you apply a small amount of either of these products to your genital area, you are creating an environment that is not particularly favourable for bad bacteria.
I’m going to illustrate that last point by sharing a little story here. Someone came to me a few years back for a remedy to help with UTI’s which seemed to turn up with annoying regularity when she and her long-distance lover met up. Then they started using NatFem as a lubricant (which she said was very nice!) and then she got in touch with me again. This time to tell me that she wasn’t getting UTI’s. I would have taken this information with a pinch of salt, but the thing is I have noticed over the years since I launched NatFem, that a number of customers have told me that once they started using NatFem, their UTI’s became far less of a problem.
Another key point is be mindful that most water-based lubricants also contain glycols or glycerin, which gives the slippy slidey feel, but it's a form of sugar, which also ‘feeds’ bad bacteria.
So here is a checklist for natural UTI management:
- Be aware that as your estrogen levels drop things change in your vaginal and vulval biome that makes it more susceptible to ‘bad bacteria’ proliferating.
- Bad bacteria don’t like anhydrous environments, (which could mean that NatFem makes an ideal barrier to help fend off the nasties).
- NatFem Balm and Oil are pH neutral because they do not contain water, and so will not contribute to affecting the pH level of your bits. Plus they have natural ingredients with antibacterial and antifungal actions.
- Glycols or glycerin, which gives the slippy slidey feel to water-based lubricants ‘feeds’ bad bacteria.
- Avoid spermicides, douches and sprays.
- If you feel a UTI coming on drink lots of lemon-water, chamomile tea or cranberry juice
- Sit in hot water and for extra relief add a handful of fresh pine or cedar needles.
- Go to your doctor.
Information in this blog post is sourced from:
Weed. S. 2011. Down There - Sexual & Reproductive Health the Wise Woman Way. 5th. Ash Tree Publishing
Potter. N & Panay.N. (2021) Vaginal lubricants and moisturizers: a review into use, efficacy, and safety, Climacteric, 24:1, 19-24, DOI: 10.1080/13697137.2020.1820478
Raz R. Urinary tract infection in postmenopausal women. Korean J Urol 2011; 52:801–8
Brotman RM, Ravel J, Cone RA, Zenilman JM. Rapid fluctuation of the vaginal microbiota measured by Gram stain analysis. Sex Transm Infect 2010; 86:297–302
