Washington: Drinking more water reduces bladder infections in women, finds a study.
The research was conducted by researchers at the UT Southwestern Medical Center.
“In the controlled trial, women who drank an additional 1.5 liters of water daily experienced 48 percent fewer repeat bladder infections than those who drank their usual volume of fluids,” said senior author Dr. Yair Lotan.
The participants self-reported their usual volume as less than 1.5 liters of fluid daily, which is about six 8-ounce glasses (approx. 250 ml).
“That’s a significant difference,” said Dr. Lotan. “These findings are important because more than half of all women report having bladder infections, which are one of the most common infections in women.”
More than a quarter of women experience a secondary infection within six months of an initial infection and 44 to 77 percent will have a recurrence within a year, said Dr. Lotan.
Physicians suspect more fluids help to reduce bacteria and limit the ability of bacteria to attach to the bladder.
Symptoms for acute uncomplicated cystitis, a type of urinary tract infection (UTI), include painful or difficulty in urination, a feeling of a full bladder, an urgency or frequency of urination, tenderness in the lower abdominal area, and possibly blood in the urine.
Because these infections are typically treated with antibiotics, the increased fluid could help reduce use of antibiotics and thereby help control antibiotic resistance, the researchers said.
The study appears in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
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