Tips for avoiding urinary tract infections

When I first got injured, I used to get UTIs all the time. Over the years I have learnt and adopted certain tricks that have reduced the number of UTIs I get.

For intermittent catheter use: 

I find that it’s best to used pre-lubricated or hydrophylic catheters. They are slightly more expensive than regular intermittent catheter but they can help you avoid UTIs by not introducing lubricating jelly to your catheter.

I find that it’s best to catheterize every six hours and to use Iodine wipes to clean the area before inserting a catheter. This is absolutely key.

Leg Bags and overnight bags:

If you use a leg bag or an overnight bag on a regular basis, ensure that you clean your urine bags every day, using water and vinegar or a cleaning agent. It’s best to change your overnight bag on a weekly basis and your leg bag every two or three days.

 These are my tips for avoiding UTIs. Let me know if you find them useful and share some of yours.