Doctors recommend a number of moves to minimize the risk of infection for women who develop recurrent infections. Urinate before and soon after sex, for example. And think twice about using a diaphragm. Women who rely on this birth control method are two to three times more prone to recurrent infections than nonusers, since the diaphragm causes irritation of the vaginal surface, which allows bacteria to adhere, according to Dr. Moldwin. Also, jellies may irritate the vagina, set up inflammation and let bacteria adhere to the vagina, from where they migrate to the bladder, adds Dr. Moldwin.
Most doctors treat urinary tract infections with antibiotics, which usually work just fine.
In addition to these measures, some doctors suggest the following nutritional therapy. It is unclear how this has an effect, and there are no studies to prove it, but it seems to help some women, he adds. Doctors who recommend vitamin C to prevent or treat bladder infections usually suggest a daily dose of 1,000 milligrams. You would have to eat about 14 oranges a day to get that much. You can check the acidity of your urine with chemically treated nitrazine strips, a sort of litmus paper that's available in many pharmacies.