If you’ve ever had the unpleasant experience of having a urinary tract infection (otherwise known as a UTI or bladder infection), then you probably want to make sure it never happens to you again. UTIs are uncomfortable, painful, and can lead to more serious conditions if not treated, so trying to avoid them as best as you can is really ideal. There are a bunch of things you might be doing that could potentially cause a UTI, and some of them are more surprising than others. There are also a lot of myths out there that need to be debunked. For example: is it true that if you drink enough tea, you could get a UTI?
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While it’s not clear where this idea came from, it’s hard to prove that it isn’t true — but it’s also hard to prove that it is true. A UTI can be caused by a variety of different things: consistently holding in your pee for too long, wiping incorrectly after using the bathroom (always go front to back, ladies!), not drinking enough water, and not urinating after having sex. These are some of the more common causes of a bladder infection.
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Then there are the things that are more likely to cause a UTI if you’e already susceptible to them — in other words, if you get them fairly often (some women are more susceptible to getting UTIs than others). One of those things is drinking a lot of coffee. According to Everyday Health, “caffeine is known to irritate the bladder and worsen bladder infection symptoms.” If you have a UTI, you should avoid caffeine, and if you’re susceptible to them, you should also be careful. Of course, a lot of tea contains caffeine as well, so that could irritate a UTI. Too much sugar can also cause a UTI, so if you’re pouring sugar into tea every single day, that could also be a problem.
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So, it’s possible that drinking a ton of tea could cause a UTI, but it’s more likely to make symptoms worse if you already have one. If you do, avoid caffeine altogether. Still, it’s important to point out that having the occasional cup of tea isn’t going to cause a UTI — it’s okay to have it in moderation, and there are other things that are more likely to cause this infection than that.
On top of that, one study found that green tea could actually help a UTI — and that has caffeine in it. So, if you’re concerned, speak with your doctor to be sure.
No matter what, just make sure you’re drinking plenty of water.
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