How can I prevent a urinary tract infection when self-cathing?

As an intermittent catheter user, you may be prone to developing a urinary tract infection at some point during your cathing routine. While it is important to know the symptoms and treatment of UTIs, it is also beneficial to know what you can do to help prevent them.

We all have bacteria on our bodies, also call bacterial colonization, and anyone who performs clean intermittent catheterization will naturally have bacterial colonization in their bladder. Bacteria need 3 things to survive; darkness, heat, and moisture, which are all found within the bladder environment. The more often you cath and maintain the recommended approach of intermittent self-catheterizing, or “cathing”, every 3-4 hours will help to get rid of some of the bacteria throughout the day. Always hydrate yourself well with water and keep high sugared drinks to a minimum. Dehydration may increase the risk of getting a urinary tract infection.

Explore our in-depth resources on the Infection Assistance Center for everything you need to know about urinary tract infections.