Connection Between Fibromyalgia and Urinary Infections

The Development of Urinary Infections when Suffering from Fibromyalgia

Feeling tired all the time is a common sign of Fibromyalgia. This illness is also associated with feeling pain throughout the entire body.

However, this illness is one that we are just now starting to understand, and even then, there are questions that cannot still be answered.

For example, why do some people have some signs of this illness while others do not show this? Why are there so many secondary issues that could be caused by fibromyalgia?

These are all things that people are interested in and that are being researched thoroughly.

However, for those who are interested in the connection between urinary infections and fibromyalgia, they are going to find that many doctors are starting to figure out just why this happens and how people can start to treat this and prevent this in their lives.

What are Urinary Infections?

A urinary infection involves the kidneys, bladder, ureters or the urethra. Those who suffer with these infections are common.

In fact, there are around 10 million visits in the United States every year for urinary infections. When a person has one of these infections, they are going to find that there are several signs that showcase they are having an infection. These signs are:

  • There is a painful burning during urination
  • The person has a higher frequency of needing to urinate
  • The urine smells bad
  • The urine may have a cloudy look or even be bloody
  • There is pain in the lower abdomen or pelvic area
  • There could be a mild fever that is less than 101 degrees
  • The person may just have that not feeling well feeling
  • Vomiting and nausea can go along with those stronger infections
  • There could be shaking chills due to a higher fever when the infection becomes more severe
  • Pain in the back or the side around the level of the waist

In severe cases, a person can suffer with changes in their mental status. However, this often only affects those elderly people who have an infection due to the high fever that they may suffer with.

Whenever a person feels any of these signs, they are going to want to ensure that they are getting to a doctor. Rarely do urinary infections go away on their own, since these are infections that are within the body.

The Causes of a Urinary Infection

There are several causes of urinary infections that can give people a better idea of how they can prevent these infections.

The causes of this includes:

  • Having an issue with not emptying the bladder completely, allowing bacteria to sit inside the body
  • Sexual intercourse can lead to the spreading of the bacteria
  • Improper wiping after a bowel movement
  • Women who have estrogen issues often find that they are more vulnerable to these infections.
  • Those who have suppressed immune systems or diabetes are at an increased risk of developing these infections.
  • Men who have enlarged prostates are also a greater chance of a urinary infection.

In many cases, ensuring that you have proper hygiene can help to ensure that you are doing your best to avoid a urinary infection. However, even with steps in place to ensure that you are not increasing your risk of a urinary infection, there are still times in which you may get this.

Connection Between Fibromyalgia and Urinary Infections

The Connection Between Fibromyalgia and Urinary Infections

While we know what the causes of Urinary Infections are, how does this connect with fibromyalgia? This is something that many people are wondering.

While the scientific evidence is not complete yet, there are still many theories that showcases why those who suffer with fibromyalgia are more likely to have urinary infection. These theories include:

  • Fibromyalgia is going to affect the immune system. The person who has this often has pain and issues with sleep, which is going to naturally lower your immune system. Due to the immune system being lowered, they are going to find that urinary infections are more likely to happen.
  • Fibromyalgia has been known to cause muscle weakness in many of the people who suffer with this. Due to this muscle weakness, many people find it hard to hold their bladder or to empty this out completely, resulting in an increased chance of infection.
  • There are many people who feel as though fibromyalgia is also messing with the hormones of men and women who have this. Which hormone issues could lead to urinary infections since this makes the person more vulnerable to infections.

Fibromyalgia and Urinary Infections

How to Prevent a Urinary Infection at Home

There are several different tactics that are used by those at home to help prevent these urinary infections from taking over their life. Here are just a few ways that many people are preventing these:

  1. Drink lots of water as this will help to dilute the urine and it also ensures that you are urinating more frequently in order to flush bacteria from your tract before the infection can take hold.
  2. For women, be sure to wipe from front to back to avoid getting bacteria from the anal area near the urethra and vagina.
  3. After having intercourse, be sure to urinate and drink a full glass of water to flush bacteria.
  4. For women, avoid the use of deodorant meant for the genital area as these along with douches and powders can irritate the urethra.
  5. Avoid drinks that can irritate your bladders such as coffee and other drinks that contain caffeine.
  6. Utilizing heating pads on the abdomen area for help with pain associated with these infections. The warm sensation can also help in getting the person to go to the bathroom more.

The use of alternative medicines and old wives’ tales to prevent urinary infections, and this can work for some people.

These alternative methods include:

  1. Drinking a glass of cranberry juice as this has been recommended by man doctors. However, you cannot do this if you are taking some this of medication that things the blood or those medications that affect the liver or contain aspirin.
  2. Goldenseal root has been shown to be an antimicrobial agent. Those who use this will want to talk with their doctor to ensure this does not interfere with any of their current medications.

There are several other herbs that are used by many people. However, these must be taken with caution as herbs can interfere with several medications on the market.

Doctors may prescribe antibiotics to fight infections, along with over the counter pain medications to help with the pain that is felt when an infection is in full swing.

While those who suffer with fibromyalgia are dealing with these urinary infections, it can make the illness even worse. Already they feel tired and achy all over.

However, it is important to clear up these infections as soon as possible so that you are not dealing with an infection that has traveled throughout the body.

Whenever you feel as though you have a urinary infection, be sure to contact your doctor to see what steps you need to take in order to clear this up once and for all!

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  1. I was diagnosed with widespread myofascial pain with central sensitivite and the courts failed to recognise this, how do I now go back to the court and explain this was caused by there driver and it is not fully understood by the medical personnel in all departments of pain management.

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