Girl Talk – The Three Letter Word…UTI

Time for a little girl talk sesh here on the blog. This time, I’m talking about that three-letter word we all love to hate, but don’t necessarily love to talk about: UTI’s. As a sister, a daughter and a friend, I know I’m not alone when I say that this very painful issue has affected me. In fact, it’s something I’ve struggled with my entire life, many times because I simply didn’t feel comfortable talking about it. But to that I say no more! Ladies – it’s time we shattered the stigma and prioritized our urinary health by opening the conversation about bladder and UTI infections and tackling them!

 Today I’m so excited to partner up with AZO so I can open up that conversation with you all by sharing my personal battle with urinary health and how their amazing line of products have helped not only reduce the pain of these pesky infections, but helped to protect against future UTI’s.

Let’s start by debunking the biggest myth about UTI infections:  that they’re only caused by that other three letter word (the one that starts with an s). WRONG!

I actually got my first UTI when I was just five years old. The pain was so immense that I can still remember the day so clearly. I had been swimming all day at a pool and hadn’t had much, if any, water to drink for hours. I also didn’t like going to the restroom at the community pool, so I just held it until I got home. When we got back to our house, I went to the restroom to pee and was overwhelmed by an awful burning sensation that I’d never felt before. My mom immediately rushed me to the emergency clinic where they gave me antibiotics, but I still remember the terrible pain as my mom held my hand and I cried each time I went to the restroom for the next couple of days.

I had a few more throughout my childhood, but it wasn’t until I was in high school that I even knew about the stigma behind UTI’s. My junior year of high school, I mentioned to a friend that I thought I had a UTI and she replied, “you know you can only get those from sex right?” Terrified of what my mom might assume, I decided to just grin and bear the pain of the infection until it went away. Two weeks later, I woke up in the middle of the night vomiting with a fever of 104 and a throbbing pain in my right side. Turns out, that minor UTI had turned into a kidney infection. After an emergency room visit and missing a week of school, I was horrified to learn that if I had continued to ignore it, the infection could have gotten into my bloodstream and potentially turned deadly. All because I was too afraid to talk about the issue and take care of it.

UTI’s can be the result of a number of things, including dehydration, exercise, “holding it” for too long, the list goes on and on. Regardless of the cause, urinary infections are a serious and painful issue that women of all ages and stages in life can fall victim to, but thankfully, there is a way to help relieve the pain caused by these infections. Ever since my UTI-turned-kidney-infection experience in high school, I’ve carried AZO’s Urinary Pain Relief tablets with me wherever I go. Whether in my purse for a night out (literally all it takes is a few sugary drinks for me to start feeling symptoms) or in my suitcase for travel, I always carry them with me just in case of an emergency. While these tablets don’t cure UTI’s, they will majorly reduce the painful burning sensation that comes along with a UTI (but remember you’ll need to see a doctor to get antibiotics to cure the infection!) These little tablets (you know, the ones that turn your pee orange!) are life-savers y’all! While I may be more prone to UTI’s than the average woman, so many of my girlfriends have also had to go through the pain of a UTI at some point or another (and they always know they can ask me if they need AZO for the pain!)

Not only does AZO offer a miracle pill to help reduce the pain of UTI’s, they also sell AZO Test Strips so you can immediately know if you may have an infection and can go to the doctor as soon as possible (the sooner you go, the quicker it will go away!) The test strips are the same type of UTI tests that most doctor use to diagnose a UTI, so you won’t have to play any guessing games as to whether you should visit the doctor or not.

Another AZO product I’ve added to my daily regimen are the AZO Cranberry Gummies. No thanks to my past with UTI’s, this girl cannot muster to drink cranberry juice (it just tastes like medicine to me!) but just 1 serving of their delicious cranberry gummies (which don’t taste like the juice at all, in my opinion), offers clinically proven Pacran which provides the same amount of benefits as one glass of cranberry juice. A delicious gummy treat that helps protect against future urinary health issues?! You don’t have to ask me twice!

Whether you’ve had more than just a few experiences with urinary infections like I have or rarely fall victim to the pain of UTI’s, it only takes one to know how the pain can instantly cast a cloud over your day. Next time, know that your not alone in this issue that affects so many women and reach for AZO products to help stop the pain of UTI’s and protect your urinary health.

 

 

Fair-well xx,

**Thanks so much to AZO for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.