Talking about private body parts is often taboo in our society. Regardless of the nature of the talk – whether it relates to sexuality or some other problem related to urological health- it’s not the most comfortable talk to have.
“Woh mera us jaga…kharish…hoti ha, woh…”. Sometimes it gets awkward to communicate with even our family.
And since talking about private body parts isn’t the most comfortable conversation, discussion around problems and health of private body parts more or less doesn’t exist even among peers. Even couples usually aren’t given the “talk”.
Urological health means the health of male and female urinary tracts (kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra). It also involves the health of the male copulatory organ (penis, testes, scrotum, prostate, etc.)
Since we don’t talk about problems, but when they arise we are really surprised how it did happen? That’s why it’s important to be aware of them and take action against them. And to prevent any health problem, it is important to maintain the hygiene of a certain organ or part.
Here are 5 tips to maintain urological health to prevent diseases of the urinary tract (these include prostate cancer, bladder cancer, bladder prolapse, hematuria blood in the urine, etc.).
1. Make Water Your Best Friend
Water and other fluids are your best friends if you want to maintain good urinary health. Since the job of the urinary system is to cleanse the body from waste and excrete waste and toxins via urine. So when you increase water intake, more and more toxins are removed from the body.
8 glasses of water or 2-3 liters are recommended usually on a daily basis, though the exact amount differs depending on the person’s weight and physical activity he/she engages in. You can calculate your daily requirement using an online calculator for the daily water intake required.
It’s easy to tell whether you are hydrated or not from your urine color – if it’s pale yellow or clear (transparent) then you’re hydrated, and darker yellow is a sign that you should drink more water.
Actions to take:
- Go online and calculate your daily water intake requirement.
- Get a water bottle to always keep with you.
- Install an app (iOS/Android) to track your daily water intake, there are many apps available in play store e.g. Water Drink Reminder, Water Daily, Hydro Coach, etc.
- Drink 2-3 liters of water daily.
2. Go Easy On Salt (Namak)
While salt is an essential nutrient, and consuming it is okay. It brings the dishes a flavor from tasteless pheeka khana. But in some families, people consume high amounts of salt. This leads to water retention in the body, often leading to kidney damage and high blood pressure.
High salt-diet leads to the development of kidney stones. Also, long-term, uncontrolled high blood pressure also damages the kidneys.
Actions to take:
- We need on average about 3 grams of salt daily. If the food in your family is cooked with high amounts of salt, reduce the amount of salt being consumed.
- Pay attention to sodium labels on canned foods and be considerate about if it would increase your overall consumption of salt.
3. Avoid Holding Urine
We all feel the urge to complete that assignment, that task at work before we go to the toilet even though our bladder might be about to burst! But having this habit of holding back urine can do a lot of damage to the body.
So next time, you feel the urge to go to the toilet, you should go immediately. Holding urine back weakens bladder muscles and makes the chances of bladder infection high. Try to urinate every 3-4 hours.
Actions to take:
- For the next 3 days, try to urinate every 3-4 hours.
- Don’t rush while urinating, allow the bladder to be completely empty otherwise it can increase the chances of bladder infection.
- Be in a relaxed position next time you use the toilet. Relaxing the muscles around the bladder makes it easy for it to empty.
4. Keep Em Clean
If you are married, this is a must for you if you want to maintain good urological health.
During sexual intercourse with your partner, many microorganisms enter your urinary tract and can cause many types of infections. Female vagina and male groins (if not cleaned) become safe haven for microbes.
So it’s very important to clean your private body parts regularly, and changing underwear daily. Both women and men should urinate shortly after sexual intercourse to flush bacteria to avoid the chances of infection.
Actions to take:
- Men should adopt good personal hygiene including cleaning their groins regularly while taking bath or otherwise.
- Women should wipe or clean from front to back to avoid any chance of infection.
- Wear cotton underwear and loose-fitting clothes, this prevents the area around groins to trap moisture and which can help bacteria grow.
5. Taking Care Of Pelvic Muscles
Physical exercise on a regular basis activity helps prevent bladder infection as well as constipation. It also helps you to be more focused, productive, and energetic throughout the day.
This is for those who sometimes have urine leakage from bladder when they laugh, lift, or maybe cough.
Kegel exercises or pelvic floor exercises help hold urine in the bladder. These exercises if done daily can strengthen muscles which can help prevent leaking of urine when you sneeze, cough, lift or laugh or feel the urge to urinate.
The general guideline to do Kegel exercises is this:
- Do the exercises 3 times a day.
- Lie down or sit down. Make sure your bladder is empty and you don’t have the urge to urinate.
- Tighten/squeeze your pelvic floor muscles , holding them tight for 3-5 seconds.
- Relax the muscles for a few seconds and then repeat the tightening.
- Repeat the exercise 10 times, 3 times a day.
Breath deeply and let your body relax while doing these exercises, make sure to no tighten stomach, thigh, buttock, or chest muscles. After 4-6 weeks, you’ll feel better.
Actions to take:
- Write down the plan (x exercises for 10 minutes in the drawing room on Sunday for example) for Kegel exercise or even just general body exercises, it’s never bad to exercise. Writing such a plan makes your chance of following it 2 or 3 times according to research.
- Install apps that guide you through Kegel exercises, or general exercises. There are many good apps on AppStore e.g. Kegel Exercises, 30 days Fitness Challenge, Home WorkOut.
- Start exercising for 3-7 minutes for the next 7 days.
FAQs
1. Should we use special products to clean private parts?
You can if they are dermatologically tested. But your private parts have a self-cleaning mechanism, so simply washing with water and keeping it dry would be enough.
2. Can we drink as much water as we want?
Of course, you can, unless you have kidney disease and your doctor has advised you otherwise.
3. What should I do if I suspect a problem?
Immediately consult a urologist. They will help you treat the condition and maintain urological health.
Book an appointment now, to answer all your queries. You can book an appointment with top urologists in Pakistan through Marham by calling at Marham helpline: 0311-1222398 or by online appointment booking facility through the website or Marham mobile app.
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