Swimming in ocean water is an enjoyable activity. Who doesn’t like to swim in the sea during summer vacation?
But what should you do if you have a UTI? Does saltwater cause UTI or worsen it? Let us discuss this in brief.
Does swimming in saltwater cause UTI?
Saltwater is not a good medium for the growth of bacteria. Rather, it inhibits bacterial growth. Due to this antiseptic property, salt has been used to fight infection since ancient times.
Many historical records show that salt was used as a disinfectant to treat cuts, wounds, mouth sores, and skin irritations, etc. in different civilizations.
So, it is unlikely that saltwater will be a breeding place for the bacteria causing urinary tract infection.
Among the bacteria responsible for UTI, only Pseudomonas, which accounts for only a small percentage of UTI cases throughout the world, can grow up in the unfavorable environment of saltwater.
So, saltwater can be a source of organisms only when it is located very close to farms, garbage, or other pollutants or when the water remains stagnant in a pool for a long time, and It is unlikely that you will swim in such a place. Isn’t it?
But this is true when you consider ocean water or water with high salt concentrations. If you are swimming in a pool, the salinity of that water may not be high enough to inhibit bacterial growth. We will discuss it in the upcoming paragraphs.
Does swimming in ocean water cause UTI?
The ocean is an unlimited source of saltwater. And it is a great gift from nature for the inhabitants of the earth.
Have you ever thought, how much garbage and pollutants are carried out by the rivers in the sea every day?
We all are polluting the river water which ultimately reaches the sea. This is happening since the beginning of civilization, But you have seen that seawater is not so contaminated as one might expect Because salt contents of ocean water act as natural disinfectants and purifiers.
Even our urine and feces reach the sea. Many people often pee in water during swimming, But you will never even smell it from the water. All are purified by the salts and minerals.
So, common uropathogenic bacteria usually do not grow in ocean water. So, you are not supposed to get UTI from swimming in the ocean, But some patients especially women suffer from UTI returning from the summertime. Why does it happen?
Though many people pee in water during swimming, it is unlikely that peeing in the water will cause UTI. Even a patient with UTI can pee in ocean water releasing pathogenic organisms.
Theoretically, it could be possible that bacteria will enter the bladder during urination, But such events are unlikely to happen Because the urine will be diluted in ocean water and the growth of the organism will be inhibited by the salt.
Without being inoculated above infectious dose ( the minimum number of bacteria required to cause infection combating the immune system), no organism can cause infection.
That is what happens when someone contaminates the ocean with urine, therefore the chance of entrance to the urinary bladder through the urethral sphincter is extremely low.
Women suffering from UTI during summertime is something related to other factors.
One important cause is wearing tight underwear. Women often stay on the beach with wet and tight synthetic undergarments, and people often play on sands on the beach for long periods forgetting personal hygiene.
All of these may contribute to urinary tract infection and creating a favorable environment for bacterial growth around the urethra.
Can saltwater pools cause UTI?
If not cleaned and disinfected regularly, swimming pools may be a source of infection.
Saltwater pools are getting more popular day by day due to their lower chlorine smell and more tolerability to hair, skin, and eye. Do you know that saltwater pools do not contain seawater unlike what many people think?
The salt concentration of such pools is less than ten percent of that of ocean water and these salt are broken down by an electrolytic system to produce chlorine.
This chlorine disinfects the water just like the added chlorine tablets in the case of a conventional chlorine pool.
So, there is no basic difference in the process of disinfection in the saltwater pool. The low salt concentration may not be able to inhibit bacterial growth effectively, Especially Pseudomonas is a tough bacteria having the capability to grow in an extreme environment.
So, don’t ignore the risk of infections in a saltwater pool. Be aware of its hygiene and maintenance. If the pool is not properly maintained, it may turn into a breeding place for microorganisms. And bathing in such a pool may lead to skin infection and UTI.
Should UTI patients take bath in saltwater?
Taking bath in saltwater is not strictly prohibited for UTI patients, but don’t forget to evacuate your bladder before jumping in the water because you may have frequency and urgency due to the ongoing episode of UTI.
It may increase during swimming and you may feel an urge to urinate in the water. Though there is less chance that water or bacteria will enter the bladder during peeing, no one should do such activity, especially when you are in a pool.
This may contaminate the water with bacteria increasing the risk of infection for others. Otherwise, there is no risk of worsening the infection for the patient himself.
Many people even consider a saltwater bath as a way to soothe the burning sensation of UTI. We will discuss that later.
However, few patients complain of increased burning sensation after bathing in ocean water. This may happen if there is a tear or abrasion around the urethra which is often common in sexually active women (honeymoon cystitis).
Ocean water has a very high salt content which may irritate such areas, so it is better to avoid taking bath in ocean water when you have a urinary tract infection.
Does saltwater sitz bath help to combat UTI?
Sitz bath is usually recommended for the problems of the anorectal region like hemorrhoids, fissures, perennial injury, etc.
A hip bath or sitz bath with just warm water or antiseptic-containing water is often advised after surgical procedures in the anus and perineum, but what about UTI? Does it help in UTI too?
Many health care providers recommend sitz bath with Epsom salt for UTI.
It is supposed to reduce the burning sensation and lower abdominal discomfort, but there is no evidence to claim that it will enter the bladder and reduce the infection.
However, it may provide you with some temporary benefits against burning and irritation.
But saltwater sitz bath may help to clean the vulva and periurethral region of women. It may indirectly help to reduce the entry of organisms through the urethra. And you may get a little relief from urethral itching and burning sensation.
Similar effects can be obtained by warm water sitz bath too.
You may think of a combination of two, which means warm salt water bath, but there are no proven extra benefits of using such a combo and no research material is available to support or deny this use.
However, if you feel better, you can go forward as it has no known demerits.
Does salt water flush help in UTI?
Do you know what is salt water flush? It is nothing but a process of cleansing gut content by drinking warm water and non-iodized salt. Drinking warm water with salt will stimulate your intestine and produce a strong laxative effect. It clears the gut contents rapidly.
So what do you think now? Is there any way that it may help you to cure a urinary tract infection? The simple answer is, “No”. Because it will flush out your intestinal pathogens including normal bacterial flora, but not the bacteria from your bladder. In addition, you will have the risk of developing electrolyte imbalance and dehydration. Which may further worsen your UTI. Rapid flushing out of stool increases the risk of contamination of the urethra and vulva. It can even initiate a UTI.
You may think that it reduces constipation which is a cause of UTI. But to treat constipation, we have a lot of better alternatives. There is no need to take a saltwater wash for UTI when there are no other valid indications.
Does drinking saltwater have any effect on UTI?
The question may sound funny. But surprisingly some people ask it. Is there anyone who likes to drink saltwater? Mild salty water may be liked by some, but definitely, none will love ocean water.
Water with low salt concentration may be a good source of fluid and electrolytes.
It prevents dehydration and electrolyte deficiency but to get such benefits you should take it in optimum concentration.
The World Health Organization recommends oral rehydration salt (ORS) as the mainstay of treatment of dehydration in diarrhea.
It is produced with the optimum concentration suited for the human body. You can take it for rehydrating yourself in other conditions too.
During UTI, doctors often advise extra fluids, so You can drink ORS like other fluids.
There are numerous brands of ORS available in the market like Electral, Electrobion, Rebalanz, etc. you can buy anyone from the local market. Just check if it follows WHO guidelines for ORS.
But, taking concentrated saltwater may lead to a lot of adverse events. Drinking excess amounts of concentrated saltwater may lead to abdominal cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea within a short period.
After being absorbed in the blood, the increased salt contents will increase your blood volume leading to hypertension and electrolyte imbalance.
If you have pre-existing heart or kidney disease, it may deteriorate rapidly. All of these will just complicate your UTI. So, drinking saltwater (except ORS) for urinary tract infections is not a good idea at all.
That’s all about saltwater and urinary tract infection for now. Hope your anxiety regarding the summertime UTI has reduced by now.
If you need to know about other kinds of water and how good are they for UTI, please check out our baking soda bath for UTI article and our alkaline water for UTI article.
Also If you have any confusion or query about UTI, feel free to reach us or check the plethora of articles we have about this subject on our website KNOW & TREAT UTI.
Stay healthy and have a wonderful rest of your day!