Not just neighbors: the active link between vaginal and urinary health

Ever wondered about the link between your vaginal and urinary health? Us too. The good news is that emerging research shows an important link between the two - through a shared microbiome. 

Wait, what’s a microbiome?

A microbiome is a living community made up of trillions of tiny organisms called microbes. These microbes are types of bacteria that work together to support different functions in the body. 

Microbiomes are all about balance. A healthy microbiome will be balanced with the right ‘good' bacteria to resist against the ‘bad' bacteria. These bad bacteria are often known as pathogens and can cause infection. For example, a group of pathogens known as uropathogens are the main bacteria responsible for causing UTIs. 

If you’re looking to find out more about the urinary microbiome, check out our blog - or, dive into our e-book to get the full lowdown on the urinary system.

So what’s the link to vaginal health?

Recent research suggests that there’s a strong relationship between the urinary and vaginal microbiome. Both microbiomes have been shown to contain high levels of Lactobacillus. This is a type of probiotic ‘good' bacteria that helps fight off ‘bad' bacteria like uropathogens. Other shared bacteria between the urinary and vaginal microbiomes include Gardnerella, Prevotella, and Ureaplasma. 

Not only do the vaginal and urinary microbiomes share bacteria, but they’ve also been shown to mutually influence one another. 

Women with higher levels of Lactobacillus in their vagina are at a lower risk of recurring UTIs. By manipulating the vaginal microbiome with probiotics that support Lactobacillus growth, the urinary microbiome also develops more ‘good' bacteria and has a greater chance of resisting infection.

This means there’s potential for new and much-needed alternative treatment options for UTIs by focusing on supporting the vaginal and urinary microbiome together!

What does this mean for UTI treatment?

If you’ve ever been prescribed antibiotics to treat a UTI, you may have also been advised to take probiotic supplements. This is because although antibiotic treatments fight infection, they don’t discriminate - meaning they can destroy both good and bad bacteria in the urinary tract. An imbalance in good bacteria ultimately damages your urinary microbiome, leaving you more vulnerable to future infections. 

But don’t worry - taking probiotic supplements alongside antibiotics can protect the balance of your microbiome. Probiotic supplements can also be taken as a preventative measure, providing a practical and low-cost way of protecting yourself against recurring UTIs. 

Here at MyUTI, we recommend a range of specific probiotics to support a healthy urinary microbiome. 

Where does MyUTI come in?

It’s also important to remember that not all antibiotics treat UTIs equally. Different causes of symptoms or infection require specific treatments. That’s why we believe proper testing is crucial to successful treatment. Try our comprehensive testing kit to let you know the exact source of your UTI-like symptoms and get you on the road to lasting relief.