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In the trial, women who drank an additional 1.5 litres of water daily experienced 48 per cent fewer repeat bladder infections than those who drank their usual volume of fluids, said Yair Lotan, a professor at University of Texas in the US.
The participants self-reported their usual volume as less than 1.5 litres of fluid daily, which is about six 8-ounce glasses. “These findings are important because more than half of all women report having bladder infections, which are one of the most common infections in women,” said Lotan.
More than a quarter of women experience a secondary infection within six months of an initial infection and 44 to 77 per cent will have a recurrence within a year, researchers said. Physicians suspect more fluids help to reduce bacteria and limit the ability of bacteria to attach to the bladder.
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Since these infections are typically treated with antibiotics, the increased fluid could help reduce use of antibiotics and thereby help control antibiotic resistance, the researchers said.