Toilet paper may cause infections If one wipes from back-to-front, bacteria is pulled from the anus toward the front of the body. This is especially harmful for women as it can cause a urinary tract infection from the bacteria entering the urethra.
Some personal care products, such as scented toilet paper, spermicides, douches, and deodorant sprays and powder, can irritate the urethra or lead to UTIs in some women.
So, what's the real danger if you don't follow the wiping rules? Wiping incorrectly can cause a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), which is an infection of the kidneys, bladder, ureters or urethra. A UTI typically occurs when bacteria that live inside the bowel find their way into the urinary tract through the urethra.
Wipe front to back. Always wipe from the front to the back after using the bathroom. Do not try to reach from behind because germs from the rectum can be transferred to the hand and tissue. After bowel movements, clean the area around the anus gently, wiping from front to back.
Interstitial Cystitis (IC) or Bladder Pain Syndrome (BPS) or IC/BPS is an issue of long-term bladder pain. It may feel like a bladder or urinary tract infection, but it's not. It is a feeling of discomfort and pressure in the bladder area that lasts for six weeks or more with no infection or other clear cause.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) include bladder infections, but bladder infections are distinct from UTIs in general. A UTI affects one or more parts of the urinary tract. The parts include the kidneys, ureters, urethra, and bladder. An infection that affects only the bladder is known as a bladder infection.
With some forms of UTI, blood may be seen after urinating and wiping. This may be just some pink staining when wiping after urination or you may see a toilet bowl that looks like it's full of blood.
Anatomy and/or genetics
Women are more prone to UTIs mostly because of their anatomy. A woman's urethra is shorter than a man's. Plus it is located near the openings of the vagina and anus, meaning there's more opportunity for bacteria from both those areas to spread—or be wiped—into the urethra.
Post micturition incontinence (commonly known as after-dribble) can occur when the muscles that surround the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the penis) do not contract properly. This stops the bladder from fully emptying.
Toilet paper irritation can happen if it's too thin or if it's too rough. The best toilet paper for irritation is a toilet paper with a drop of soothing lotion like Charmin Ultra Gentle!
Pain can occur at the start of urination or after urination. Pain at the start of your urination is often a symptom of a urinary tract infection. Pain after your urination can be a sign of a problem with the bladder or prostate.
While some toilet paper (like all-natural types) can be harsh and rough and irritate the skin, super-soft TP that's scented may have chemicals that you can be allergic to, like fragrance or lanolin. It can also crumble as you wipe, leaving behind itty bitty pieces of paper in its wake.
If left untreated, a UTI can turn into a kidney infection, also called pyelonephritis. Pyelonephritis can cause serious complications, like kidney scarring, high blood pressure, and renal failure, which is why treatment is essential.
Simple bladder infections may go away on their own in about a week — even without antibiotics. If you don't have any symptoms of a kidney infection and you aren't pregnant or at high risk of developing complicated UTI, you may opt for a “wait-and-see” approach to antibiotic treatment.
Just one or two wipes are enough to clean. If you tend to over wipe the vagina, it irritates the skin. Sometimes, it may even result in either inflammation or infection. And you should only use unscented wipes to clean the vagina after urinating.
The most important thing to remember about wiping after a bowel movement is to do so from front to back. This helps you to avoid urinary tract infections. Avoid scrubbing the sensitive area around your anus, too, because it can spread bacteria into the tiny tears in the skin.
If you're like most people, you probably think of burning or pain with urination being an unavoidable consequence of a UTI. In reality, many urinary tract infections do not cause painful urination, and some patients with UTIs are completely asymptomatic.
Burning or pain when urinating is the most common symptom. You may even feel a strong urge or need to urinate but only get a few drops. This is because the bladder is so irritated that it makes you feel like you have to urinate, even when you don't have much urine in your bladder.