<strong><a href="http://www.southcountyurological.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Women.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-240" alt="Women" src="http://www.southcountyurological.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Women.jpg" width="279" height="240" /></a>Vaginal estrogen helps prevent recurrent urinary tract infections in women</strong>

<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Estrogen may prevent urinary tract infections, according to a recent study from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. Women in the study were given vaginal estrogen for two weeks. Estrogen caused cellular changes with the urothelium, which is a layer of tissue that lines the bladder and much of the urinary system. The extra estrogen caused a reaction that appears to prevent bacteria from reaching deeper layers of the urinary tract where bacteria can hide and reside, and create a bank for recurrent infections. Specifically, estrogen revved up production of the body’s own antibiotics called antimicrobial peptides and strengthened the cells in the urinary tract.</span>