During a UTI, patients may be avoiding drinking fluids because passing urine is painful. NHS advice is to “rest and drink enough fluids so you pass pale urine regularly during the day”. Current advice is to remain well hydrated (but not to deliberately increase consumption). This is important, especially during warmer weather.

Wait for 20 seconds after passing urine and then strain to empty the final drops. Leaning backwards is said to help to achieve a more complete emptying of the bladder compared with the usual sitting posture.

This may help to minimise transfer of bacteria from the bowel into the vagina and urethra (although NICE advises that evidence is lacking).

Urination immediately after sexual intercourse will theoretically flush out most bacteria from the urethra, but there is no evidence to support this.

This will wash away any bacteria that might be near the urethral opening.

Where vulvovaginal atrophy is an issue, vaginal oestrogen pessaries may help.

Limited evidence that cranberry and D-mannose can help prevent UTIs (but no evidence they treat symptoms).

They seem to act as bladder irritants in some people.