1 day Ago By Steffy Thevar
Pune: A 42-year-old woman's recurring urinary tract infections (UTI) were mysteriously persistent, despite multiple doctor visits and antibiotic treatments. The culprit was finally identified by a city-based urologist: unclean health faucets in toilets. After being advised to stop using the faucet, her UTI episodes ceased.
This unusual case contrasts with the more commonly known causes of UTIs in women, such as using shared public toilets or contracting sexually transmitted infections. Dr Ashish Pardeshi, founder of the Kidney and Urology Super Speciality Institute, said many women, particularly those with diabetes, post-menopausal and those taking antibiotics for other conditions, were prone to UTIs when using unclean health faucets and recycled water in toilets. "In this 42-year-old woman, discontinuing the use of the health faucet , along with medication and lifestyle changes, led to her recovery," he said.
"Health faucets are often neglected or not cleaned despite being placed in an unclean environment and used to clean sensitive areas. This is indeed the most common cause of UTI in many patients," Dr Pardeshi said. In Dec 2024, the woman consulted Dr Pardeshi, complaining of burning sensation while urinating and frequent urination.
After diagnosing her condition, he advised her to stop using a health faucet. "We've found that these faucets are often infected with bacteria or fungus. They also release water with enough force that it enters the vaginal space.
It is conducive to bacterial and fungal growth, leading to possible infections. Even in toilets at home, neglected and unclean health faucets can be potential risks to health," he said, adding that on average six out 10 women visiting his facility have been diagnosed with UTI. "In this particular case, the woman was also diabetic and obese.
So, she was more prone to infections. We put her on a strict diet and timed voiding protocol to ensure her bladder was not over distended. We put her on a six- week antibiotics course.
When she last came to us in Feb, she was off the medication and had completely recovered," he said. The woman said she had visited four doctors earlier and was on antibiotics. "The infection, however, kept recurring.
Now, I completely avoid the health faucet and use only tissues. I have also reduced my weight. I have recovered now," she said.
Dr Pardeshi said rampant use of recycled water in toilets was also to be blamed for UTI and other infections among men and women. According to city-based urologist Dr Vikram Satav, the health faucet — a feature found mainly in western toilets — can indeed be risky for women's health. "Due to the closer proximity between the urethral opening and rectum in women, bacteria can easily spread and cause infections, especially during menstrual cycles or when hormonal imbalances and stress factors are present," Dr Satav said.
He also advised women patients with UTIs, using western toilets, to avoid built-in sprays and instead use use hand-held faucets. "Additionally, individual immune systems, cycle timing and comorbidities can impact infection likelihood," he added. Dr Pardeshi shared similar concerns and said many women patients with UTIs reported using health faucets.
"To ensure recovery, doctors often recommend temporarily discontinuing faucet use as antibiotics alone may not eliminate the infection source," he added..
