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Can Using a Bidet Cause Infection?
Despite the primary function of bidets to provide a better cleaning solution for your genital areas, there are still some concerns about the health issues that might happen from using the bidet. Should you worry about using a bidet? Can a bidet cause infection or some other health problems for you?
The Reasons Using a Bidet is Healthy for You
There are some concerns about the unhealthiness of using a bidet, but these concerns are often just theoretical. In most cases, the bidet can be as healthy or as unhealthy as how you use it. For instance, there will always be risks of getting an infection when you use a toilet seat, which might be “dirtier” than a bidet, such as when the toilet seat is unsanitary. So, the concerns about the unhealthiness of using a bidet are something that you shouldn’t think too much about, as long as you are using a sanitary and clean bidet.
Just like using a toilet seat, using a bidet requires constant maintenance for the sanitation of the bidet and the water nozzle it uses. Keeping the sanitation of your toilet or the bathroom where you install the bidet is also important if you want to minimize the health risks of using a bidet. Here are the reasons using a bidet is healthy for you:
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Washing your private areas with water is preferable. Bidet allows you to wash your genitalia using water instead of just wiping it with toilet papers. Of course, it’s most preferable to use water to clean your private areas after doing your regular toilet activities, and it is always cleaner that way. It’s also easier for you to use soap while sitting on a bidet to better clean your private areas.
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Bidet helps women wash their genital areas better. It’s much better for women to use a bidet to wash their genital areas, as they can spray the water nozzle from the front to the back of their private areas with ease. Women can keep their private areas clean after peeing or releasing their bowel, and it also helps them to clean their private areas during their menstruation periods.
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It gives a better sense of cleanliness than just wiping your genital areas after peeing or releasing your bowel. Wiping your anus using toilet papers might be a common method to clean that area after releasing your bowel, but washing your anal areas using water will always give you a better sense of cleanliness afterwards. It can also ensure that you are not leaving any dirty stuff behind.
Risks of Infection is Always There, But It’s Only a Small Percentage
The risks of infection for using a bidet will always be there, but it will also be the same as using the toilet seat. The risks of infection will only happen when you don’t maintain the sanitary aspects of the bidet, the water nozzle, or the bathroom. So, the risks of infection will only be in a small percentage, and it will only happen if you keep your bidet dirty or unsanitary.
It’s important for you to avoid the risks of infection of using a bidet by cleaning your bidet as often as possible, such as after using it. You might see the bidet surface getting dirty or mossy from time to time if you don’t clean it often. So, it’s important to use the same cleaning procedure for the bidet as you would do with your toilet seat or the bathroom. This is to ensure that you won’t have any risks of infection while using the bidet, such as when you keep the bidet dirty without cleaning it.
Potential Reasons a Bidet Might Cause Infection
Sometimes, a bidet might cause infection for the people who use it because of various reasons. The first reason is the bacterial contamination of the nozzle or spray water. People who don’t use the bidet in the right way might trigger the bacterial contamination of the nozzle or spray water on the bidet. The bacteria that often grow and live in fecal matters might contaminate the nozzle surface or the spray water of the bidet because of the careless use of it. Also, the contamination can get worse when you don’t keep the bidet and its water nozzle clean and sanitary.
The second reason a bidet might cause infection is the dirty surface of the bidet. Just like the toilet seat, the bidet’s surface needs to be cleaned from time to time, and it’s better for you to clean it every day. This is to keep the surface from getting dirty, preventing it from becoming a growing place of bacteria that might cause infections in some people.
The third reason is the excessive use of the bidet. Cleaning your anus or vagina using a bidet might be a good way to get rid of the pee or fecal matters from your body, but the excessive use of the bidet might cause infections in some people, even more so for women. Anal pruritus (itching around the anus) and anal incontinence (inability to control bowel movements) are the common problems that you might experience after an excessive use of bidet.
Healthy Tips to Use a Bidet
To avoid any problems from using a bidet, it’s best for you to use the bidet the right way. Here are some healthy tips to use a bidet:
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You should use the bidet only as necessary and avoid an excessive use of it.
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It’s best to clean the bidet and the water nozzle from time to time to avoid any bacterial contamination.
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You can use soap if you feel it is necessary to do so.
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Test the bidet before using it to figure out where the water is spraying, which can be useful to avoid wetting your clothes when you use it.
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You can use paper towels to dry your skin after using a bidet, in case the bidet doesn’t have the air dryer in place.
Conclusion
Bidet provides a healthier alternative to clean your private parts after releasing your bowel or taking a pee. However, you need to ensure that the bidet is clean and sanitary when you use it to avoid any potential infections.
Sometimes, a bidet can cause infection when there is bacterial contamination on the bidet surface or around the water nozzle area. It’s important for you to keep the sanitary aspects of the bidet, toilet seat, and the bathroom to ensure a healthy use of this cleaning tool.
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