Mariana Bridi da Costa Dies of UTI - A Wakeup Call

A beautiful person taken too soon.

What you can learn from this tragedy...

When we learned on Friday that Mariana Bridi da Costa passed away after losing her hands and feet to complications from a urinary tract infection (UTI), it was almost too much to even think about. Mariana was a beautiful, vibrant young woman growing into her international stardom thanks to a healthy modeling career and her participation in the Miss World competition in her homeland of Brazil.

I'm sure that if you're reading this, and a woman, you've experienced the hell that is a UTI. Millions of women in the U.S. alone experience this every year, and about nine million actually wind up at the doctors for it. And though it almost always feels like you are going to die from it, finding out that you actually can die from something that seems more common as an annoyance than an actual serious problem was pretty shocking.

It's too late for Mariana, who suffered the pain of having her hands and feet removed to stem the infection prior to passing away from complications, but we all can and should be vigilant with our own urinary health so that this never snuffs out another young woman on the brink of making a difference.

What can you do to avoid getting a UTI, and how can you treat it? Read on for helpful advice:

1. Drink lots of water. Water flushes bacteria and other icky things from your urinary tract.

2. Never hold it! If you have to go to the bathroom, make a beeline for it. Holding it in gives bacteria the chance to flourish instead of being flushed.

3. We all know this, but let's say it again: Wipe front to back.

4. Baths and hot tubs are soothing, but they give a place for bacteria to thrive. Minimize the amount of soaking you do in hot water.

5. Sexually active? Make sure you're washing after (and before if you can!). And make sure that you're always practicing safe sex.

6. Wear panties with cotton where it counts. Nylon and poly-fibers don't breathe, and that's where nasty little bacteria can breed.

7. Vitamin C supplements have been shown to strengthen your body's immunity to bacteria that cause UTIs, as well as a whole other host of benefits. Stock up on C!

8. Finally, guzzle down some cranberry juice. Even if you have one, 4oz serving of the red juice a day, you give your body the weapons to fight this infection, and kill it if you happen to contract it.

Most importantly, if you do all these things and still contract a UTI that just won't go away, go to your doctor. Get the help you need!

Our thoughts and best wishes go out to Mariana's family.