Urinary Tract Infection! What the Heck?
I decided to do this segment on urinary tract infections because in the summe we tend to go out and participate in recreational water activities, alcohol consumption, excessive sexual activity, which can throw off our PH or create a bacterial festival in our Urinary tract. Plus we see this occur more in the summer than in the winter months. So you must be wondering what a Urinary Tract Infection is, if you never hear of it you are lucky. Let make this clear these type are not contagious~ Urinary Tract Infection is also known as UTI or Cystitis, though they are most common in babies, women and older people it can occur to anyone. But it develops when microbes enter the urinary tract and cause infection. Bacteria are the most common cause of UTIs, although fungi rarely can also infect the urinary tract. E. coli bacteria, which live in the bowel, cause most UTIs. These infections can be very uncomfortable, painful and can have adverse effects on the urethra and the bladder, which can lead to severe kidney infections if not treated promptly or adequately (Mayo, 2015). What do Conventional medical practitioners suggest? They prescribe medication. Prescription painkillers and antibiotics are often prescribed to clear up Urinary Tract Infections. Because antibiotics strip away all good and bad bacteria, they often lead to yeast infections (NIDDKD, 2011), which can be as uncomfortable as a urinary tract infection. Why women, babies, and the older population are more susceptible to UTI's? The answers are pretty simple a women, and babies have shorter or underdeveloped urethra than men do; older people often are on medications that can throw PH balance off. What are the symptoms of a Urinary Tract infection you may ask? According to the Mayo Clinic Urinary tract infections don't always cause signs and symptoms, but when they do they may include:
A mighty, persistent urge to urinate
A burning sensation when urinating
Passing frequent, small amounts of urine
Urine that appears cloudy
Urine that appears red, bright pink or cola-colored — a sign of blood in the urine.
(which you should see a doctor if this occurs, but make sure you haven't had too many beets that day, oh wait does that only happen when you expel fecal matter, we will talk about that in another segment)
Strong-smelling urine
Pelvic pain, in women — the pain is typically located in the center of pelvis or around the pubic bone.
So what can you do to help potentially eliminate, stop or ease the symptoms? Let start with how to eliminate the possibilities of this horrible suffering!
Drink plenty of water! Water is beneficial for helping flush out toxins and bacteria located in the urinary tract and the body. It is advised to drink half of your body weight in ounces. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, one of the causes of Urinary Tract Infections is the lack of drinking enough fluids which encourage bacteria to grow.
Empty the bladder when you feel the urge to urinate, don't wait till you are doing the PP dance or until you are done having sexual intercourse! Besides most likely you won't be able to orgasm if you have to pee. Ignoring the urge can cause a back flow of urine which can push back the toxins up the urethra! Don't forget to Urinate after having sexual intercourse; you may think it's not sexy to have to pee or want to cuddle but go pee, it's essential to keep the vagina healthy for further engagement, and it will help flush out any flow of unwanted bacteria.
Pay attention to your meds, if you see that taking a particular medication is making you more susceptible to a UTI, talk to the doctor, if you are not taking drugs, ask the doctor to run a panel you may have something serious going on such as hormonal changes, autoimmune diseases or even diabetes. Our body talks to us, listen.
When in the bathroom wipe from front to back; it helps eliminate e.coli bacteria from entering the urethra (don't forget its short, so it doesn't have much to travel)
Gently clean your vagina and anus daily, not every other day, every day! Hygiene is essential!
Don’t use products such as deodorants sprays, douches, or fragrant soaps in the genital area, though it may smell sweet for a whole half hour it can it irritate the urethra and the bladder.
Now, what to take! HMM! Drink cranberry juice or cranberry extract. Not the sweet, delicious cranberry juice you can find at almost any gas station or grocery, the one that tastes bitter without any sugar. Real cranberry juice is usually tart but loaded with benzoic acid. Benzoic Acid pushes hippuric acid which is responsible for bacterial growth and acidic urine (hippuric acid causes the stinging you feel when urinating). If you don't like the idea of drinking cranberry juice, Vitanica make a supplement call CranStat extra that we have right here in our website. Probiotics should be part of every women's daily vitamin and supplement regiment. They help the body maintain a balance and replenishes the normal flora found in humans, and it is proved to prevent overgrowth of harmful bacteria. Now for the herbs: Corn Silk: cornsilk for centuries is frequently used for bedwetting, bladder infections, inflammation of the prostate or urinary system, the only precaution that I am aware off is that it does work as a natural diuretic and can alter blood pressure or insulin levels Fennel and Celery seeds have similar properties: helps cleanse and support the bladder function, by flushing out unwanted toxins from the urinary system meaning bladder and urethra, causing you to urinate more. Some have used this for bladder infections and stones. Cinnamon according to a study published by Qin in the NIH, cinnamon can be attributed as an antibacterial, anti-fungal, and antimicrobial, never mind that it can be helpful diabetes too. Holy Basil, is rich in flavonoids and anthocyanin which means that it has a high anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial properties that may seem beneficial to eliminate the bacteria causing organisms in the urinary tract. Olive Leaf- is known for its ability to kill almost any type bacteria especially E. Coli, as explained before E.Coli is one of the leading culprits in causing UTI's.
So if this list of herbs sounds long, don't worry we here at PureLife Wellness center have you covered, we made a tonic called Urinary Support that contains all the herbs listed above. Now keep in mind all three products can be used in conjunction! Thank you for time, please let me know if you have more questions. See in our next segment it will be about optimizing Brain Function with natural remedies. Here are the links to the products mentioned in this article: Urinary Support References: Cystitis. (2015, March 18). Retrieved April 02, 2018, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cystitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20371306 National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Clearinghouse. (2011). Urinary tract infections in adults. Retrieved May 15, 2012, from http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/KUDiseases/pubs/utiadult/index.aspx Qin B1, Panickar KS, Anderson RA.; “Cinnamon: potential role in the prevention of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes,” J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2010 May 1, PMID: 20513336. 5 days ago#holy basil #fennel #olive leaf #herbs #hygeine #cleansing #bacteria #e.coli #urethra #kidney #diabetes #support #cranberry #cinnamon #infections #tract #urinary