Millions of women and men suffer from urinary tract infections every year. Symptoms of UTI are usually straightforward and easy to recognize:
- Frequent urge to urinate
- Pain and/or burning sensation during urination
- Milky, cloudy or even reddish urine
- Feeling of fatigue, “under the weather”, shakiness
- Pressure over the pubic bone, back pains or feeling of fullness in the rectum
- Confusion and agitation (most often seen in elderly patients)
Women are at higher risk to get UTI than men. A kidney stone, enlarged prostate and/or diabetes increase your risk.
Millions of women and men suffer from urinary tract infections every year. Symptoms of UTI are usually straightforward and easy to recognize.
What can you eat to help your body resist UTI?
Hydration, Hydration, Hydration!! If you have recurrent UTI’s you need to flush your bladder and urinary tract frequently. It is recommended to drink 48-64 ounces of water (fluids) per day. You should go to the bathroom every 2-3 hours while awake.
Bacteria do not like acidity. Oranges, lemons, grapefruit and other citrus fruit are bursting with Vitamin C. Eaten regularly citrus fruit will raise the level of acidity in the urine. Parsley, just like citrus fruit, is a great source of Vitamin C. It also works as a diuretic, which means it makes you urinate more. Going to the bathroom will flush out bacteria before they can set up shop in your urinary tract.
Cranberry juice has become a well-known remedy and preventative for bladder infections, even in the western medical world. Cranberries are full of flavonoids, which prevent bacteria from clinging to the walls of your urinary tract. Without their footholds, the bacteria get washed away before an infection starts. Blueberries are full of flavonoids as well.
One to two cups of cranberry juice a day could be all it takes to keep your urinary tract healthy. It is important to buy cranberry juice without sugar additives!
Traditional Chinese Medicine and Urinary Tract Infection
is amazing in helping to clear up urinary tract infections. Herbs are very effective in easing the discomforts of UTI and clearing the infection fast. A huge advantage of herbal treatment is, that you will not suffer from any side effects, which you might experience when you take antibiotics. The only disadvantage is the bitter taste of the herbs. At Avicenna Acupuncture Clinic we will be able to capsulate your custom formula soon.
Honeymoon cystitis
is a condition, which exhibits similar symptoms as UTI, but urine analysis will not show infectious disease. It can be very painful and often times occur in younger women during the honeymoon or the intense phase of falling in love and having sex frequently. Traditional Chinese Medicine can treat honeymoon cystitis successfully. In western medicine there is no treatment for this relatively common condition yet.
Decreased Bladder Control
Many women experience decreased bladder control after childbirth or in the later years of life, particularly post menopausal. A leaky bladder creates a constantly moist environment in the vaginal area. This wetness creates cold and cold can exacerbate the tendency to contract urinary tract infection frequently. Chronic UTI is very hard to treat with antibiotics and some women end up having latent bladder infections for the rest of their lives (or they take antibiotics for the rest of their lives).Acupuncture has proven extremely helpful in decreasing leaky bladder and combined with Kegel exercises can be an effective treatment approach.
Performing Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercises are easy to do and can be done anywhere without anyone knowing.
- First, as you are sitting or lying down, try to contract the muscles you would use to stop urinating. You should feel your pelvic muscles squeezing your urethraand anus. If your stomach or buttocks muscles tighten, you are not exercising the right muscles.
- When you’ve found the right way to contract the pelvic muscles, squeeze for 5 seconds and then relax for 5 seconds.
- Repeat this exercise 10 to 15 times per session. Try to do this at least 3 times a day. Kegel exercises are only effective when done regularly. The more you exercise, the more likely it is that the exercises will help.
If you have questions about UTI, honeymoon cystitis or how to treat leaky bladder please feel free to contact us for a free 15-Minute consultation.