Urinary Tract Infections In Women Can Be Helped

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are very common in women and if they become frequent or chronic, they can be dangerous.

If you have frequent UTIs you need to have a mid-stream specimen of your urine tested for microscopy and culture every 3 to 4 months until you have this problem under control. You want to make sure that these pesky and sometimes dangerous bacteria are not hanging around in your bladder because they can climb higher into the kidneys and cause organ damage as well as damage your immune system.

In most cases of recurrent UTIs a cause cannot be found but they are more common during menopause or if you are run down or very sexually active. Hidden kidney stones, pelvic floor prolapse or early diabetes can also be a cause.

Sometimes an infection is not the cause. Once the lining of the urinary system is inflamed, opportunistic bacteria can flourish and a urine test may or may not be positive for bacteria. This is referred to as interstitial cystitis and can become chronic. Antibiotics may provide a little temporary relief, but they don’t address the cause of the problem. Interstitial cystitis is inflammatory in nature and related to poor gut health. The treatment usually involves simplifying the diet by removing potentially inflammatory and allergic foods. BactoClear capsules are very helpful for correcting gut bug problems like Candida, dysbiosis and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, which are common drivers of interstitial cystitis.

Treatments

It is important to learn how to completely empty your bladder and pelvic exercises can work wonders the KEGEL EXERCISER WITH APP- PERIFIT is excellent.

For acute infections a course of antibiotic drugs is needed and a follow up test of the urine must be done to ensure the infection is eradicated. Unfortunately, quite a few bacteria have become resistant to antibiotic drugs.

Continuous low dose antibiotics (e.g. trimethoprim, cefalexin, nitrofurantoin at night) to prevent UTIs does reduce their frequency, however once stopped there is no benefit. Some women only need to take an antibiotic drug after sex for one or two doses and this is less likely to breed antibiotic resistant bacteria in the urinary tract.

Menopause causes loss of the hormone estrogen resulting in less beneficial vaginal lactobacilli and higher vaginal pH (less acidity) and this causes UTIs. Vaginal estrogen creams and pessaries overcome this problem.

Some women find that the urinary antiseptic called Methenamine is a useful preventative.

I advise a diet low in sugar and processed foods and high in vegetables and protein. Fermented vegetables can promote a healthy gut flora to reduce UTIs.

Useful preventative supplements include selenium, vitamin C and vitamin A. The Liver Doctor brand of “D-Mannose and Cranberry capsules” is a good preventative in a dose of 2 to 4 capsules daily and is safe and natural. D-Mannose and Cranberry prevent the unhealthy bacteria adhering to the inner lining of the bladder and urethra.