Bladder Infections- Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

Bladder Infections are also referred to as Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs).

Oh the pain! There are bladder infection home remedies, but if this is your first bladder infection, see a doctor! They will test your urine and tell you if its an infection or irritation. Anyone can get a Bladder Infection. You usually don’t suspect anything until it burns or hurts to pee. Most of the time they are just annoying, but left untreated can be unbearable and lead to more serious infections, including a kidney infection. So if you suspect one is coming on treat it immediately! Even waiting till the end of the day can cause more severe symptoms.

Bladder Infections (UTIs)

If you’ve ever had one, you know you never want a repeat. So here are a few facts: You have 2 kidneys that clean your blood and make pee. Each kidney has a thin tube called ureters that carry pee down to your bladder. The bladder holds your pee until its time to use the bathroom, where it flows from the bladder through your urethra out of your body.

When you have an infection if usually means bacteria (most likely E. coli) has gotten into your urethra and traveled up to your bladder causing it to swell and get irritated called cystitis. Not an uncommon occurrence, since these bacteria live on your skin and in your intestines. Women tend to get them more often than men, because our urethra is shorter, and we have a vagina and anus parked right next door.

Symptoms

Causes

The main causes of a bladder infection can be:

• E.coli bacteria(naturally occurring on your skin and intestines) but if it gets in your urethra can cause a bladder infection.
• Using tampons, diaphragms
• Sex- wash your hands & brush your teeth before sex!
• Vaginal Infections (BV) or Yeast- sometimes a bladder infection if actually fungal based.
• Wiping forward instead of back when using the bathroom
• Dehydration
• Low estrogen (like after menopause)- the lining of your urethra gets thinner and more susceptible to bacterial infections
• Drinking contaminated water (i.e. traveling, lakes, well water etc.)
• Basically anything that lets bacteria into your urethra
• Pregnancy – Because the baby can press on your bladder. The bladder is then prevented from emptying completely,  giving bacteria a place to thrive.
• For men – usually a blockage (bladder stone or enlarged prostate) or a prostate infection. If it prevents the bladder from emptying completely.

Standard Treatment

Your doctor will typically treat your Bladder Infection (UTI) with a course of antibiotics. First you will pee into a little cup, then your Doctor will conduct a urinalysis to check for bacteria, blood, or pus & sometimes do a urine culture to find out which bacteria caused the infection. If you require antibiotics, follow your treatment plan all the way through. Bladder infections can recur if you don’t compete your treatment. The following antibiotics are the most common, and treatment time is usually 7 days.

• Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra, others)
• Fosfomycin (Monurol)
• Nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin, Macrobid)
• Cephalexin (Keflex)
• Ceftriaxone.

Note: in many cases with early detection you can stop a bladder infection without antibiotics. However, use common sense. If its not abating within 24 hrs or you have any of the following symptoms in addition to the burning pee, see your doctor immediately.

• Vomiting
• Fever
• Chills
• Bloody urine
• Belly or back pain
• Discharge from your vagina or penis – this is a sign of a sexually transmitted disease (STD), pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), or other serious infections

Prevention

All of the preventions listed below can be done in combination with antibiotics or to mitigate the need. Many people have developed antibiotic resistance from using antibiotics for chronic bladder infections. There are many studies that promote alternative treatments as just as effective.

• Drink Plenty of Water- I know it hurts to pee but you need to stay hydrated.
• Drink Unsweetened Cranberry Juice / Cranberry Supplements– helps the bacteria to flush from the lining of your bladder
• Avoid Sugary Drinks
• After an evening of alcoholic beverages drink a big glass of water and take a cranberry tablet before bed
• Drink Teas formulated for Bladder Infections (UTIs)
• Probiotics – Renew Life® Probiotics Ultimate Flora® Women’s Daily Care™ Probiotic, Helps maintain healthy vaginal pH, yeast, urinary tract and feminine health, 25 Billion Active Cultures, 30 Vegetarian capsules
• Hygiene– wipe from front to back, wash hands before using tampons or menstruation cups
• Avoid Holding in Urine
• Urinating Before & After Sex
• Keeping the Genitals Clean- washing off ”toilet paper shrapnel”

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Alternative Treatments

THE FOLLOWING METHODS CAN BE COMBINED! If antibiotics tend to send you down the spiral of Yeast or BV infections, or if you just want to nip it in the bud. Like with anything health related treatment, some methods work better than others in individual circumstances.

Test for UTIs at Home:

AZO Urinary Tract Infection –(UTI) Test Strips, Accurate Results in 2 Minutes, Clinically Tested, Easy to Read Results, Clean Grip Handle, #1 Most Trusted Brand, 3 Count

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) Method

2 Tablespoons of Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar in a glass of unsweetened cranberry juice. This will be a mouth puckering experience. It is very tart. I recommend adding water and chugging every 2 hours. Apple Cider Vinegar is known to be effective against E. coli, and cranberry helps keep the bacteria from forming on the lining of your bladder.

Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar 🍎

Baking Soda Method (Biocarbonate Soda)

1 tsp in water, mix and drink immediately. Baking soda can neutralize the acid of your urine, which can reduce the symptoms of a UTI and allows the body to fight the bacteria causing the infection. Drink a glass following every trip to the bathroom to pee. This remedy also claims it can stop the infection from spreading to the kidneys. It does however help with the pain and urgency to pee. I would do this in combination with other methods.

Colloidal Silver Method

Study on the use of Collodial Silver for Infections including Bladder Infections: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7023241/# Use of Silver in the Prevention and Treatment of Infections: Silver Review Amani D Politano, Kristen T. Campbell, Laura H. Rosenberger & Robert G. Sawyer

Drink 1 tablespoon of Colloidal Silver, every hour with a glass of pure water, up until bed time. Repeat the next day -every two hours. On the third day -everytime you pee,drink a glass of water with 1 tablespoon of Colloidal silver… Continue for 3 more days.

Along with this protocol take a cranberry tablet or a tea for UTIs -once in the morning and before bed. Cranberry helps stop the bacteria from adhereing to the walls of your urethra, which helps eliminate the bacteria much more effectively.This alternative treatment can many times eliminate the need for antibiotics entirely.  Colloidal Silver has been used for over 100 years to treat bacterial infections and was used by the medical profession before antibiotics became the treatment of choice. Colloidal silver works by smothering bacteria. 

Supplement Method

combine with

Tea Method

Tincture Method

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