Gentle Care for Urinary Tract Infections

“Mom, my stomach is killing me and I feel like I need to pee all-the-time! I think I have a urinary tract infection… ”

Judging by the pained expression on my daughter’s face I suspected she was right and drove her to our urgent care clinic.

The attending physician confirmed her suspicions and gave her an antibiotic along with instructions to take some over the counter pain killers if needed, drink plenty of water and get lots of rest.

A few days later my daughter felt like her old self again and we were both grateful she had acted so promptly.

Urinary Tract Infections (UTI’s) are fairly common and one in three women will experience their first UTI by age 25.  And while half of us will experience at least one infection in our lifetime, our risk increases as we near menopause.  More than half of women over 55 will experience recurring UTI’s or at least three UTIs in a 12 month period.  (I’ll explore this further in an upcoming post.)

A  UTI is generally recognized as an infection in the lower urinary tract – the ureters and urethra -and though generally nothing to worry about, if left untreated it can spread to the bladder or kidneys and lead to extremely serious consequences. It is important to seek medical care as soon as you suspect a UTI. The infection is caused by bacteria and will most likely require the use of an antibiotic for treatment.

The signs and symptoms of a UTI are varied and unique for every woman and may include the following:

• Painful urination
• Burning sensation of itching during urination
• Frequent urge to urinate though little or nothing comes out
• Cloudy, dark or bloody urine
• Foul or strange smelling urine
• Severe discomfort and / or cramps in the lower back and abdomen area
• Fever and chills
• Overall feeling of “yuckiness”

Although men may also suffer from urinary tract and bladder infections, they are far more common among women. This is largely due to our sexual anatomy:

• The close proximity of the vaginal and rectal areas makes the transfer of bacteria from stool to the vagina quite easy.
• Our urethra is shorter, which may make it easier for unwanted bacteria to find it’s way to the bladder.

As you know I  am a firm believer in preventative care and there are few things you can do to lessen your chances of ever suffering a UTI

Drink plenty of water

Proper hydration (drinking half of your body weight in once every day) keeps body functions running smoothly and assist in eliminating toxins. Healthy, plump cells are also far more resistant to bacteria. Dehydration on the other hand results in infrequent urination which in turn creates a welcoming environment for bacteria.

Add a little Lemon Essential Oil

If you enjoy a slice of fresh lemon in your water consider adding a drop or two of lemon essential oil instead. Lemon essential oil is more potent than the juice and will not only make your water  more pleasant to drink but will also help in purifying your blood. (IMPORTANT: only use a therapeutic grade essential oil as other grades may contain harmful additives)  I personally add a drop of lemon essential oil and a drop of lavender essential for a deliciously refreshing and healthy drink.

Take a Probiotic Daily

A healthy gut leads to increased health overall and maintaining the good and bad bacteria in proper balance is essential. A daily probiotic is the easiest way to achieve this harmonious state 🙂

Always wipe from front to back

Yes, mom’s advice still holds true! Even if you are simply urinating, always wipe from front to back to avoid transferring bacteria from your rectum to your vagina.

Wear cotton underwear

There really is not fabric healthier than cotton when it comes to our undies and it’s a good thing we can easily find plenty of feminine and “grown up” styles to choose from these days. Cotton allows our tender genital area to breathe in a way that no other fabric can, period.

Pee when you need to

Holding it is not a good idea ladies, and can in fact be extremely dangerous! Urine that is not excreted can push back against the valves that keep it in your bladder leading to unpleasant complication including a weakening of the walls of your bladder. This in turn can cause you to loose your ability to empty your bladder completely when you pee.

Avoid taking too many antibiotics

Far too many people take far too many antibiotics and as a result weaken their immune systam.  Antibiotics kill off good bacteria needed to keep our bodies strong and healthy and kill off the bad bacteria that makes us sick.  I avoid antibiotics unless I absolutely need them and take the same approach with my girls. Overuse of antibiotics leads to resistance and all sorts of complication.

Urinary tract infections can be extremely painful and though you need to get to your health care practitioner right away you can find fast and effective, temporary relief with Uristat®.  From the makers MONISTAT®, URISTAT® Pain Relief Tablets provide fast temporary relief of pain and burning, as well as urgency and frequency of urination caused by the infection.

URISTAT® Pain Relief Tablets contain phenazopyridine HCI, which is the #1 doctor recommended over the counter ingredient for fast, temporary relief of UTI pain. The tablets can be taken as soon as you experience discomfort as well as during your treatment with antibiotics.

Since your chances of getting a UTI are just about 50/500, you may want to keep a box of Uristat in your home medicine cabinet.  You can find it at your local pharmacy.  You can download a $1 coupon for the purchase of  URISTAT® here

Viisit www.uristat.com for more information about their products and to leanr more about urinary tract infections.

Have you ever suffered from a UTI?  What are some of the measures you take to  avoid or care for urinary tract infections?

I have received free product and promotional consideration from the makers of URISTAT® to facilitate this  posts. The opinions presented in this post are all mine.