Urinary Tract Infections (UTI's)
Natural Ways to Overcome UTI's
Urinary tract
infections (UTI) are a common and uncomfortable condition that affects some 50
percent of all women and girls (and a lesser number of men and boys) over the
course of a lifetime. UTIs account for 10 million doctor visits annually. Some
people appear to be more susceptible than others. For example, women who
experience one UTI are more likely to have recurrences from time to time.
Urinary tract infections can range from annoying to life-threatening. When
confined to the bladder, most UTI's are merely uncomfortable but can sometimes
be downright painful. If bacteria ascends to the kidneys, serious kidney damage
and even kidney failure can result.
Urinary Tract Terminology
When an infection
involves only the urethra, the condition is called "urethritis." When the
bladder is involved, the condition is called "cystitis." When the infection back
all the way up to the kidneys, it is called “nephritis” or "pyelonephritis."
Causes of UTI's
Ninety percent
(90%) of all UTI's are caused by E. coli bacteria. E. coli is the most common
"friendly" bacteria in the colon (large intestine). As long as it stays in the
gut, things are fine. When e.coli bacteria make their way into the urinary
tract, they can cause an infection. The remaining 10% of UTI's are caused by
other types of microbes including Chlamydia, Mycoplasma, Neisseria gonorrhoreae,
and others. These type of "bugs" are typically spread by sexual contact and can
cause the more serious types of infection.
Most bacteria
that find a way into the urinary tract (as can occur during sexual intercourse)
are simply washed out with the urine. E. coli can "grab" onto cells that line
the urinary track by binding to a sugar-like molecule found on normal urinary
tract cells.
Conventional
Medical Treatment of UTI's
Conventional medicine uses antibiotics to treat UTI's, period. Antibiotics can
be highly effective at knocking down a UTI, but there are numerous drawbacks.
Antibiotics
not only kill bacteria in the urinary tract, but they can kill a lot of
"friendly bacteria" in the gut as well. Destruction of protective GI bacteria
can lead to yeast infections or worse, can allow "unfriendly" strains of
bacteria to colonize the gut.
Disturbing the normal gut flora often leads to a secondary vaginal yeast
infection. Many women who take antibiotics for UTI simply come to expect that
they will have a vaginal yeast infection (requiring a second medication of an
anti-fungal) for treatment.
Bacteria can
become resistant to antibiotics. Not only can the antibiotic stop working (or
become less effective) for treating the UTI, but antibiotics can become less
effective for treating infections elsewhere in the body. Remember, overuse of
antibiotics is the most common cause of "Super Bugs"--- bacteria that do not
respond to any known antibiotic.
Antibiotics
can sometimes cause life-threatening allergic reactions. Other reactions to
antibiotics include diarrhea or constipation, nausea, and sometimes vomiting. An
estimated 25% of people who receive an antibiotic will develop a secondary gut
infection of an organism called C. difficile.
Alternative Treatments for UTI
Most cases
of UTI can be successfully treated without antibiotics. Because of the many
drawbacks of antibiotics, I always prefer to try natural options first. Results
are usually seen within 24 hours, so it is easy to tell if the natural treatment
is working.
D-mannose is a sugar molecule and close
cousin of glucose. Many alternative physicians have found that it can cure 90
percent of all UTIs within 1 to 2 days. Because D-mannose works by preventing
bacteria from sticking to the lining of the urinary tract and not by direct
antibiotic action, it does not have any of the potential for negative
side-effects like antibiotics so.
D-mannose tastes good (because it is related to the sugar molecule, although it
does not raise blood sugar levels). It is so safe that it can be used by
pregnant women and young children. It is also one of the few "medicines" that
children actually enjoy taking!
Although D-mannose is virtually unknown to conventional medical doctors, many
research reports have proven its mode of action and effectiveness against E.
coli, the microorganism that causes 90% of all UTIs. Moreover, nearly 15 years
of clinical experience has also shown that it is just almost as effective at
curing UTIs as antibiotic drugs but without any of the negative side-effects.
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