Women are more at risk to urinary tract infections than men because of the proximity of their genitals to the anus. Urinary tract infection or UTI is often the result of E. Coli infection in the bladder. Western Medicine’s treatment for a full-blown UTI infection is through antibiotics.
Doctor’s Treatment for UTI
Your doctor will first review your medical history and perform a physical examination on you. He/she will also observe you for symptoms such as blood in the urine (hematuria), pain above the pubic bone, burning pain when urinating (dysuria), or frequent desire to urinate. Your doctor will recommend a diagnostic test of your urine to determine infection and a urine culture to confirm the urinary tract infection and the bacteria causing it. Usually antibiotics like Macrodantin are prescribed for three-days for treatment of this disease.
Self-Help Treatment
If you suffer from UTI, you can combine antibiotics with a pain reliever like Uristat to relieve the discomfort and pain related to your infection. After sex, you need to urinate so bacteria can be cleared from the urinary tract. After swimming, immediately remove your swimming wear to loose-fitting and dry clothes to prevent transmission of the infection.
Diet Modifications
Since E. Coli thrives in an acidic environment it is best to avoid the consumption of alcohol, caffeine and sugar. These substances can worsen your symptoms and enhance acidity to the urinary system, which make you at high risk for E. coli infection.
Recovering from a UTI infection
Avoid caffeine and alcohol while you are recuperating from an infection. Instead of these substances, drink 2 oz. of unsweetened cranberry juice mixed in water (6 oz.) taken two times a day to help quicken recovery. Cranberries contain hippuric acid which prevents bacteria from attaching itself to the wall of the bladder. Fiber (25 gm) taken daily can coat the bladder and protect it from any infection.
You can also eat plain yogurt that is not sweetened along with your antibiotics and after antibiotic therapy for a minimum of 2 months in order to replenish the good bacteria in your system. To neutralize the acidity in your body drink lime or lemon with water each day.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Treatment for UTI
Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine teachings, UTIs are often the result of damp-heat manifested by inflammation and abundance of mucus in the body, along with bacteria in the urinary passageway.
To treat UTI, the practitioner needs to remove damp heat from the body. The most common procedure used to clear damp heat is acupuncture. Acupuncture needles are inserted into points such as the Spleen 9 and Liver 8. The former is located under the knee on the inner calf while the latter, above the knee on the inner leg. Chinese massage (tui na) on the lower back can also be done to enhance blood circulation in the pelvic region.
TCM Self-Help Treatment
The herbal formula Ba Sheng San can help kill the bacteria as it has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Take this formula at the very first sign of symptoms. For painful heat in the body, a formula known as Long Dan Hsie Gan Tang (Gentiana Combination) can be used along with antibiotics. This formula is to be taken in its pill form as tinctures often contain alcohol which can aggravate your condition.
Synoma Wellness Centre
2150 Alt. 19, Suite B
Palm Harbor, FL 34683
Phone: (727) 785-5950
www.palmharboracupuncture.com