Cystitis: Treatments and Natural Remedies

• Tweet
• Pin It

Cystitis, or bladder infection, is the most common type of urinary-tract infection (UTI) and especially common in women: in fact,

up to half of the women get it at some point in their lives – sometimes repeatedly. The treatment you would normally be offered by your GP is a course of antibiotics.

However it is thought that cystitis can also be related to an imbalance in ‘friendly’ microorganisms in the gut and genital area, which antibiotics themselves can cause, and if you already have an imbalance, they will certainly make it worse.

Drug-Free Approach:

If you think that antibiotics may be making your cystitis worse in the long run, you are getting repeated attacks or you just prefer a drug-free approach, try cranberry extract. Cranberry extract has been found to contain substances called proanthocyanidins.

These extracts help stop the E. coli bacteria which causes cystitis, from sticking to the bladder walls. The recommended dose is 200-400 mg dried extract daily. Dried extract is more effective than cranberry juice, which also usually contains sugar and artificial sweeteners. Instant comfort for acute cystitis

Drink plenty of plain water (at least 2 liter a day) to dilute your urine so it stings less and creates extra volume to help flush out the infection. Keep a jug of cool water by the loo and pour it over your vulva when peeing. This takes much of the sting away.

Holding back very small amounts of urine in the bladder encourages cystitis in both sexes – if, for instance, you are doing kegel exercises on the loo to increase pelvic-muscle strength and thus the intensity of orgasm when lovemaking – make sure you completely empty your bladder afterwards.

This is because those lst few milliliters of urine provide the ideal breeding ground for any bladder bacteria to multiply faster than photons in a fast breeder reactor.

Sit It Out:

When the burning of cystitis is really bad and you need immediate relief, sit in warm (not hot), shallow bath into which you have poured a liter of really strong chamomile tea – make with four tablespoons of chamomile steeped for 15-20 minutes. A herbal sachet brand will do.

Lie in the bath, knees apart, for a good 20 minutes: you may take in a book or magazine to pass the time. Chamomile baths are also helpful for thrush discomfort. Warning If your cystitis attack has lasted more than 48 hours without improvement, if there is any blood in your urine or you are miserably uncomfortable, see your GP right away to avoid the risk of kidney damage.

Related Posts

• 

  How To Prevent Bladder Infections
  How To Prevent Bladder Infections