So you're going about your day, not a care in the world...well perhaps a few worries, let's face it, we are living in a volatile world. You've been feeling fine, maybe you had too much to drink last night or a few too many sugary treats these days, you go to the loo and you feel an unfamiliar slight burning sensation straight after. Now I say unfamiliar because if you've never experienced the wrath of a UTI aka Urinary Tract Infection aka Bladder Infection, you probably will carry on with your day and not take much note of it. On the other hand, if you are one of the millions of unfortunate women that have, this little annoying stinging twinge down under is one of the very first signs that a UTI is probably on its way and it's going to unleash an almighty amount of discomfort within an hour or less if you don't take ACTION straight away!
Step 1 - IDENTIFY
An understanding of what a UTI actually is, where they come from, and what stops them is the key to healing yourself. Basically, it's an infection in any part of the urinary system, the kidneys, bladder, or urethra. Urinary tract infections mostly occur in women, purely because we were literally given the "short straw". They usually occur in the bladder or urethra, but more serious infections involve the kidneys. That's why knowing these symptoms can prevent an unnecessary trip to the hospital. The infection begins when bacteria from the genital area get into the urinary system via the urethra and begin to multiply. This is very common during sexual intercourse, wiping from the back to the front, using catheters, pregnancy, elderly, or a compromised immune system. If possible, using UTI Test Strips is the best and quickest way to tell if you have an infection. Symptoms to look out for are... Increased urge to urinate - the feeling that you have not emptied your bladder
- pain, discomfort, or burning when urinating
- strong smelling and cloudy urine
- irritable, tired, and achy
- depression
More serious symptoms are... (and should be consulted by a Doctor)
- Fever and chills
- confusion
- pain in the back and sides
- nausea and vomiting
Once you are familiar with these symptoms you are ready to take the next step...
Step 2 - ACT
Relieving the pain will probably be your number one priority now that you've identified what's wrong with you. Take a couple of anti-inflammatory pain meds morning and night (I don’t like to promote chemical medications, but I’m not totally against them. This is a temporary fix while you try and get your hands on some
D-mannose), and in the meantime drink herbal caffeine-free tea such as
Buchu, Camomile, parsley, mint, and hibiscus to name a few and if you don't have any just simply drink boiled water. This will soothe and flush your system. F
or comfort, place a hot water bottle on your tummy, and stay away from alcohol, sugar, and caffeine, as they'll just irritate your bladder even more, take a probiotic, as this strengthens your immune system, by replacing the good bacteria that was killed by the antibiotics, and try to fast in the mornings for at least 6 hours after you wake, this will help weaken the baddies. And of course, take 1000mg of D-mannose 3 times a day, and continue this until your symptoms vanish. Congratulations! You are now ready for the next step...Step 3 - HEAL
If you don't heal yourself properly from a UTI, there is a likely possibility that you will have a recurrence, especially if you have been prescribed antibiotics. The reason for this is that the harmful bacteria causing the infection have not been eliminated from your body, it is merely quietly laying dormant in your cell walls waiting for the right environment to make their next move. Antibiotics kill good and bad bacteria, this is why it's so harmful to our systems, and unfortunately, that leaves our bodies with very little defense. So the harmful bacteria that did not die from the antibiotics have hidden away in your cell walls and will come out when your system becomes unbalanced again, for example, too much alcohol, sugar, and caffeine irritates the bladder causing inflammation and acid and this draws the bacteria back out. This is what is called a recurring UTI and when antibiotics are prescribed over and over again the bacteria become resistant to them and the Dr will probably prescribe a different one.
D-mannose helps to avoid these antibiotics and allows your body time to heal.
Step 4 - PROTECT & PREVENT
From my journey with recurrent UTIs, and a ton of research, I noticed that I was able to stop taking antibiotics and replace them with
D-mannose.
My health started to gain strength and the UTI symptoms were showing up less. However because my bladder still felt super sensitive, I became more aware of the changes that certain drinks and foods would have on my urinary tract environment. This led to a process of elimination that I now implement in my daily life.- Drinking water on hand. We've all heard how important it is to drink water, and being UTI-susceptible makes this your number one priority. Keeps the bladder in an alkaline state, flushes out any dodgies, and hydrates your organs. Stainless Steel Insulated Bottle for Hot and Cold water.
- Take 1000mg of D-mannose twice a day. (After being on antibiotics you will need to take D-mannose regularly when you know you are doing something like having sex, drinking caffeine or alcohol, or eating things that may cause irritation to your system, this will reduce to just once a day when you are completely healed.)
- Probiotics. You will need to take a good probiotic, usually one that focuses on female urinary tract bacteria, such as Lactobacillus species, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Lactobacillus reuteri. These will help fight off any baddies and strengthen your immune system.
- Vitamin C 1000mg. Another vitamin is known to strengthen the immune system and also helps to absorb other vitamins and nutrients.
- Vitamin D3 with K2. One of the side effects of UTIs is depression, and this little guy can pack a big punch in helping ease this symptom, at the same time giving you a nice dose of Sunshine D.
- Give up caffeine. Caffeine is highly acidic and is extremely irritating to the bladder and nervous system. Not everyone here will agree or want to do this. You can get a more beneficial caffeine fix from Guarana.
- Intermittent fasting. A tool that resets the system, heals and eliminates defective cells. Intermittent Fasting: The Free Health Tool That Everybody Can Use.
- Herbal Tea. This underrated drink soothes and heals from the inside out.
- Drinking hot water to soothe and hydrate your organs. Stainless Steel Insulated Bottle
- Take Notes. List the foods and drinks that irritate your system and eliminate them.
I found doing these things every day has kept my UTIs away for years now and it didn't take long either, I noticed huge benefits within the first month! I felt my bladder getting stronger, feeling less sensitive, I was not using the loo as much, and even once my infections were under control, I noticed that I was still urinating more than most women. It was only until the inflammation had healed that I started to use the loo less. (This took about 3 months) Sex became more pleasurable and that fear of contracting a UTI began to dissipate and my confidence and joy for life started to come back to me.
This was when I realized I had in fact healed myself. To this day I continue to follow this program and have been UTI-free for over 5 years now.
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