Cystitis, or urinary tract infection, hits women more often than men. Women get it more often than you might think. Every year more than 20% of women experience the discomfort of cystitis at least once. This is about as often as the common cold.
Cystitis is almost always caused by fecal bacteria that migrate up the urethra and into the bladder. There they attach to the walls of the bladder, multiply, and cause severe pain with urination, as well as a constant urge to urinate. There are sometimes other symptoms as well such as cloudy or bloody urine, or lower abdominal pain.
STANDARD PRACTICE
Doctors typically prescribe antibiotics. However, side effects may include hives, rash, faintness, nausea, diarrhea, even difficulty breathing. Antibiotics can be wonderful, there's always a price to be paid. Why not prevent problems in the first place?
HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES
To prevent cystitis you may want to try the following:
·Drink lots of water eight (8-oz) glasses or more per day. Flush out those bugs.
·Try to urinate as soon as possible after sexual activity.
Drink eight ounces of cranberry juice a few hours before and after sexual intercourse or any other activity that manipulates or puts pressure in the pelvic area, such as riding a bicycle. Cranberry juice helps stop the bacteria from establishing themselves in the bladder.
At the first hint of burning urination, drink eight ounces of cranberry juice (unsweetened), and repeat in three to four hours. Ecological Formulas has developed a pleasant tasting, chewable tablet called Cran-Uti, which contains the essential ingredients of cranberry juice. It is available through Healthy By Nature.
 
 
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