Years ago I attended a "hydrotherapy" class during a wellness weekend at our church. I was surprised to find that hydrotherapy means nothing more mysterious than "treatment with water"! What is amazing though, is that simple everyday-taken-for-granted H2O is so powerful!
For example, water hydrates like no other fluid... that means that water will restore important body fluids and chemical balance and will plump up the old prune, if you know what I mean. Dr. Agatha Thrash, natural healer at the Seventh-day Adventist Uchee Pines Centre, advises that when you feel a urinary tract infection coming on, then you begin to increase your water intake. Don't overdo it, though, because the Hygiene school folks believe that too much water can get in the way of the body using energy for healing to deal with an excess of water... just listen to your body and drink sips when you are thirsty. Quite often we drink other fluids instead: coffee, soda, beer, packaged juices. Take a break from those particular fluids and just drink "pure" (filtered) water... no calories, no chemical additives, no nutrients that must be digested.
I came across this little item in a larger article about the necessity for drinking more fluids and not becoming dehydrated:
Cystitis, Urinary Infections:Start drinking more pure water if you are subject to urinary tract infections!
If toxins contained in urine are insufficiently diluted, they attack the urinary mucous membranes.
Along with drinking water another form of hydrotherapy for UTIs includes alternating between a hot and cold "sitz" bath. The idea is that during infections our circulation in the affected organs is congested, or slowed down. Cleanse your uro-genital area from front to back and then run hot water in a tub (just a few inches-- enough to immerse your nether parts when sitting carefully in the tub). In another basin put very cold water. Arrange the basin so that you can (1)Soak in the hot water for 3-5 minutes and then (2)Sit in the cold water for 30 seconds. Repeat this process 3 times (ending with the cold water). Do this two times a day during a urinary tract infection until the infection clears.
It's a good idea to look for simpler, more natural ways of dealing with urinary tract infections. Along with this simple and natural "water cleanse" you might benefit from doing as many of the following as possible:
(1) Eat as many fresh, organic fruits and vegetables as you can afford (some great recipes on the web if you are not a veggie fan)
(2) Take some walks and/or get some other gentle exercise (if you are not used to exercising)
(3) Try taking a break from drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, consuming dairy (milk, ice cream, cheese, etc.), and animal foods (meat, fish, chicken, dairy, eggs)
(4) Practice good hygiene
(5) Avoid sexual contact or use a condom (avoidance during a UTI makes sense)
(6) Shower, don't bathe, and don't use soap on your lower regions-- soaps can contain all manner of allergens and chemicals that cause disturbances to the mucus membranes and urinary tract/ anus, rectum, etc. Wash with water alone, or with a mild solution of water and apple cider vinegar.
(7) Take a break from sugars and fatty foods
(8) Take a bottle of clean, filtered water with you wherever you go and sip throughout the day
(9) Look for ways to lower stress in your life. Tapping (known sometimes as EFT) can help. It is easy to learn. Click image below:
