Recurring Urinary Infections and Cancer

So, you have been getting UTIs (Urinary Tract Infections) quite a bit over the past while?  You know the common symptoms, right? 

• that awful burning feeling when you pee, with the added feeling of "peeing through a straw"
• lower abdominal pain just above your public bone, in your bladder
• an urgent feeling of having to pee frequently
• ache-y lower back 
• your pee is cloudy and/or unusually stinky and/or has tinges of blood in it
• you might feel feverish or just wiped out and generally unwell, nauseated or have chills (these are very serious and could indicate something like a kidney infection-- don't delay, call your health professional)

You have gone to your doctor and been prescribed antibiotics numerous times.  It seems like you just get over an infection and BAM! you start getting those crappy feelings all over again...

Your doctor has checked your urine, and now might do some other tests to see what is causing your bacterial infection, or what is blocking your urethra or other parts of your urinary tract.  If you are a man, particularly, you might have a sort of loop-y thing going on where your urine backs up because of the blockage.  In these cases you will likely be sent for one or more of the following:

• Blood Tests
• Various "scans" such as XRay, MRI, CT or ultrasound (all ways to see inside your urinary tract)  Medical digital thermography might be used in some places, such as Britain, as a less invasive way to check the urinary tract for infection.
• You might be booked for a day surgery procedure known as "cystoscopy" where a long very thin scope is inserted into your urethra to get a picture of what your urinary tract is like.

PREGNANCY CAUTION: Always consult a health professional if you have symptoms (above) of a urinary infection. 

Urinary Tract Infections that recur over time can indicate the possibility of  Bladder Cancer.  Bladder Cancer symptoms might include something as painless as blood in the urine to chronic recurrence of painful UTI symptoms (above).  Bladder Cancer is curable.  Get checked out.  Listen to the options for treatment. Traditional treatment might include chemo, radiation and/or surgery.  Here are some very important questions you can ask your onocologist:

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Just What the Doctor Ordered To Build Your Urinary Tract Health!

Image courtesy of Karen Barefoot

Dr. Joe Mercola has the largest health site on the internet.  He has information on a variety of topics, some fairly conservative and 'traditional' in appearance, some a little more radical, and some that is off the the radar screen altogether.  His advice for building a health urinary system is pretty-much acceptable by anyone, scientific-minded or more into alternative, herbal medicine.  As always, some of his suggestions are a little surprising (as in, "why didn't I think of that?").  Here they are, with more in the video that follows:

1. Drinking lots of pure water everyday helps you to flush your system and dilute any possible concentration of irritants.
2. Don't resist the signal to urinate.  Go when your body is telling you you need to.
3. Women (and girls of course) need to wipe from front to back, and use only unscented, unbleached toilet tissue.  Many women have issues with chemicals in toilet paper and cosmetics.
4. Showers are more conducive to good urinary health than are baths.
5. Cleanse the genital area before and after sexual activity-- the best idea is to use a bidet (and NOW you can inexpensively install a bidet right in your own home bathroom)
6. Don't bother using douches, powders and 'feminine' deodorants, etc.  These products are cosmetic only and can often irritate your urethra and genitals, creating urinary tract infections or discomfort.  I'm adding here that Dr. Ben Kim gives good evidence in this article about not using soap on one's privates (or washing one's small children's privates with soap).
7. Use Cotton-Only sanitary products (pads and tampons).  In general, only a teeny fraction of the popular sanitary products are made of cotton and can be extremely irritating.
References in this blog are meant for information only and if you have a condition of concern, please consult with your trusted health care provider.

Apple Cider Vinegar for Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)

For the purposes of today's post, when I refer to Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) I'm talking about unfiltered and unpasteurized vinegar made from cider or apples, and with the mother of vinegar present, as a natural product.  You must usually buy it in a health food store.  It is said that Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, had only two remedies: honey and apple cider vinegar.  Organic, unfiltered ACV contains a host of vitamins, as well as beta carotene, pectin, and important minerals such as potassium, sodium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sulphur and iron.  


ACV has malic acid which is helpful in fighting fungal and bacterial infections.  It's a boon for eliminating and keeping away urinary tract infections, particularly if teamed up with Cranberry Juice.  Simply add 2 teaspoons of ACV to 8 ounces of cranberry juice, and drink.  (To sweeten, add a pinch of Stevia-- sugar will only exacerbate the problem).  Do this about 3 or more times a day if you feel a urinary infection coming on, or if you are in the throes of one.


**image of apple cider press in Brittany, France 2001 by photographer Garry Stemp.


References in this blog are meant for information only and if you have a condition of concern, please consult with your trusted health care provider.