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.