Herbal Remedies: Bladder Infections

 Bladder Infections

From personal experience, I know that Bladder Infections can be quite horrendous!  I suffered once with one so badly and for so long before I was rushed to the hospital, I literally felt like I was going to die.  Melodramatic? Possibly, but at the time it was truly the worse  pain I had felt in my life.  And this, coming from a woman who went through childbirth naturally…twice.

Let’s look at this Bladder Infection a little more closely.  You see, the urinary tract is supposed to be a one-way system of removing waste OUT of the body. Well, unfortunately things get in. Like bacteria for example and then we are blessed with urinary tract infections.

There are many reasons “they” say that are to blame:

Women are 20X more likely because the pathway from bladder to exiting the body is a short one

Notoriously long, long lines waiting form the women’s restroom is taxing on our bladders, weakening them

Tight pants

Synthetic Underwear

Vaginal powders and deodorants

Deodorant soaps or gels or bubble bath

 

Symptoms of Bladder Infection

Cloudy Urine

Burning Sensation

Experiencing pain or sensation of heaviness

Frequently feeling the need to urinate

Dull ache in the lower back

Fever, Chills

How to Help Yourself

One very effective way to discourage a bladder infection from starting is to keep your urine acidic, that way bacteria cannot survive.  Cranberry juice is excellent for this and it is well accepted even by the mainstream medical community.  Blueberries do even more than simply increase urine’s acidic quality. They also contain compounds that keep bacteria from attaching to the bladder’s wall and so prevent infections from taking hold.  The recommended dose is three to six ounces a day of cranberry juice or 1 1/2 oz of berries.  Blueberries may be eaten raw.

Herbs

Uva Ursi has been known to work on Bladder Infections, even when Cranberry juice didn’t.  Uva Ursi is a groundcover from the southwestern United States and contains a powerful antiseptic that is activated when it reaches the urinary tract.  Once there, it kills bacteria, removes infectious material, reduces inflammation and most likely strengthens the urinary tract lining.

Uva Ursi can be slightly irritating to the Kidney’s so by adding Marshmallow to your herbal formula, the Marshmallow will bring soothing properties to the urinary tract and also fights infection in a similar way as the Uva Ursi.

A possible course of action would be to begin with herbs of Uva Ursi and Marshmallow as suggested, then when the symptoms have subsided switch to cranberry and blueberry.

Food

Garlic

Nasturtium

Rose Hips

These are all high in Vitamin C and excellent infection fighters.

Another great way to ward off urinary infections is with parsley. Parsley has compounds that fight urinary tract infections. Combine parsley with garlic, and you have a remarkable dish called Tabbouleh…recipe below.

 

Several herbs reduce the inflammation and pain that comes with UTI’s:

Marshmallow

Cramp Bark

Goldenrod

Purslane

For UTI’s with spasms and constriction try:

Meadowsweet

Fennel Seed

Hydrangea

Urinary Infection TEA

1 tsp. Uva Ursi

1/2 tsp. EACH corn silk, cramp bark, marshmallow root, rose hips

1 qt. Water

~Simmer herbs in water for a couple of minutes, steep for 20-strain.

Drink 2-4 C. daily.  Continue drinking for at least 2 days after infection appears to be gone.

Urinary Massage Oil

1/8 tsp tea tree oil

4 oz oil (your preferred kind; coconut, almond, etc)

~Combine ingredients and rub directly over the bladder area 2X a day.