UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) and Interstitial Cystitis
UTIs are very common form of infection, and are chronic in nature! Effecting mostly women of all ages, it’s estimated that UTIs affect one of five women, and are responsible for 8.3 million visits to doctors in the US. This page covers acupuncture for UTI treatment in Vancouver.
Twenty percent (20%) of women having a UTI will have a recurrence, of which 30% will have a third recurrence, of which 80% will have more recurrences.
Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infections
Burning, pain, itchiness, discomfort, unfinished feeling after urination, frequent urination, night urination, pain in urination, possible cloudy urine and/or blood in urine, could have fever in more advanced stages.
If the infection has spread to the kidneys, this condition is called Pyelonephritis. With that, we could see more low back and side pain, nausea vomiting, night sweats, stronger fever and chills, blood in the urine.
E coli is the most common bacteria that causes UTI. Other bacteria can be the cause too.
Women are much more susceptible to UTIs than men because of the fact that women’s urethras are shorter, and the proximity of the anus to vulva. The infection in many cases might be from movement of bacteria from the anus to opening of the urethra. Men do have UTIs as well, but they are not as common.
Risk Factors
People who get UTIs are female gender, having sexual activity, in some cases birth control are a risk factor.
Menopause, enlarged prostate. urinary tract obstruction, (stones, cancer), catheter use, female hygiene products with scent and deodorants.
Treatment for UTIs Vancouver
The medical treatments for UTI include antibiotics. Side effects that might occur with the use of antibiotics are digestion problems, lowered immune system, and most common- reoccurring UTIs. For prevention of some of the side effects take a combination of beneficial bacteria, (probiotics), referred to as Acidophilus. (make sure it contains Bifido bacteria).
If you are feeling the beginning of a UTI, avoid foods high in sugars, as they lower your immune system.
Douches/Sitz bath
Douche is done by inserting fluid into the vagina, can be done with large syringes, or with special Douching device.
Can be done with some crushed garlic into water, Grapefruit seed extract liquid drops, into water, colloidal silver mixed into water. Making sure the genitals area is clean and dry all day, clean cotton underwear.
Natural Medicine
D-Mannose
A form of sugar that is common in our body. Used by the bacteria connect to the wall of the bladder by supplementing D-Mannose, the bacteria is unable to attach itself the wall of the bladder and is being flushed with the urine. D-Mannose have shown to be an effective form of treatment in acute and chronic conditions.
Cranberry
Works in a similar way to D-Mannose. Used to be believed to work by enhancing the acidity of the urine, which it does slightly, now believed to act mostly by prevention of adhesion of bacteria to the bladder wall.
Herbs
Kidney and Bladder tonics
Have a mild diuretic effect, have a general beneficial effect on the urine tract, with mild antiseptic action.
- Uva ursi, Golden Rod, Horsetail, Corn Silk.
Soothing Herbs
Herbs that promote healing of mucus membranes, which surround and protect the urine tract.
- Buchu, Marshmallow, Slippery Elm, Aloe Vera.
Antiseptic herbs
With anti bacterial action.
- Oregon grape, Goldenseal, Juniper, Oregano Oil.
Homeopathic remedies
Many single homeopathic remedies can be very helpful, please see a homeopathic practitioner to find the exact one. Combination homeopathic are used with great success.
- Reneel from Heel, Berberis Homecord from Heel, L.6 Cystitis, from Homeocan.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture
In TCM we usually use a combination of Acupuncture and Chinese herbal remedies. The advantage with using TCM approach is the in-depth diagnosis that is done before the herbs or Acupuncture treatment is administered. TCM diagnosis gives the practitioner a clear insight at the cause and state of the conditions. So the prescribed treatment would be individually tailored, according to the different causes and symptoms of each patient. A common condition in the body that can manifest in UTI is a condition called “Damp Heat”.
Damp is a condition in which the digestion tract is not functioning with symptoms like gas and bloating and loose stool, manifested together with heat, that comes in most cases from a deficiency of fluids in the body, a condition that is called “Yin Deficiency”.
The advantage of TCM and Acupuncture over many other natural modalities is the understanding of different conditions that leads to similar symptoms.
With TCM we can see that UTI is caused by different root causes and is treated differently according to different root causes. Please contact Dr. Eyal Lebel for treatment of UTIs Vancouver.
Interstitial Cystitis (IC) Treatment for Interstatitial Cystitis Vancouver
Interstitial cystitis is a general condition that referred to chronic pain and discomfort in the bladder area.
Symptoms
Frequent urination, urgency in urination, pain in lower abdomen area.
In my experience, IC occurs in many cases as an extension of chronic UTI, mostly women with long term UTI, that have been treated with Antibiotic drugs over long period of time, the condition turns into an inflammatory condition possibly with no evidence of bacterial infection presence. A condition of chronic inflammation of the connective tissue and the mucus protective layer of the bladder wall.
Allopathic medicine does not have a clear preferred drug for the treatment of IC. In Natural medicine we use a similar approach as in UTI. I use more of the demulcent/ soothing herbs like Mashmellow, and Slippery Elm to heal the mucus membrane in the wall of the bladder, together with mild antiseptic herbas like Uva ursi, Goldernrod Horsetail.
I recommend the use of Vit C and MSM, or Glocusamine sulfate/ Chondroitine sulfate, to help heal the connective tissue in the wall of the bladder.
Dr. Eyal Lebel is both a Dr.of TCM, Acupuncture, as well as a Master herbalist of “western herbal remedies” in Vancouver, BC.