Natural Cures Guide

UH-OH, that urgent feeling. You think you have to urinate–but when you get to the toilet , you produce just a few dribbles. Even that little bit stings. The area above your pubic bone aches. So does your lower back. Such symptoms are particularly familiar to women, nearly half of whom suffer one or more episodes of urinary tract infections at some point in their lives. Sexual intercourse raises the risk. So does using a diaphragm and spermicidal jelly; so does delaying urination after sex.

If you think you have a urinary tract infection, do see your doctor. Untreated, such infections can travel to the kidneys, where they cause more severe illness and possibly permanent damage. Pregnant women with urinary tract infections are more likely to deliver premature and low-birth-weight infants.

Herbal Remedies

Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)

These tart red berries can help prevent urinary tract infections and may also help cure them. For some time, it’s been a controversial question whether just drinking cranberry juice can acidify the urine. It can, but you have to drink a little over five cups to achieve this effect. But cranberries do prevent Escherichia coli bacteria–the ones that most frequently cause urinary tract infections–from adhering to the urethra and bladder. And if bacteria can’t stick, they get washed out by urination and can’t infect tissue. The same anti-stick chemical is also present in blueberries. Don’t substitute berries for you antibiotics when you have and infection, but if you have recurring infections, try drinking 1 1/4 cups of unsweetened cranberry juice per day. Typical dosage for the concentrated juice extract: one 300-to 400- milligram capsule morning and evening.

Uva Ursi (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)

Also called bearberry or kinnikinnik, this low-growing shrub has lng been used to prevent and treat urinary tract infections. Its leaves contain arbutin, which acts against E. coli and increases urination. In a study of women prone to bladder infections, uva ursi prevented infection. Germany’s Commission E, the counterpart to our Food and Drug Administration, has approved it for inflammatory disorders of the urinary tract. Typical dosage: up to nine 400- to 500-milligram capsules per day, or 30 t0 60 drops of tincture diluted in a cup of water three times per day, or 1/2 cup of strong tea three times per day (soak 1/3 ounce of dried leaves in 4 cups of cold water for 24 hours; remove leaves and simmer liquid down to 2 cups). Caution: Not recommended for use beyond seven days unless under medical supervision. Do not use while pregnant, nor if you have kidney disorders or inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. Overdose can produce stomachache, nausea, vomiting, and ringing in the ears.

Goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea)

This herb is popular in Europe for treating bladder infections and the Commission E endorses it. Varro Tyler, Ph. D., distinguished professor emeritus of pharmacognosy at Purdue University and author of Herbs of Choice, judges goldenrod one of the safest and most effective herbs for increasing urine flow and inhibiting bacteria. It also decreases the inflammation and painful spasms that can accompany bladder infection. Typical dosage: 2 to 3 cups of tea per day (steep 1 teaspoon of dried herb in 1 cup of hot water for 10 minutes).

Oregon Graperoot (Berberis aquifolium)

Like goldensol (Hydrastis canadensis), barberry (Berberis vulgaris), and gold thread (Coptis species), Oregon graperoot also has a place in traditional treatment of bladder infections. Studies show that berberine may kill many types of bacteria, including E.coli

and prevent bacteria from adhering to the bladder lining. Typical dosage: 1 teaspoon of tincture three times per day. Caution: Do not use during pregnancy.

Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea, E. angustifolia, E. pallida)

Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory echinacea also revs up the immune system, which can be helpful to people with recurrent bladder infections. Typical dosage: up to nine 300- to 400-milligram capsules per day, or up to 60 drops of tincture three times per day. Caution: If you’re allergic to other members of the aster family, such as ragweed, you may be allergic to echinacea. Start with small doses and build up slowly.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Herbs that increases urine flow, although they don’t kill bacteria, help rid the urinary tract of microbes simply by washing them out. Dandelion is among the foremost of these; it’s popular among herbalists because it also contains potassium. Typical dosage: 1 cup of tea morning and evening (steep 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried root in 1 cup of hot water for 10 to 15 minutes); or 30 to 60 drops of tincture three times per day.

Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)

Also known as shavegrass, this herb is common in European medicine for blood in the urine and urinary stones. It’s a mild diuretic that works its wonder without depleting electrolytes, so you don’t get that “washed out” feeling. Typical dosage: up to six 400- to 500- milligram capsules per day; or 15 to 30 drops of tincture three times per day; or up to 6 cups of tea per day (steep 2 teaspoons of dried herb in 1 cup of hot water for 10 to 15 minutes).

Marshmallow (Althaea officinallis)

A far cry from the confections you’ve probably toasted over a campfire, this marsh-growing plant has a root whose compounds can coat the urinary tract and prevent further inflammation, thus easing pain. Typical dosage: up to six 400- to 500-milligram capsules per day; 1 cup of tea per day in three divided doses (steep 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried root in 1 cup of hot water for 10 to 15 minutes); or 20 to 40 drops of tincture up to five times per day.

Corn Silk (Zea mays)

Another herb that soothes the urinary tract, corn silk is easy to obtain in summer; when it’s not sweet corn season you can take it in capsules or tincture. Typical dosage: 2 to 3 cups of tea per day (steep 1 teaspoon of dried herb or 2 teaspoons of fresh herb in 1 cup of hot water for 15 minutes); or up to six 300-milligram capsules per day; or 20 to 60 drops of tincture up to three times per day, taken with a glass of water.

Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus) and Black Haw Bark (V.prunifolium)

You may have heard of both of these barks as treatments for menstrual cramps; they’re both antispasmodic, meaning they will help with cramps in the bladder or lower back. Typical dosage: 1 cup of tea up to three times per day (steep 1 scant teaspoon of dried herb in 1 cup of hot water for 15 minutes). Caution: Do not use either herb if you have a history of kidney disease of kidney stones.

Preventing Recurrent Bladder Infections

If you tend to get bladder infections over and over, here are some things you can do to keep the away.

* Drink lots of fluids, at least eight per day. One beverage you might want to include is cranberry juice.

* Urinate often, at least every three hours during the day. If you drink liberally, this should come naturally. The goal is to frequently flush the bladder and urethra (the tube that drains the bladder), thereby washing out any bacteria.

If you use a diaphragm and spermicidal jelly, consider switching to another form of birth control. Discuss these options with your doctor.

Making use of Good Bacteria

Whether or not you want to picture this, our skin and mucous membranes are normally colonized by millions of bacteria. These “good” bacteria perform many functions, including an ability to prevent ” bad” microorganisms from taking hold. In the case of urinary tract infections, they seem to prevent Escherichia coli from sticking to th urethra (a first step in establishing an infection). Lactobacilli, the kind of bacteria present in live-culture yogurt and kefir and in acidophilus supplements can help prevent bladder infections. Preliminary research suggest that taking such bacteria with antibiotics hastens elimination of E. coli. And it can help prevent the chances of getting a vaginal yeast infection–a common adverse effects of antibiotic treatment.