All of us experience it at some time or another; that need to pee that just grows and grows until, finally, we’re able to relieve ourselves. Usually that’s all it is – the necessity to empty our bladder – but sometimes it’s more. Sometimes it feels like you need to pee all the time and can even experience a regular burning pain when you do relieve yourself. And it can be joined by other very unpleasant symptoms; lower back pain, nausea, vomiting and dizziness.
If you experience all these things together then it may be you have a urinary tract infection (UTI). Women, young children and teenagers tend to be prone to them and they can recur, primarily targeting the bladder and kidneys. That said, there are a few misconceptions about UTIs – among undoubtable truths about them too – that it’s as well to be aware of. The following are some of the most important.
Antibiotics? Don’t rely on them
You usually catch a UTI in one of two ways. Either harmful bacteria is effectively pushed into the urethra or such pre-existing bacteria in the bladder multiplies to very harmful levels. To that end then, because – as you may well be aware – different types of bacteria are becoming ever more resistant to the antibiotics, people are finding that the effectiveness of the latter in killing off UTIs is reducing1. For instance, Enterococci bacteria is one strain that’s become especially antibiotic-resistant2 . And, needless to say, those who are prone to recurrent UTIs are arguably most likely to discover antibiotics aren’t the way forward. What is? Well, trying to prevent catching and developing a UTI is always the best policy.
Pregnant women are at risk – as are obese men and children
It’s commonly appreciated that UTIs are a ‘women’s health’ problem – that is, one of the most at-risk groups is pregnant women. There certainly appears to be an association between UTIs and the serious issues that are pre-term births and infants experiencing smaller than normal gestational ages. To that end then, a recent study suggests that during pregnancy, women are turning to natural remedies to quell UTIs; the likes of cranberry juice and probiotics3.
And yet, far less commonly known is another particular at-risk group is men suffering from obesity. A study conducted in the last few years found that the likelihood of men who are obese developing a UTI is double that of women who are obese4. Additionally, when they do experience a UTI, obese men are likely to develop further, serious complications5. Meanwhile, children are a group particularly prone to experiencing recurrent UTIs – and, given the first misconception addressed above, long-term studies suggest little effectiveness when they’re exposed to antibiotic-based treatment6.
The diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis connections
Sadly, as if those suffering from diabetes don’t have enough to contend with, research points to the fact that diabetics are more likely to develop urinary tract infections than non-sufferers7. Even more concerning, it seems that UTIs could cause diabetics life threatening complications on top of their other symptoms8 . Also, those living with rheumatoid arthritis tend to visit hospital a good deal more than those not because of UTIs. It’s believed this may be because oral steroids, which are often prescribed to treat rheumatoid arthritis, boost the likelihood of UTI development and recurrence9.
The power of cranberry and supplements
As outlined above, in the face of antibiotics’ failure to effectively fight UTIs, naturally derived, high-quality treatments are becoming more and more recognised as the solution to turn to. In particular, cranberry is increasingly recommended – indeed, an ever growing amount of research points to these antioxidant-rich berries as being at least as effective as antibiotics and resulting in no side effects10, while one individual study discovered that women who took cranberry juice over a 24-week period experienced no UTI recurrence11. Additionally, owing to their highly concentrated antioxidant nature (especially in terms of proanthocyanidins), cranberry juice looks to be a successful combatant and defence against UTIs among children12.
Sufferers of UTIs then may well wish to look at natural supplements as a way to treat the ailment – and prevent it from recurring – and many of these urinary tract supplements contain cranberry juice. Many of them too are available through us at The Finchley Clinic. We advise you to take a look at our dedicated section, in which you’ll find the following supplements:
Concentrated Cranberry (powder) – provides a high level of fresh cranberry; a sugar-free, vacuum packed powder that mixes with water and also contains Vitamin C and lactic acid bacteria.
Aloe Gold Cherry/ Cranberry – a whole-leaf Aloe vera juice blended with unsprayed cranberry and cherry juices.
Renaltrex – a botanical product that supports detoxification and normal function of the kidneys, thus supporting a clean urinary tract and normal urine flow.
References:
1. Chen Y. H., Ko W. C. and Hsueh P. R. ‘Emerging resistance problems and future perspectives in pharmacotherapy for complicated urinary tract infections. Expert Opin Pharmacother’. Apr 2013. 14 (5): 587-96.
2. Parameswarappa J., Basavaraj V. P. and Basavaraj C. M. ‘Isolation, identification, and antibiogram of enterococci isolated from patients with urinary tract infection’. Ann Afr Med. Jul-Sep 2013.12 (3): 176-81.
3. Schneeberger C., Geerlings S. E., Middleton P. and Crowther C. A. ‘Interventions for preventing recurrent urinary tract infection during pregnancy’. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Nov 2012. 14; 11: CD009279.
4. Saliba W., Barnett-Griness O. and Rennert G. ‘The association between obesity and urinary tract infection’. Eur J Intern Med. Mar 2013. 24 (2): 127-31.
5. Semins M. J., Shore A. D., Makary M. A., Weiner J. and Matlaga B. R. ‘The impact of obesity on urinary tract infection risk’. Urology. Feb 2012.79 (2): 266-9.
6. Williams G. J., Craig J. C. and Carapetis J. R. ‘Preventing urinary tract infections in early childhood’. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2013. 764: 211-8.
7. Hirji I., Guo Z., Andersson S. W., Hammar N. and Gomez-Caminero A. ‘Incidence of urinary tract infection among patients with type 2 diabetes in the UK General Practice Research Database (GPRD)’. J Diabetes Complications. Nov-Dec 2012. 26 (6): 513-6.
8. Yeshitela B., Gebre-Selassie S. and Feleke Y. ‘Asymptomatic bacteriuria and symptomatic urinary tract infections (UTI) in patients with diabetes mellitus in Tikur Anbessa Specialized University Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’. Ethiop Med J. Jul 2012. 50 (3): 239-49.
9. Puntis D., Malik S., Saravanan V., Rynne M., Heycock C., Hamilton J. and Kelly C. A. ‘Urinary tract infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis’. Clin Rheumatol. 2013 Mar; 32 (3): 355-60.
10. Jepson R. G., Williams G. and Craig J. C. ‘Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections’. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Oct 2012. 10: CD001321.
11. Takahashi S., Hamasuna R., Yasuda M., Arakawa S., Tanaka K., Ishikawa K., Kiyota H., Hayami H., Yamamoto S., Kubo T. and Matsumoto T. ‘A randomized clinical trial to evaluate the preventive effect of cranberry juice (UR65) for patients with recurrent urinary tract infection’. J Infect Chemother. Feb 2013. 19 (1): 112-7.
12. Afshar K., Stothers L., Scott H. and MacNeily A. E. ‘Cranberry juice for the prevention of pediatric urinary tract infection: a randomized controlled trial’. J Urol. Oct 2012. 188 (4 Suppl): 1584-7.