www.hurdstudios.com 3D Medical Animation by Hurd Studios depicting how cranberry juice prevents urinary tract infections. Most urinary tract infections are caused by the bacteria, e. Coli. The bacteria’s fimbriae attach to receptors on the bladder wall. Components in cranberry juice attach to the bacteria, preventing their attachment to receptors and thus preventing infection.

www.undergroundwellness.com Disclaimer This video is not intended to substitute for medical advice. It is meant to inform you of a treatment used by a medical doctor as shared with Suzanne Somers. You can find D-mannose at your local health food store.

Have you felt you can’t control your bladder when you’re out? Do you frequently run to the bathroom? Do you suffer from urinary incontinence? If you are, you’re not alone as over 13 million people in the United States suffer from these problems.

Our urinary system has four main pillars: kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. When the kidneys filter water and toxins from the blood, they pass urine through the ureters to the bladder. There, the urine builds up until you feel the urge to go. While our bladders can hold up to 600 mL of urine, our brain begins sending us signals that we need to urinate at 300 mL. This of course acts as an early notice so we may find a suitable spot for the job. Urinary incontinence is when a person has problems stopping the flow of urine from the bladder.

Common bladder irritants contributing to urinary incontinence include coffee, tea, soda, wine, beer, fruit juices, sugar, spicy foods, and dairy products. Many people feel their urinary incontinence is doubled when consuming bladder irritants yet cannot stop eating or drinking them. For such a reason, we recommend kegel exercises.

Kegel exercises, named after Dr. Arnold Kegel, are the contracting and relaxing of your pelvic floor muscles. They strengthen pelvic floor muscles and enable you to reduce or eliminate bladder incontinence.

You can easily perform kegel exercises by contracting your pelvic floor muscles as if you’re trying to stop the urine from flowing. Hold the contraction for 3 seconds then release. For ideal results you must do 10 kegels in a row for a maximum of 3 times a day.

If you feel that your kegels are becoming easy, you can practice contracting and holding the position for 10 seconds instead of 3 seconds. It is important to relax during kegels and focus on tightening the pelvic muscles. You can do kegels anywhere, anytime whether you’re in the office, at home, or out for dinner. Using Kegel exercises for urinary incontinence not only improves bladder health but also enhances the quality of orgasms for women during sex. Dr. Kegel’s research proved that women performing daily kegels experienced multiple, intense orgasms during their lovemaking sessions with their partners.

As easy as kegel exercises can be, many people forget to do them during the day or simply think they’re too time consuming. Or, may be you need just more than the exercises. If you’re one of these people, you can purchase a natural bladder control and support supplement. Taking such a supplement will help a great deal.

You have probably experienced what thousands already have this year… urinary tract infection antibiotics that do not work. Did you know that 1 in 4 people who use UTI antibiotics will be repeat sufferers?

Unfortunately, antibiotics are most doctors’ best treatment for this painful infection. However, many doctors (mostly natural health) are encouraging their patients to try natural remedies.

In this article, you will learn why UTI natural remedies can outperform antibiotics and completely cure your infection.

My UTI Antibiotics Don’t Work

This is a common phrase that many doctors hear regularly. But why do antibiotics only provide a cure for a short period of time. The answer to this question involves bacteria.

Urinary tract infections are usually caused by a ‘bad’ bacteria called E coli. The infection can be caused by anything to improper hygiene to sexual intercourse. In order to cure this type of infection, the ‘bad’ bacteria must be killed and flushed.

The traditional approach is to prescribe antibiotics which will kill the bacteria. Unfortunately, your urinary tract also contains ‘good’ bacteria that help with the tract’s overall health. And because antibiotics cannot tell the difference between the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria; it will kill both!

The sufferers may feel temporary relief but eventually the ‘bad’ bacteria will reappear more resilient and amped with more pain.

Urinary Tract Natural Remedies that Work

The best advice for curing this type of infection in the long run is to keep your hydration levels high and boost your immunity to fight the infection. You can do this by simply drinking plenty of water and supplementing vitamin C. Research shows that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is the best way to boost the immunity. Fruits and veggies are also loaded with dietary water soluble fiber which has been shown to also help flush the bacteria.

You will also need to fight of the E coli bacteria with a natural antiseptic. One very popular UTI remedy is apple cider vinegar. All you need to do is combine 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with an 8 ounce glass of warm water. Stir and drink up.

The apple cider vinegar is rich in potassium and enzymes that are a natural antibiotic which has been shown to fight the E coli bacteria in the bladder. Many of my customers recommend supplementing cranberry tablets with the tonic to boost the bacteria fighting power.

Finally, you should also learn the basics of infection prevention. For instance, to boost the ‘good’ bacteria count in you tract, you will need to eat yogurt daily with acidophilus.

Bladder weakness is really not all that uncommon affecting millions of men and women worldwide. While the physical discomfort of the condition can’t be ignored, the real impact of bladder weakness on a person’s life is the changes in social and emotional behavior.

If you think about that for a moment it makes perfect sense. How ready would you be to face the public if you knew there was a chance that you may have an involuntary discharge of urine? How embarrassing would that be and further, what could you do about it after it happened. This fear of public exposure can lead to drastic changes in behavior for some people and that’s just a shame.

In many cases bladder weakness is a curable condition either through behavior modification, exercise, drugs or surgery. In all cases there are discreet incontinence products that a person can use so even if they have an accident in public nobody is going to know about it. There is no reason for this condition to alter your life. There is help.

If you are displaying the symptoms of bladder weakness it’s really time to visit your doctor so the problem can be addressed. Incontinence by itself is not a disease but rather a possible indicator of other physical problems. Symptoms of bladder weakness are fairly easy to spot. If you have an incredible urge to urinate followed by leakage, or if there is leakage while you are physically exerting yourself or if there are simply unexplained leakages of urine it is time to see the doctor.

There is help and you are not alone.

An irritable bladder can happen to anyone, but it happens more often as one ages. While this condition is not necessarily painful it can be very irritating because it causes the sufferer to go to the bathroom at all hours of the day and night. Further, there can be a good deal of discomfort associated with the feeling that one’s bladder needs to be emptied all the time. It can affect both males and females, and it is possible to confuse the condition with an actual bladder infection which demands medical attention. While it is always advisable to seek medical attention for this condition, it could be helpful to understand the issues surrounding this condition in order to interact with it in a successful manner.

Some of the associated causes of this condition can be frequent stress that is unresolved over a period of time, reactions to certain foods or beverages and a prolapsed uterus for women and an enlarged prostate for men. Generally speaking this condition is identified by an ongoing quick and demanding need to void urine during the day and the night. In some severe cases there may be spillage or leaking of urine before a proper receptacle can be located by the sufferer. This frequent urgency to rush to the bathroom to relieve oneself can interrupt sleep patterns during the night and fracture social schedules and prematurely terminate business activities during the day.

Some initial steps that can be taken if this condition is present are as follows:

Take care to abstain from beverage alcohol since it can act as a diuretic agent actually encouraging urination outside the normal body cycles.

Try to determine if you are consuming any foods such as tomatoes or acidic fruits that could impact your bladder, and check your intake of artificial sugar products as they can contains chemicals that occasionally have a negative effect on bladders.

Take steps to develop a bladder training program. This involves devising a predefined urination schedule and sticking to it as much as possible under the circumstances. In some cases this program may actually increase your ability to stop the urge to urinate so often because your body rhythms adept to the schedule if it followed closely enough over time.

Since there is no exact medical diagnosis of this condition because there can be so many conflicting issue to resolve in trying to combat it that medical attention is absolutely necessary if it persists beyond any reasonable length of time. It is also very possible that the irritable bladder you are experiencing is the result of a urinary track infection or related issues. Feel free to try the above mentioned remedies to address and quell the condition, but always keep in mind that a doctor’s attention may be required for successful resolution of the problems. What may seem to be simply an irritation at first blush many indicate more serious problem that must be analyzed and thoroughly treated by a trained professional.

The bladder is an often ignored organ in the body that has a key body function: the elimination of wastes.  The kidneys filter the blood of wastes and regulate the water content in the circulatory system.  The liquid waste drains into the bladder, which acts as a holding tank; until the bladder is full at which time it is expelled during urination. Bladder symptoms are often the source of embarrassment and frustration for millions of people. Some common symptoms of bladder problems people may experience are:

1. Incontinence (the inability to control when a person urinates).
2. Stress Incontinence (urine leakage when a person sneezes, laughs, coughs or strains).
3. Hematuria (blood present in the urine).
4. Dysuria (pain or burning  during urination).
5. Frequent urination of small amounts.
6. Bladder spasms (pain in the lower abdomen caused by the bladder having spasms like a muscle does).

Disease Processes That Cause Bladder Symptoms 

There are many diseases that may cause a patient to have bladder symptoms.  Some bladder symptoms are indicative of a minor problem such as a bladder infection and some indicate a serious illness such as cancer.  The following is a list of some of the more common ailments (but is not exhaustive).

Bladder Infection (sometimes referred to as a UTI)-A bladder infection occurs when bacteria overgrow in the bladder and cause irritation in the bladder.  Symptoms of bladder infection include painful, burning or frequent urination.  Blood may also be present in the urine. Treatment usually involves treatment with antibiotic.

Bladder Cancer-Any of the above listed bladder symptoms may be present in addition to pain in the lower back, swelling in the lower extremities (legs), a mass or growth in the lower abdomen, and difficulty beginning the urine stream when attempting to urinate. 

Overactive Bladder (also called OAB or urge incontinence) -Patients with OAB have an urgent need to urinate and may not get to a toilet in time to urinate. Symptoms of OAB include sudden urges to urinate, urinary frequency (eight times or more a day; two of these times occur at night), and incontinence caused by the uncontrollable urge to urinate (this is called urge incontinence). 

Interstitial Cystitis-Patients with IC have a chronic irritation of the bladder.  Symptoms of bladder interstitial cystitis include constant pelvic pain, reduced bladder capacity, urinary urgency and frequency.  Diagnosing IC is sometimes difficult and usually consists of ruling out any other causes of the bladder symptoms.  The majority of IC cases are found in women.

Prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate)-Men who suffer from prostatis (including prostatis caused by cancer) may cause bladder symptoms.  These bladder symptoms include hematuria, dysuria, pain and incontinence.  Since prostatitis can be a symptom of cancer (prevalent in men over 50) or other serious condition; consulting a doctor is very important.

Contrary to what many people think, bladder problems are not a normal part of the aging process. 

Bladder symptoms are an indication of some type of problem and should be discussed with your doctor. Don’t let embarrassment over any bladder problems keep you from seeing your doctor.  Many problems are minor, but there are treatments available to improve your quality of life while managing your bladder symptoms.

As far as scary words in the English language go, “cancer” is near the top of the list. The good news is that we don’t have to wait around simply hoping that cancer doesn’t affect us and our loved ones. According to scientists in the UK, effective cancer prevention starts with the food on your plate.

The British Journal of Cancer reports optimistic news for vegans. British scientists studied the diets of over 61,000 men and women for 12 years. At the end of 12 years, the scientists recorded how many subjects developed stomach, bladder, ovarian, and lymphatic cancers in the three dietary categories reviewed: vegan, pescetarian, and omnivore. For each type of cancer tested, vegans developed a significantly lower number of cases than did meat eaters.

The National Cancer Institute currently predicts that stomach cancer will be diagnosed in over 21,000 American men and women in 2010 and will cause over 10,000 deaths. The lifetime risk of stomach cancer is 1 in 113.

Of men and women born today, 2.41% can expect to be diagnosed with urinary bladder cancer during their lifetimes. That’s 1 in 41 people. Almost 71,000 American men and women are diagnosed annually with bladder cancer and over 14,000 of these bladder cancer cases prove fatal.

For women born today, 1.4% can expect a diagnosis of ovarian cancer during their lifetimes. The National Cancer Institute estimates that more than 21,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and over 14,000 women will die of ovarian cancer in 2010.

The National Cancer Institute predicts that over 70,000 American men and women will be diagnosed with lymphoma in 2010 and that more than 20,000 of these cases will prove fatal.

The position of the American Dietetic Association on vegan diets is that they are associated with fewer cases of cancer as well as fewer cases of type II diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and death from heart attacks. Some nutrients that the ADA regards as healthy and particularly high in vegan diets are fruits, vegetables, nuts, soy products, fiber, and phytochemicals (phyto=related to plants).

Don’t let yourself and your loved ones become a statistic. Join Gobble Green in the movement for disease prevention and make the transition to a vegan diet in 2010.

Recently I helped a family find a private care home for their mother who was in her mid 80’s, living in a large assisted living facility and suffering from dementia, depression and loneliness. Her depression and loneliness had come on suddenly and she was talking about not wanting to live any longer. Her doctor had told the family that her dementia was progressing and made the suggestion that she move to a smaller care home where she would have more one-on-one attention.

During my evaluation with “Mom”, I noticed that she was overly emotional and confused. The family and I realized that it was possible that her medications may not have been appropriately monitored or that she might need an adjustment, but I also pointed out that due to her emotional and mental state at the time of my visit, the family should have her checked out for a urinary tract infection and dehydration. I explained that it is believed that there is a connection to sudden symptoms of dementia or an increase in dementia symptoms and urinary tract infections. They were surprised at my suggestion, but also relieved that there could be an explanation other than a sudden progression of her dementia.

What is a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)?

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infections and women tend to get UTIs more frequently than men. UTIs are infections of the urinary system, which consist of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. They can be very serious and sometimes life threatening. It can be difficult to determine if an Alzheimer’s or dementia patient has a UTI because they may not be able to fully verbalize how they feel.

They may not understand or be able to express pain, feeling the need to urinate frequently, etc. An infection can cause an imbalance in the substances and salts in the blood and reduce the production of a hormone that contributes to the formation of red blood cells. UTIs in the elderly or people with Alzheimer’s/dementias cannot only profoundly affect their physical health, but also severely impact their behavior such as disorganized thinking, disorientation to time and place, apathy or increased agitation.

Dr. Rajesh Tamp, Director of Psychiatry for Masonicare, feels that the connection between dementias and UTIs is not a widely understood as it needs to be and that people with urinary tract infections are often misdiagnosed as just a sign of dementia. A significant difference is that confusion or changes in behavior brought on by an infection will come about much more quickly than confusion resulting from dementia.

So, if an older person shows sudden signs of confusion or behavioral changes, it may not be connected to their dementia. The key here is to remember that even if an elderly person has Alzheimer’s or dementia and is exhibiting sudden changes in physical, mental or emotional health, it would be advised to have them examined for a urinary tract infection. With treatment, their symptoms should ease and perhaps reverse altogether.