What Is Lactobacillus Rhamnosus
L. rhamnosus is a type of bacteria found in your intestines.
It belongs to the genus Lactobacillus, a type of bacteria that produce the enzyme lactase. This enzyme breaks down the sugar lactose which is found in dairy into lactic acid.
Bacteria from this genus, such as L. rhamnosus, are considered probiotic.
Probiotics are live microorganisms that can offer health benefits when consumed .
Hundreds of studies support the benefits of L. rhamnosus.
Uniquely adapted to survive in acidic and basic conditions within your body, this bacterium can also adhere to and colonize your intestinal walls. Such characteristics give L. rhamnosus a better chance of survival so it may offer longer-term benefits (
However, many products that contain L. rhamnosus dont typically include it in the ingredients list.
Summary
L. rhamnosus is a member of the probiotic Lactobacillus genus of bacteria. It is adapted to survive in your gut, thus potentially offering longer-term benefits.
L. rhamnosus has numerous potential benefits and uses for your digestive system, as well as other areas of health.
Finding The Root Cause For Recurrent Uti
The next morning, we made an appointment with the functionally-oriented nurse practitioner listed on this site. As my incredible partner peppered her staff with insightful questions, they replied with remarkable expertise and compassion. I knew we were onto something.
My first meeting with this practitioner was living proof that guardian angels walk this earth. Here was a nurse practitioner who had dedicated thirty years of her career to cracking the code on recurrent urinary tract infection. Her impressive 80% success rate was hard to ignore.
She demonstrated jaw dropping knowledge, like how a genetic mutation may affect how I coagulate blood and produce resistant biofilms. That 90% of her patients also have a tick-borne disease, and that vector-borne diseases play a huge role in biofilm.
She didnt just care that I tested positive for Babesia shed be looking for which species. That my Raynauds breastfeeding nightmare was an omen of my biofilms resilience due to excess fibrin production. This knowledge was going to be crucial for busting the apartment buildings open for permanent eradication.
She said many things I hadnt heard before, but there was one thing she didnt say. She didnt say, Im sorry but were out of options, Ive never seen a case as advanced as yours, or, You must be built differently. Rather, I was close to her average patient. There are times where being average feels extraordinary.
Try Drinking Some Unsweetened Cranberry Juice
While the research is a bit unclear, cranberries have been used as a prevention of UTI for generations. Studies have shown that cranberries actually make it harder for the bacteria that cause UTIs to stick to the urinary tract walls. So, while not really a remedy, if you frequently get UTIs, it might be worth drinking a couple of glasses of unsweetened cranberry juice, or snacking on the actual fruit .
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What Is Urinary Tract Infection
Urinary tract is the system where urine is formed and expelled. The system includes bladder, kidneys and ureters . Infection is a result of the entry of germs or pathogens into the body. When they infect any of the structures of urinary tract, then, it is called as signs of urinary tract infection. Mostly women are more prone to symptoms urinary tract infection than men. In general, the bladder or urethra of woman is infected, and if this infection prolongs, it may even reach kidneys becoming a serious case.
Frequent Urination And Not Holding It
Proper urination habits are very important in preventing UTIs. The urinary system was designed to hold a large amount of fluid and then through the release of that fluid wash out the urinary tract. Withholding your urine for a large length of time can allow for the bacteria in the urinary tract to get into the urinary cell walls. Too frequent urination, can not allow for enough pressure build-up and washing of the urinary tract while using the toilet.
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The Worst Uti Of All And Finding Hope In A Hopeless Place
What brought me to this website was a UTI that dramatically changed the game, and a rare crisis of faith for someone who considers herself a fighting spirit.
When all of my immune symptoms began to close in again, I worked with a new holistic doctor who used Applied Kinesiology to confirm my diagnoses and treat them with a specific plan.
Some treatments like ionic foot baths and low-dose immunotherapy were pleasant enough.
Others not so much, like Procaine scar injections, painful acupuncture points, and a neural therapy pelvic injection with a 12-inch needle called a Frankenhauser shot. At first I experienced detox symptoms, but slowly I began to feel some of the full-body symptoms abate.
And this timeno UTIs after intimacy.
UTI-free days turned into weeks, and I was elated to be having regular intimacy again. For four whole months.
For the first time in a long time, I thought, This MUST be it. We did it. Weve cracked the code! I was finally beginning to see a lifetime of intimate bliss ahead of me strewn with rose petals, not tears.
But it wasnt to last. Several days after a moment of blissful ignorance during an intimate encounter, I awoke with that familiar building pressure.
But what made this one different was how fast it traveled to my back. Not in twenty years and who-knows-how many bouts had it become this severe. I was now on a clock. I believed that if I didnt get properly treated right away, I was dying.
Best Remedies For Bladder Infections
About bladder infections
Bladder infections are the most common type of urinary tract infection . They can develop when bacteria enter the urethra and travel into the bladder.
The urethra is the tube that takes urine out of the body. Once bacteria go into the urethra, they can attach to the walls of the bladder and multiply quickly.
The resulting infection can cause uncomfortable symptoms, such as the sudden urge to urinate. It may also cause pain while urinating and abdominal cramping.
A combination of medical and home treatments may ease these symptoms. If left untreated, bladder infections can become life-threatening. This is because the infection can spread to the kidneys or blood.
Here are seven effective bladder infection remedies.
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Thinking Out Of The Box With Cutting
Back to the Big Gun urologist I went. I expressed my concern over what repeated antibiotic usage would do to my gut health in which I had invested years and a fortune to heal.
Right away, he mentioned two UTI treatments Id never heard of that werent yet available in the US. One was Uromune, a UTI vaccine which he suggested was highly successful in preventing E. Coli based urinary infections.
The other was an instillation cocktail of hyaluronic acid and chondroitin called iAluril which touted the ability to recoat the bladder lining with its inherent GAG-layer components.
So off I flew to London to procure these promising potions. I spent three months attempting to keep the daily-dose vaccine cold but not frozen and learned the interesting process of self- catheterization.
The instillations prompted me to think about the delivery system of medicine. I would ask the Big Gun critical thinking questions like, Why send antibiotics and probiotics all the way through the digestive tract? What about instilling them directly in the bladder to avoid compromising your gut ecology?
Another flat no.
A year after administering these UTI medications, my infections were a still regular, unwelcome guest in my home. Hope was quickly draining from my otherwise bottomless well of endurance.
How Do I Get Rid Of A Uti Quickly
There is no quick fix for a UTI. Taking cranberry supplements and drinking water could help flush bacteria out of your system more quickly. However, it can be dangerous to drink too much water in a short period of time. In many cases, taking an antibiotic for a UTI could be the quickest way to get rid of one.
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Other Things To Remember For Faster Relief From Urinary Tract Infections
- Spicy and pungent foods can cause more irritation and inflammation of the urethra
- Avoid having caffeinated and carbonated drinks such as coffee, colas, etc.
- Practice abstinence from alcohol.
- Regular exercising and staying clean greatly reduces symptoms of any UTI
- Artificial sweeteners can promote the growth of harmful bacteria in the urinary tract.
- Change the underwear every day or if required, twice a day.
- Avoid wearing synthetic underwear, choose cotton ones for comfort.
Holistic Treatment For Uti: The Hunt For Uti Relief Begins
Feeling so out of control of my body created a dark resentment toward it. Since I would thrive when in control, I decided I wasnt going to live at the mercy of urinary tract infections anymore and let them happen to me.
So, I decided to do something that I recommend every living human does: I became the steward of my own health.
I scavenged the interwebs for every blog post, video, and discussion board related to bladder infection. I amassed a graveyard of supplements, each proclaimed as the conventional or natural panacea that eliminated UTIs every time.
And every time, the panacea would fail me. At this stage, I wasnt aware that I would need a more comprehensive, holistic treatment for UTI.
As the UTIs came faster and harder despite my valiant efforts, something else began to go wrong. The antibiotics didnt work as well. It would take days and sometimes weeks to get my urinary symptoms under control.
I passed through a conveyor belt of urologists, each leaving me further from answers than before. I would bring well-researched questions and resources that predictably resulted in skeptical head shakes. I was routinely the toughest case seen in someone my age, which was a dubious distinction indeed.
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Characteristics Of A Urinary Tract Infection
A urinary tract infection, like we said above, can happen in different parts of the body:
- Bladder: this is called cystitis or a bladder infection.
- Kidneys: it can happen in one or both kidneys and is called pyelonephritis or a kidney infection.
- Ureter: in some rare cases, the tracts that carry urine from the kidney to the bladder become infected.
- Urethra: this is called urethritis and occurs when the tract that carries urine out of the bladder becomes infected.
In the majority of cases, urinary tract infections are caused by bacteria that makes its way into the urethra and the bladder, where its most common, although it can also show up in the kidneys. Most peoples bodies get rid of the bacteria on their own, but certain things can increase your risk of this type of infection.
Drink Plenty Of Fluids
Dehydration is linked to an increased risk of UTIs.
This is because regular urination can help flush bacteria from the urinary tract to prevent infection. When youre dehydrated, you arent urinating as often, which can create a breeding ground for bacteria.
A examined nursing home residents and administered a drinking schedule to participants to increase their fluid intake. Following the schedule decreased UTIs requiring antibiotics by 56%.
In a 2020 randomized control trial , 140 premenopausal participants prone to UTIs took part in a 12-month study to test if a higher fluid intake would decrease their risk of recurrent cystitis and, in turn, their risk of developing a UTI. Researchers found that an increase in fluid intake led to a decrease in UTI frequency.
To stay hydrated and meet your fluid needs, its best to drink water throughout the day and always when youre thirsty.
Benefits of drinking more fluids for UTI
Drinking plenty of liquids can decrease your risk of UTIs by making you pee more, which helps remove bacteria from your urinary tract.
evidence suggests that increasing your intake of vitamin C could protect against UTIs.
Vitamin C is thought to work by increasing the acidity of urine, killing off the bacteria that cause infection.
An older 2007 study of UTIs in pregnant women looked at the effects of taking 100 milligrams of vitamin C every day.
Fruits and vegetables are especially high in vitamin C and are a good way to increase your intake.
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How Quickly Do Antibiotics Work For Utis
If you have a urinary tract infection and have symptoms, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics. There are plenty of antibiotics available on the market and approved by the American Urological Association and the Food and Drug Administration . One example is Cipro for UTIs.
Antibiotics should be administered for up to 7 days for an uncomplicated acute infection, according to the guidelines.
Although it is possible that the symptoms may go away during the first two to three days of treatment, it is essential to finish the course of treatment as directed by your physician.
You may get a prescription for an antibiotic that is administered in a single dose and that is sufficient to relieve your symptoms.
There are situations when you will be prescribed cephalosporines, and the treatment will only last for three days.
When treating a complicated infection such as one that affects the kidneys with symptoms of fevers, chills, and back pain, the treatment period might last for up to 14 days.
Tablet medication is not always sufficient, and in some cases, the doctor may suggest intravenous treatment instead.
Always be sure to visit your physician and complete the treatment by following their advice. The duration of therapy will vary depending on the kind of bacteria that caused the infection, the nature of the infection itself, your immunity, and whether or not this is a new infection or a recurring one.
A Note About Cranberry Juice And Utis
Cranberry juice or cranberry extract in supplemental form has long been used as a home remedy for UTIs.
The thought is that the proanthocyanidins in cranberries may help prevent bladder infections by keeping the bacteria from clinging to the bladder wall, says Sonya Angelone, MS, RDN, a nutrition consultant based in San Francisco, and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Yet theres scientific controversy over how effective cranberry juice is at preventing UTIs due to conflicting conclusions in studies on the topic, according to an article published in May 2016 in Advances in Nutrition. Some studies have found it might work, while others have found no effect.
Bottom line, there is some evidence it may help, and it doesnt hurt to try it, says Angelone. Just be sure to chose unsweetened cranberry juice . Mix this with sparkling water or plain yogurt, she recommends.
Another low-calorie option choose a cranberry pill that contains d-mannose, she says.
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Urinary Tract Infection Antibiotics
Some of the common antibiotics your doctor may prescribe to treat a UTI include:
In certain instances, your doctor may prescribe a less common antibiotic. If you have allergies to certain antibiotics, for example, or your UTI is more severe, you may receive a prescription for a class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones. These include Cipro and Levaquin .
A typical course of antibiotics for a mild UTI lasts several days. If you’re otherwise feeling fine besides your UTI, your physician may suggest a shortened course of drugs, maybe 1-3 days. Follow your doctors direction, though. Stopping an antibiotic too soon could enable your infection to return.
If you are getting frequent, recurring infections, your doctor might suggest a low dose antibiotic regimen over the course of several months.
It’s important to note that an estimated 22% of women receiving antibiotic treatment for a UTI develop candida overgrowth soon after. If you have to take antibiotics, be sure to accompany them with a course of probiotics to help to keep candida at bay.
Symptoms like fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, pain in your low back or side is a sign that its time to talk to your provider and start that antibiotic. Your microbiome can heal, but your kidneys cant if an infection is left untreated.
Does Azo Cure Uti
Before you go to the doctor to get treatment for a urinary tract infection, you can take over-the-counter medicine, known as âAZO Urinary Pain Reliefâ or âAZO Urinary Pain Relief Maximum Strengthâ. You can take these tablets for about 2 days to cure the painful symptoms of the UTI. But, make sure you tell your doctor if you are having this medication. You can take AZO Cranberry tablets once your UTI is cured in order to maintain the health of the urinary tract.
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Practice Good Personal Hygiene To Prevent Uti
Prevention is always better than cure. Maintaining proper personal hygiene is crucial in preventing UTIs.
If you are a woman, always wipe from front to back, especially after defecating.29 This reduces the chances of bacteria from your bowels entering your urethra. You should help children inculcate this habit from a very young age.
Change your sanitary napkins regularly, avoid taking long bubble baths, and do not use perfumed products near your urethra.30 Keeping it clean and dry down there prevent an infection.
Both men and women should wear breathable underwear and should shower regularly to prevent the build up of bacteria near the urethra.31
Hormone Replacement Therapy As A Uti Treatment
Sometimes, postmenopausal women find vaginal estrogen therapy helpful in preventing bladder infections since the lowered estrogen levels after menopause cause changes to and an overall thinning of the tissues in the urinary tract, making you more susceptible to infection. It appears that estrogen therapy may help strengthen urinary tract tissue and trigger the release of natural antimicrobial proteins found in the bladder.
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