HealthNEO

What is Cystitis /
Urinary Tract Infection /
UTI?

UTIs (Urinary Tract Infections) are commonly equated to Bladder Infections and Cystitis by the non-medical fraternity. Strictly speaking they are not quite the same, but because most people think they are, I will refer to them as such for the purposes of this article.

UTIs (Urinary Tract Infections ) are commonly equated to Bladder Infections and Cystitis by the non-medical fraternity. Strictly speaking they are not quite the same, but because most people think they are, I will refer to them as such for the purposes of this article.

Cystitis / UTI is an infection anywhere in any part of urinary system. The Urinary System collects and stores your urine, and releases it from your body when you urinate. The Urinary System consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra, and (for men) the prostate gland.

KIDNEYS
The kidneys (two of them) collect waste products from your digestive system and extract water from your blood to make the urine.

URETERS
The ureters are little tubes which carry urine from your kidneys to your bladder.

BLADDER .
Your bladder stores the urine until it is full, when it sends it on to the outside world as you urinate.

URETHRA .
When you urinate, the urethra carries the urine out of your bladder.

PROSTATE . (men) .
The prostate adds fluid to semen. The Urethra passes through the Prostate, and in some conditions affecting the prostate, it is squeezed or even totally occluded (stopped), which can result in a “backing up” of the urine which finds it impossible to escape to the outside.

How is Cystitis or a UTI caused? ..

A urinary tract infection is caused by bacteria that have somehow travelled from the digestive system to the urinary tract. Usually these bacteria enter the urethra via the vagina or penis, and then – in some cases - travel up to the bladder or kidneys.

Normal urine is sterile, containing only fluids, salts, and waste products, but is free of bacteria or viruses. Most urine-infections are caused by the Escherichia coli (E. coli ) bacteria, which normally lives in the colon. Because they are introduced from outside, most infections are limited to the urethra (this is called urethritis).

Occasionally however, the UTI travels from there to the bladder, causing a bladder infection (cystitis). If the infection is not treated promptly, the cystitis infection may then progress up the ureters and infect the kidneys (pyelonephritis ). This can be very serious, (and it is to be hoped that most sufferers will have taken adequate early steps to prevent things getting this bad).

The structure of the urinary system helps to prevent infections. Normally this prevents urine from backing up to the kidneys, and the normal urine-flow helps flush bacteria out of the body.

The Body's Own Defences.
In many cases a small urinary infection is removed by the body’s own defences and you don’t even notice it. Your body removes the invading bacteria, and you have no noticeable symptoms. But some people seem to be particularly prone to these urinary infections, particularly including women and older people.

There are other forms of UTI too! Micro-organisms called Mycoplasma and Chlamydia can also cause UTIs or Cystitis in both men and women, but these infections are usually limited to the urethra and/or the reproductive system. These infections can be sexually transmitted, and therefore require medical treatment for both partners.

Men Suffer UTIs Too!
Cystitis in men, is far more common than most people think! The prostate gland produces secretions that slow bacterial growth, and the extra length of the male urethra also reduces the chance of infections. But despite these built-in defences, infections still occur, and – oddly - men actually get repeated urinary tract infections more than women.

Anyone, of either sex who has diabetes, or some other unrelated problem that makes it difficult to urinate, is also more likely to suffer repeat infections.

Because of their physical make-up, women are more likely to get Cystitis or UTIs than men, and although healthy women don't have repeat infections, about 20% of women who get a UTI will go on to suffer a repeat. Some women get four or more UTI episodes  a year.

Involve your doctor…
If you are unlucky enough to suffer repeated cystitis infections, consult your doctor about a special UTI treatment plan. He may refer you to a urologist, (a specialist in urinary problems ), or he may put you on antibiotics over a longer than usual period in an attempt to prevent repeat infections.

Some doctors may give patients who suffer frequent UTIs a backup supply of antibiotics which can be taken at the first sign of infection. Sadly, however, many doctors have been converted to the creed of never issuing more than a week’s supply of any antibiotic at any time in case the bugs become immune to their effects.

This is a laudable aim, but I do believe that, if antibiotics are to be used at all, then a repeat attack should receive a longer course. This is particularly applicable to men, who need a longer course because bacteria can conceal themselves far inside the prostate, and be extremely difficult to eradicate.

An Effective Alternative Remedy
for Cystitis  / UTIs.

What of the future? Will a vaccine or some other wonder treatment evolve to cope with Cystitis, UTIs and bladder infections which blight so many people’s lives? A vaccine may eventually be developed to assist sufferers in building a natural immunity, but this is many years away.

However, a revolutionary and very simple natural remedy has recently been discovered, and it offers an admirable combination of useful characteristics. Unlike antibiotics, it does not attack and destroy the good bacteria which inhabit our bodies, it just scoops up and disposes of the cystitis-creating bugs.

This UTI-solution is not digested by the body, nor are there any known or recorded side-effects. It just does the job and goes away.

Enter Mannose -
The Natural Alternative.

That natural alternative is called Mannose , or in some quarters – Waterfall D-Mannose , and it comes as a sweet tasting powder which is swallowed in a drink of water, tea or whatever is your tipple.

It is a fascinating and revolutionary way of treating a nasty medical problem, and – if you are a UTI sufferer – you will certainly want to know more about it.

You can learn all about Mannose, how and why it works, and why it is almost certainly going to be helpful to you by visiting the other pages, and reading the other articles, on this informative and helpful site.
You can also order a tub of mannose and try it for yourself.

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