Authors: Stacey Chillemi,Dr. Michael Chillemi D. C.
The Complete Herbal Guide: A Natural Approach to Healing the Body - Heal Your Body Naturally and Maintain Optimal Health Using Alternative Medicine, Herbals, Vitamins, Fruits and Vegetables (23 page)
Conventional Treatment
Most UTIs are treated with antibacterial drugs, the most common being trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (e.g., Bactrim®, Cotrim®, Septra®), trimethoprim (Trimpex), amoxicillin (e.g., Amoxil®, Trimox®), or fluoroquinolones (e.g., Levaquin®, Cipro®). Although symptoms may begin to subside within 1 to 2 days, it is important to finish the entire course of medication to ensure that the infection has been completely eradicated. Even though symptoms are better, it does not necessarily mean that the infection is gone.
UTIs that are caused by bacteria such as chlamydia trachoma is and mycoplasma hominis require a longer course of treatment with tetracycline (e.g., Achromycin®), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, or doxycycline (e.g., Periostat®).
Herbal Treatments for a UTI
Although natural treatments do exist, it is important to be supervised by a naturopathic doctor or other qualified health practitioner. The risk is that if the infection is not properly treated, it may spread to the kidneys and cause a kidney infection, even though a person no longer has symptoms. It must be completely eliminated.
Cranberry
(vaccinium macrocarpon or vacinnium oxycoccus)
Cranberry juice has been used for more than a century for the prevention and treatment for urinary tract infections. Evidence suggests that it is the antioxidant flavonoids called proanthocyanins that prevent bacteria from adhering to the walls of the urinary tract. A study published in the Canadian Journal of Urology (2002) compared pure cranberry juice, cranberry extract tablets, and placebo in 150 women at high risk for infections. The juice and tablets both significantly reduced UTIs. Of the two, the tablets were the most effective. The National Institutes of Health and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Health recently launched a $2.6 million dollar initiative for research into cranberries.
Cranberry juice
should ideally be unsweetened, especially if it is used by people with suppressed immune systems. The unsweetened juice can often be found in health food stores.
Uva Ursi
- (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
Also called bearberry, uva ursi is an antimicrobial against e coli, arbutin. Pit one tab in cup of boiling water. 1 cup 3 times day. Use tea, tincture, or capsule. Compounds arbutin, methylarbutin. Uva ursi may turn urine green.
Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) - Goldenseal is an antimicrobial. It is found in capsule, tincture or tea form.
Other herbs to consider:
Marshmallow root (Althea officinalis)
Buchu (Barosma betulina) - an antiseptic and diuretic
Corn silk
Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)
Homeopathic
Cantharis
— sharp burning pain, intense urge to urinate
Staphysagria
— continual burning, result of sexual intercourse
Prevention
The best thing you can do is to prevent UTIs from occuring. Urinate as you feel the need. Avoid holding in urine.
Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day
Avoid excess coffee, alcohol, smoking, and spicy foods
Women should wipe from the front to the back after going to the bathroom. This helps to prevent e.coli from the colon from entering the bladder.
Cleanse the genital area before sexual intercourse. Urinating after sexual intercourse can also help.
Avoid bubble baths, feminine hygiene sprays, and scented douches, products which can irritate the urethra
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Cold sores, also known as oral herpes, are fluid-filled blisters that usually occur on the lips, gums, or roof of the mouth. Cold sores generally clear in 7 to 10 days.
Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus. They are contagious and spread through contact with infected saliva (e.g. sharing eating utensils and towels).
Canker sores also produce small ulcers, but they are usually found on soft tissues, such as the tongue and walls of the mouth.
Lysine
Lysine is an "essential" amino acid, meaning that we must get it through food or supplements because the body cannot make it on its own. It is used to make protein, which we need to produce infection-fighting antibodies, enzymes, hormones, and body tissues.
Lysine has been found to inhibit the spread of the herpes simplex virus.
Although we get lysine through food sources such as red meat, milk, eggs, cheese, wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, and fish, what appears to be most important is the ratio of lysine to another amino acid, arginine. They compete with each other for absorption in the intestines, so the less arginine there is in the diet, the more lysine is absorbed. Foods that are rich in arginine include chocolate, peanuts, and almonds.
In addition to these temporary dietary changes:
Lysine supplements -
(e.g. 1,000 mg taken three times a day) may help to shorten the duration of cold sores.
Lysine ointment
- a pilot study by the southern california university looked at the effectiveness of a lysine-containing ointment in 30 people. Researchers found that the ointment produced full resolution in 40% of participants by the third day and in 87 percent by the end of the sixth day. No adverse effects were reported.
Lemon Balm
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) has antiviral properties. In a research study conducted in hospitals and dermatology clinics in Germany, lemon balm cream promoted the healing of blisters in 5 days compared to 10 days in the control group. Used on regularly, lemon balm cream may decrease the frequency of recurrences.
Reishi and Astragalus
Reishi, also called
Ganoderma lucidum is a type of mushroom that has a long history of use in traditional Asian medicine to strengthen the immune system.
Reishi has been found to inhibit the spread of the herpes virus.
Dosages:
A typical dose is 600 mg once or twice a day.
Reishi is available in powder or supplement form. Reishi can delay blood clotting, so consult your doctor before taking reishi if you are taking aspirin, warfarin (coumadin), or any other medications or supplements that interfere with clotting.
In Asian medicine, reishi is often used in conjunction with an herb called astragalus. Astragalus has been found to improve immune function in people with herpes simplex keratitis.
Resveratrol
Resveratrol, a compound found naturally in red grapes, has been shown to be active against the herpes simplex virus in laboratory studies.
A study by the Northeastern Ohio University demonstrated that resveratrol cream applied topically two, three, or five times a day effectively suppressed cold sore development if it was applied 1 or 6 hours after infection with the herpes virus.
Resveratrol cream was also found to be as effective as 5% acyclovir ointment (Zovirax). Resveratrol cream also effectively suppressed cold sore formation in animals with herpes simplex infection that was resistant to acyclovir.
Precautions:
No side effects were reported.
Peppermint Oil
A study by the University of Heidelberg found that peppermint essential oil was found to penetrate the skin and have a direct virucidal effect against the herpes simplex virus. Peppermint oil was also found to be active against an acyclovir-resistant strain of the herpes simplex virus.
Although it is promising, peppermint oil should not be used until studies have established its safety (it is absorbed through skin). And peppermint oil should never be ingested.
Propolis
Propolis, also called bee propolis, is a brownish, resinous substance. Bees collect it from poplar and conifer buds and use it "cement" their hives and keep them germ-free. It is sold in health food stores.
A study found that propolis was active against herpes simplex 1 virus. It is believed to work by preventing the virus from entering body cells and by blocking the replication and spread of the virus.
Self-Heal
The herb self-heal, also known as
Prunella vulgaris is a perennial plant commonly found in China and Europe.
Extracts of this herb have been found to be effective against both herpes simplex 1 and 2 viruses. It is also believed to work against acyclovir-resistant strains of the herpes virus. )
Other supplements and herbal medicines
Echinacea
- A study by the University of Ottawa found that Echinacea is active against herpes simplex type 1.
Black currant
- An extract of black currant, also known as Ribes nigrum or Kurokarin in Japan, was found to fight the herpes virus in laboratory studies.
Rhubarb and sage cream
- A German study examined rhubarb-sage cream compared to sage cream and Zovirax in 149 people with oral herpes cold sores. The combined topical sage-rhubarb preparation proved to be as effective as topical aciclovir cream and tended to be more active than the sage cream.
Undaria pinnatifida
- known as wakame in Japan, undaria is a type of seaweed that has been found to improve the healing time and reactivation of herpes infections.
Precautions
People with tuberculosis, leukemia, diabetes, connective tissue disorders, multiple sclerosis, HIV or AIDS, any autoimmune diseases, organ transplant, or possibly, liver disorders should not take herbs or supplements that improve immune function (such as reishi and astragalus) without consulting their doctor first-they may reduce the effectiveness of medications that suppress the immune system.
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What Is Menopause?
Menopause is a normal condition that all women experience as they age. The term menopause is commonly used to describe any of the changes a woman experiences either just before or after she stops menstruating, marking the end of her reproductive period.
What Is The Cause of Menopause?
A woman is born with a finite number of
eggs
, which are stored in the ovaries. The ovaries also produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which regulate menstruation and ovulation. Menopause occurs when the ovaries no longer produce an egg every month and menstruation stops.
Menopause, when it occurs after the age of 40, is considered "natural" and is a normal part of aging. However, some women can experience menopause early, either because of a surgical intervention, such as hysterectomy, or damage to the ovaries from
chemotherapy
. Menopause that occurs before the age of 40, regardless of the cause, is called premature menopause.
What Are the Symptoms of Menopause?
Most women going through menopause will experience
hot flashes
, a sudden feeling of warmth that spreads over the upper body that is often accompanied by blushing and some sweating. The severity of hot flashes varies from mild in most women to severe in others.
Other common symptoms include:
Irregular or skipped periods
Insomnia
Fatigue
Racing heart
Headaches
Joint and muscle aches and pains
Changes in libido
(sex drive)
Not all women get all of these symptoms.
Survey that was recently conducted for,
“Women in Menopause”
Two surveys of herbal and alternative medicine use during menopause were recently published. Here are the interesting findings of the surveys:
