Ureaplasma Uti Prostatitis And A Not
Upon getting treated for yet another infection, my second urogynecologist mentioned a bacterium called ureaplasma. As before, I dove into the recesses of the internet, and found that it is one of the most common sexually-transmitted infections. But because it doesnt cause obvious symptoms for many, its barely on anyones radar.
According to my research, a rise in infertility, prostatitis and prostate cancer were now linked to underlying ureaplasma and mycoplasma infections.
Suddenly, something clicked. My infections worsened after meeting my new partner, AND he had suffered prostatitis for sixteen years. Perhaps we needed a holistic treatment for UTI, not just for myself, but for my partner as well. We found a cutting-edge urologist specializing in prostatitis, and he performed a an advanced PCR semen culture.
Lo and behold, our suspicions were confirmed. My partner and I both had ureaplasma. He had thought his herbal remedy was curing the issue, when in reality, it was possibly only minimizing the inflammation symptoms of an underlying infection. We were both put on a new kind of antibiotic appropriate for ureaplasma.
My partner was able to clear his infection with the first round of antibiotics and his symptoms abated for the first time in 16 years. For me, not so much. Two more infections hit in the month after finishing antibiotics.
You can learn more about UTI and prostatitis in our expert video series.
Probiotics : How To Boost Gut Health And Manage Your Utis
Reviewed by Board Certified Urologist Dr. Yana Barbalat
Antibiotics have been the go-to infection fighter for a long time. From strep throat to urinary tract infections, chances are youve probably been prescribed antibiotics at least once.
But whats the deal with probiotics? Can they do the same job as antibiotics? More importantly, can they do it better?
Here are the facts. Probiotics are an effective and natural way to improve your gut health and manage infections. They can keep your microbiome in balance and repair the damage that antibiotics do to your body, especially for those suffering from chronic UTIs.
Around the world, 60% of all women will experience at least one UTI in their lifetime. And after the first infection, they have a 24% chance of getting another one. These recurrent UTIs typically require round after round of antibiotics, making your body antibiotic-resistant and killing off good bacteria with the bad.
Enter: probiotics. Lets break down all the benefits of introducing more probiotics to your body, from keeping your gut in check to preventing and treating UTIs.
But first, what are probiotics?
In your body right now, youre holding over 100 trillion microbes. These are active, living bacteria cells . Bad microbes cause infections and viruses. Good microbes heal the body and fight off the bad microbes.
How do probiotics improve gut health?
Can I take probiotics for UTI prevention?
Can I take probiotics to treat a UTI?
How can I get more probiotics?
Resistant Uti Bacteria In Uninfected Women
In the new Clinical Infectious Diseases study, researchers tested stool samples from more than 1,000 healthy women who were free of UTI symptoms. The women were from the Puget Sound area of Washington.
The tests revealed that 8.8% of the women were carrying fluoroquinolone resistant strains of E. coli in their guts.
Doctors frequently prescribe fluoroquinolones for the treatment of UTIs. The researchers note that, although there have been efforts to limit the use of these antibiotics, resistant strains of bacteria are spreading widely.
In addition, the researchers found that most of the fluoroquinolone resistant E. coli bacteria also belonged to two widespread, multidrug resistant strains that are responsible for most hard-to-treat urinary and blood infections.
The researchers also tested urine samples that the women had given at the same times as the stool samples.
These tests revealed that more than one-third of the women with fluoroquinolone resistant E. coli gut bacteria also had E.coli in their urine. Of these, almost 77% had fluoroquinolone resistant strains that matched those of their stool samples.
Of the women, 45 also gave permission for the team to track their medical records. These showed that 7% of them went on to receive diagnoses of UTI some 3 months later.
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Causes Of Miscarriage That Your Doctor Isnt Telling You About
Theres been a lot more buzz in the news this past year on the topic of miscarriage and recurrent pregnancy loss with more and more celebrities like Mark Zuckerberg opening up about their own struggles and creating the space for others to have that dialogue. I think this is great because this is something that women too often suffer through alone. I have seen how devastating it can be for women who want nothing more than to hold their own child in their arms to have to go through recurrent pregnancy loss. Its not just the pregnancy thats lost its also a loss of hope with each miscarriage. Its the creation of a negative spiral that leaves women believing that theyll never be able to have a healthy baby or that there is something innately wrong with them. Imagine the toll that this can take on someones health and well-being, especially if they are going through it alone. This is why it is so important for us to reach out to the women in our lives who we know are going through this, and just to say how are you doing, really?, and be willing to just be there and listen. It might turn out to be one of the most therapeutic things they experience that week.
I provide 15 minute phone consults to all prospective patients so please call 604 873 9355 or email to book today.
All the best,
Cranberries Can Help But Dont Get Them Through Juice
Bacteria have a tail they use to swim up the urethra and attach to the bladder. When they attach, thats when the problems occur. Research published in Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces proposed that cranberry extracts knock out bacteria’s ability to make that tail, which prevents them from spreading and attaching. A later study from the same group, published in Advanced Science in May 2019, found that the proanthocyanidin in cranberries prevents the evolution of resistance to tetracycline in E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa , rescues antibiotic efficacy against antibiotic-exposed cells, and represses biofilm formation .
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Natural Treatments For Uti Symptoms
Drink Plenty of Fluids
Drinking water or fluids throughout the day helps flush bacteria from your system.
Urinate Often
Urinating often and when the urge arises ensures that bacteria isnt growing in urine that stays in the bladder. Its also important to urinate soon after sexual intercourse in order to flush out bacteria that may have entered the urethra.
Wipe Properly
Women should wipe from front to back, especially after a bowel movement. This ensures that bacteria doesnt get into the urethra.
Wear Loose-Fitting Clothes
Loose-fitting clothes and underwear allow air to keep the urethra dry. Wearing tight jeans or material like nylon can be problematic because moisture can be trapped, allowing bacteria to grow.
Avoid Using Spermicides
Spermicides can increase irritation and allow bacteria to grow. Using unlubricated condoms can also cause irritation, so choose lubricated condoms that dont contain spermicides.
Probiotics
Because of the development of bacterial resistance, a promising alternative treatment for recurring UTIs is probiotics. Researchers have found that benign bacterial flora is crucial for preventing the overgrowth of microorganisms that lead to illness.
Cranberry Juice
Garlic
Garlic has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. Studies have found that garlic extracts exhibits antibacterial activity against a wide range of bacteria, including E. coli, the bacteria that most commonly causes UTIs.
Vitamin C
UTI Symptoms Precautions
Drug Resistant Uti Bacteria Can Hide In The Gut
Doctors are finding it more and more difficult to treat a common infection because the bacteria that cause it are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. Now, new research may have uncovered one reason for the pervasiveness of these superbugs.
Urinary tract infections arise when bacteria enter the urinary tract. It is one of the infections to affect people.
Although any part of the urinary tract can become infected, UTIs most commonly occur in the bladder.
UTIs are more common in girls and women than in boys and men.
The urethra, or urine pipe, is shorter and nearer to the anus in females, which allows germs from the gut to reach various parts of the female urinary tract more easily.
The main cause of UTI in women is the bacterium Escherichia coli. Drug resistant strains of E.coli are spreading widely, causing doctors to think twice about which antibiotics to prescribe.
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Herbal Tea For Urinary Tract Infections
Heres the DIY herbal home remedy:
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon plantain
Method
Leaky Gut: What Is It And What Does It Mean For You
- By , Contributor
Before the medical community had better understanding of the mechanisms that cause disease, doctors believed certain ailments could originate from imbalances in the stomach. This was called hypochondriasis. This concept was rejected as science evolved and, for example, we could look under a microscope and see bacteria, parasites, and viruses. The meaning of the term changed, and for many years doctors used the word “hypochondriac” to describe a person who has a persistent, often inexplicable fear of having a serious medical illness.
But what if this ancient concept of illnesses originating in the gut actually holds some truth? Could some of the chronic diseases our society faces today actually be associated with a dysfunctional gastrointestinal system?
The expression “leaky gut” is getting a lot of attention in medical blogs and social media lately, but dont be surprised if your doctor does not recognize this term. Leaky gut, also called increased intestinal permeability, is somewhat new and most of the research occurs in basic sciences. However, there is growing interest to develop medications that may be used in patients to combat the effects of this problem.
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Who Gets A Leaky Gut
We all have some degree of leaky gut, as this barrier is not completely impenetrable . Some of us may have a genetic predisposition and may be more sensitive to changes in the digestive system, but our DNA is not the only one to blame. Modern life may actually be the main driver of gut inflammation. There is emerging evidence that the standard American diet, which is low in fiber and high in sugar and saturated fats, may initiate this process. Heavy alcohol use and stress also seem to disrupt this balance.
We already know that increased intestinal permeability plays a role in certain gastrointestinal conditions such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. The biggest question is whether or not a leaky gut may cause problems elsewhere in the body. Some studies show that leaky gut may be associated with other autoimmune diseases , chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, arthritis, allergies, asthma, acne, obesity, and even mental illness. However, we do not yet have clinical studies in humans showing such a cause and effect.
Symptoms Of A Urinary Tract Infection
Symptoms of a lower UTI include
- Pain or discomfort when urinating
- The feeling of being unable to empty your bladder fully
- Cloudy and/or foul-smelling urine that may contain blood
- Pain in your lower abdomen and pelvis
- Feeling achy, tired and generally under-the-weather
Symptoms of an upper UTI include
- A high temperature of 38°C
- Pain in your sides or back
- Shivering or chills
- Agitation or restlessness
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The Unwelcome Return Of Uti In My New Bedroom
Around this time, a friend told me about the idea of psychosomatic and spiritual traumas manifesting as chronic pain or disease. After reading You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay, I began to realize that there was likely an energetic component of this pain. It forced me to ask myself, is my body trying to communicate something?
The idea that sex wouldnt hurt one day was impossible, as long as I was with my ex. But the idea that another man would accept my body for its limitations was even more implausible to me. I believed he was my last chance at love, and yet, my body was telling me otherwise.
In a last-ditch attempt to save our marriage, we flew to St. Lucia for a relationship retreat with my coaches. We returned home uncoupled.
And now, I was staring down the barrel of navigating the divorcee dating world as a single mom with a mountain of medical debt and a skeleton in her sacred closet.
What The Medical Community Has To Say About Leaky Gut Syndrome
Do most conventional doctors support the idea that leaky gut is real?
WebMD refers to leaky gut as something of a medical mystery. This isnt surprising, since its not a diagnosis that most doctors have been taught in medical school. From an MDs standpoint, its a very gray area, says gastroenterologist Donald Kirby, MD Director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the Cleveland Clinic. In his opinion, Physicians dont know enough about the gut, which is our biggest immune system organ.
To make matters worse, government agencies have also contributed to the confusion. According to the United Kingdoms National Health Service , There is currently little evidence to support the theory that a porous bowel is the direct cause of any significant, widespread problems.
Yet, not everyone agrees. A roundtable review quotes the researchers at seven different European universities in 2014 agreeing upon the following:
Alteration of the gut barrier seems to have multiple consequences facilitating the onset of a variety of diseases depending on other hits and on genetic or epigenetic constellations, respectively. The growing significance of the gut barrier and bacterial translocation raises the questions of how we can improve gut barrier functions and gut microbiota.
So while its encouraging that science is coming around to leaky gut syndrome being a real problem, we are by no means at a point where there are standard diagnostic tools for testing and treating leaky gut.
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Alexis 2: Autoimmune Disease
In addition to IC, Alexis has gastroparesis and Sjogren’s, an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the glands that produce saliva and tears. Through her own research, she learned that Sjogren’s could cause both gastroparesis and IC.
“The immune system should normally be involved in defending ourselves from invaders, but when not functioning properly, the immune system can actually attack our own bodies,” Dr. Rafatjah says. “If the immune system is causing an inflammatory reaction in the bladder, then symptoms of IC would be inevitable.”
There are several reports of Sjogren’s patients suffering from IC in scientific literature. People with IC are also 30 times as likely as the rest of the population to have systemic lupus, another autoimmune disorder, according to the Interstitial Cystitis Association. These patients may see reduction of IC symptoms after treating their autoimmune conditions.
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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Abundance Of Infectious Bacteria In The Gut May Predict Risk Of Urinary Tract Infection
Illustration of E. coli bacteria.
Urinary tract infections in kidney transplant patients may be caused by bacteria that originate in the digestive tract, according to investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University and NewYork-Presbyterian.
The study, published Dec. 4 in Nature Communications, suggests that the gut microbiota – the unique bacterial population of the digestive system – may be capable of seeding the urinary tract with infectious organisms. The research also suggests that new treatments for UTIs may be found in strategies that alter the balance of gut bacteria towards so-called good organisms.
The study, led by Dr. John Lee, assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and a nephrologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, identifies gut bacterial profiles associated with the risk of developing UTIs. Previous research detected the association at the time of infection, but stopped short of identifying the microbial characteristics believed to precede the UTI.
Dr. John Lee
Dr. Lee and his team, including first author Matthew Magruder, a student at Weill Cornell Medical College, investigated the link by collecting fecal and urine samples from 168 kidney transplant recipients over a three-month period, quantifying the specific amount and types of bacteria using state-of-the-art sequencing technology.
The team is now planning follow-up studies to further establish the link between gut microbiota and UTIs.