 Over 50% of women will suffer from a urinary tract infection (UTI) during their lifetime. One-third to one-half of these women will have a recurrent UTI within one year. Recurrent UTI’s are defined as three or more UTI’s in a 12 month period (1). The most commonly used conventional therapies for these conditions are antibiotics. There is increased awareness and concern about antibiotic resistance with repetitive use of these medicines. This growing concern has created an interest in alternative treatments for UTI’s. The purpose of this article is discuss this conditions, the causes, and alternative treatments for cure and further prevention.
This article will also illuminate the link between UTI’s and an imbalanced gut microbiome, otherwise known as dysbiosis. Gastrointestinal conditions associated with dysbiosis such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) are common in those with bladder infections. Urinary Tract Infections (UTI’s)
The Link to Common Gastrointestinal Conditions such as IBS and SIBO To read more about IBS and SIBO, please see my original article here - SIBO article). The underlying root cause for both IBS and SIBO is dysbiosis, or an imbalanced microflora in the gastrointestinal tract. There has been an increased correlation with these gastrointestinal conditions and UTI’s (10). An article by Ojetti et al. has identified that the treatment of constipation from SIBO may avoid the reinfection of E. coli in the urinary tract from the rectal reservoir (11). The treatment of IBS and/or SIBO is mentioned in my article referenced above. Conclusion: A Well Rounded Approach to UTI’s There are numerous studies demonstrating the effectiveness of natural substances for prevention and treatment of UTI’s. The most studied of these are discussed in this article including: cranberry, uva ursi, d-mannose and probiotics. The increased prevalence of UTI’s occurring concurrently with conditions such as IBS and SIBO suggests the need to address these gastrointestinal ailments in conjunction with using the above researched therapies for UTI’s. A well rounded approach for UTI’s which addresses dysbiosis in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as using the above natural UTI remedies, shows promise for treatment and long-term prevention of UTI’s. REFERENCES 1. Foxman B. Epidemiology of urinary tract infections: incidence, morbidity, and economic costs. Dis Mon. 2003;49:53-70. 2. Weinstock LB, Kutke CG, Lin HC. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in patients with interstitial cystitis and gastrointestinal symptoms. Dig Dis Sci. 2008 May;53(5):1246-51. 3. Abraham, Soman N.; Miao, Yuxuan. The nature of immune responses to urinary tract infections". Nature Reviews. Immunology. 2015 (10): 655–663. 4. Dielubanza, EJ; Schaeffer, AJ. Urinary tract infections in women. The Medical Clinics of North America. 2011. 95 (1): 27–41. 5. Bassetti M, Mikulska M, Viscoli C. Bench-to-bedside review: therapeutic management of invasive candidiasis in the intensive care unit. Critical Care. 2010. 14 (6): 244. 6. Hooton TM, Vecchio M, Iroz A, et al. Effect of Increased Daily Water Intake in Premenopausal Women With Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2018;178(11):1509-1515 7. Beereport MA, ter Riet G, Nys S, et al. Lactobacilli vs antibiotics to prevent urinary tract infections: a randomized, double-blind, noninferiority trial in postmenopausal women. Arch Intern Med. 2012;172(9):704-712. 8. Head KA. Natural approaches to prevention and treatment of infections of thee lower urinary tract. Altern Med Rev 2008 Sep; 13 (3):227-44. 9. Kranjcec B, Papes D, Altarac S. D-mannose powder for prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infections in women: a randomized clinical trial. World J Urol. 2014 Feb;32(1):79-84. 10. Romańczuk W, Korczawski R. Chronic constipation: a cause of recurrent urinary tract infections. Turk J Pediatr 1993; 35: 181–188. 11. V Ojetti, G Bruno, et al. The prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and methane production in patients with myelomeningocele and constipation. Spinal Cord, 2014 volume 52, pages 61–64.
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 Bloating is not fun. We've all been through it, looking 9 months pregnant can make us feel unpleasant, uncomfortable and unattractive. Bloating can come with other symptoms like constipation, gas, stomach or lower abdominal pain, feeling swollen and more. So what causes bloating? Here are 6 of the most common causes of bloating I see in practice.
1. Eating Habits - eating or drinking too quickly, eating too much food, not properly chewing our food can result in bloating. The reason for this is that our body is not able to secrete the proper amount of enzymes and stomach acid to effectively break down our food. Another reason is that eating too quickly increases the likelihood of swallowing air. Take away: eat mindfully, do not have liquids with your meal, and watch your portions. I really like the 5-10-15 rule: take 5 deep belly breaths before a meal, put down your utensils for 10 seconds after every bite, and make sure your meal takes no less than 15 minutes.  Part 1 - Your Digestion from an Eastern Perspective
According to naturopathic medicine, our digestive system is the key to balanced health and vitality. Naturopathic medicine is a combination of Western, modern scientific knowledge with Eastern traditions. Eastern traditions include: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which was the first formalized system of healthcare in modern civilization, along with Ayurvedic Medicine, the ancient medical system from India. Both of these traditions understand that in order to extract the nourishment we need from food, there needs to be balance and integrity in both the body and mind.  Constipation is a condition that affects 1 in 4 Canadians and is defined as having a bowel movement fewer than four times per week. Chronic constipation can sometimes be managed with diet and lifestyle including extra fluid intake, exercise, increased dietary fibre and more. For some of us though, these changes either make a small difference or the effect doesn’t last and the constipation returns!
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