Cystitis

🌿 Overview

Cystitis is a bacterial infection of the urinary bladder, and the most frequent bacterial infection in women. About 10-15% of women have recurrent bladder infections. The usual cause is bacteria that have ascended from the urinary opening (urethra is close to the vagina in women, making cross-contamination easy). Children may experience burning pain on urination. In older men, bladder infection may indicate kidney stones or prostate trouble. Blood in the urine should always prompt physician evaluation. Cyclamate (artificial sweetener) is a known cause of bladder tumors and should be completely avoided. Home testing with a 'Dipstick' nitrate test confirms infection by detecting large numbers of white blood cells.

Common signs

• Frequent, urgent urination -- often with only small amounts passed
• Painful, burning sensation during urination
• Lower abdominal and back pain
• Cloudy, strong-smelling, or discolored urine (pus in urine)
• Desire to urinate even immediately after emptying the bladder
• In children: painful burning with urination
• In men: may indicate prostate or kidney stone involvement

🔎 Why it happens

Common causes and triggers — spotting yours is often the first step to relief.

• Bacteria (typically E. coli) ascending from the urethra into the bladder
• Poor wiping hygiene (back-to-front instead of front-to-back)
• Intercourse with unclean hands or too frequently
• Nylon, synthetic, or tight underclothing trapping moisture
• Birth control pills and spermicides
• Tampons during recurrent infections
• Aluminum cookware (a listed cause of cystic symptoms)
• Artificial sweeteners including cyclamate (cause bladder tumors)

✅ What to do

Gentle, practical steps you can take at home — start at the top.

1. Increase fluid intake immediately -- drink a half pint of water every 20 minutes for 3 hours, then one cup every hour.
2. Distilled water is best.
3. Drink 1-2 quarts of cranberry juice per day initially, then 1 quart daily while the problem continues -- cranberry is the only fruit juice that remains acid all the way to the kidneys.
4. Avoid citrus juice during acute infection (makes urine alkaline, promoting bacterial growth).
5. Mix 1 teaspoon baking soda in a glass of water to make the urine less painful while cranberry and water do their work.
6. Take hot sitz baths twice daily for 20 minutes -- add 1 cup vinegar to one of them, and 2 cloves crushed garlic to the other the next day.
7. Place a hot-water bottle directly against the urethral/vaginal area to reduce pain.
8. Helpful herbs: juniper, lovage, parsley, uva ursi, rupturewort, bearberry, birch, prickly ash.
9. Drink teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → made from 2-3 crushed garlic bulbs several times daily.
10. Eat a nourishing diet; see Nephritis section for kidney and urinary tract support.
11. Prepare a broth from thick potato peelings and carrots to restore potassium.

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🍽️ Eating to help

Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.

Nourishing whole-food diet. Abundant water (distilled best). Cranberry juice (1-2 quarts/day acutely). No citrus during infection. No artificial sweeteners (especially cyclamate). No aluminum cookware. Avoid zinc and iron supplements until infection is resolved. Garlic daily.

📜 A note from history

J.H. Contraindicated: cold sitz, cold full bath, cold douche, cold footbath.

💬 Ask Remy about Cystitis