Cystitis, or infection of the bladder, usually is caused by some type of bacteria. Nearly 85 percent of all bladder infections are caused by Escherichia coli, a bacterium normally found in the intestines.
Chlamydia may also cause bladder problems, also bladder cancer and prostatitis in men can cause infections. These more serious problems warrants medical attention.
Cystitis is much more common in women. Mainly due to the way we are made. The close proximity of the anus, vagina, and urethra in females, and also because of the short length of the female urethra ( the opening to the bladder). This allows for easy transmission of bacteria from the anus to the vagina and urethra and thus to the bladder. Keep the genital and anal areas clean and dry. Women and little girls should wipe from front to back after emptying the bladder or bowels. And women should always urinate after intercourse to flush the passage to the bladder.
Symptoms of a bladder infection usually begin with an urgent desire to empty the bladder. This is typically frequent and painful, even after the bladder has been emptied, there may be a desire to urinate again. The urine often has a strong, unpleasant odor, may be dark in color, and may appear cloudy.
Children suffering from a bladder infection often complain of lower abdominal pain and a painful burning sensation while urinating. There may be blood in the urine.
While cystitis itself is usually more of an annoyance ( don’t tell that to anyone with a bladder infection) than a serious health problem, if left untreated it can lead to a kidney infection.
There are factors that increase the possibility of developing a bladder infection:
- Pregnancy
- Sexual intercourse
- Use of a diaphragm
- Diabetes
- Structural abnormality or obstruction of the urinary tract which restricts the free flow of urine
Habitually retaining the urine in the bladder for long periods increases a woman’s risk of urinary tract infections, and may increase the risk of bladder cancer.
Antibiotics may be necessary treatments for cystitis, especially for persistent and painful infections. Beware of resorting to them too often. Antibiotics disturb the normal internal flora and may promote recurrent infections by promoting the development of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. Because antibiotics has been over prescribed over the years, many of the bacteria in our bodies ( estimates run from 50 to 80 percent) are now resistant to common antibiotics, such as sulfa drugs and tetracycline. This forces doctors to resort to more powerful and potentially more dangerous drugs that pose a greater risk and side effects. Most bladder infections respond quite nicely to a more natural approach or treatment.
Avoid caffeine which causes the muscles around the bladder neck to contract, and can produce painful bladder spasms.
Drink plenty of liquids, especially cranberry juice. Drink at least one 8-ounce glass of quality water every hour. Cranberry is the best herbal remedy for bladder infections. Quality cranberry juice produces hippuric acid in the urine, which acidifies the urine and inhibits bacterial growth. Other components in cranberry juice prevent bacteria from adhering to the lining of the bladder. Avoid cranberry juice cocktail products ( not enough cranberry juice in the cocktail and way to much sugar to be of any benefit). If pure cranberry juice is not available, cranberry capsules are available, but remember drink lots of water with them.
And of course Colloidal silver is a natural broad spectrum antiseptic and fights infection, subdues inflammation, and promotes healing. Very effective for a bladder infection.
These are great helps in time of need!
The dangers of smoking are well known today, so why do people continue to smoke. Well, some people started smoking before the dangers were widely known, while others started in adolescence, when they either felt invulnerable or more likely to want to fit in with a particular social crowd.
However, surveys show consistently that no matter why or when they started, most current smokers do not smoke because they want to but because they are addicted!
Nicotine has long been known to be a deadly toxin. A single pinhead sized drop of liquid nicotine, directly into the bloodstream, would be fatal. So what happens when the normal dose is ingested while smoking?
Nicotine:
- Makes the heart pump faster and work harder increasing the likelihood of heart disease
- Constricts the peripheral blood vessels, contributing to circulatory disorders such as Raynaud’s phenomenon and hardening of the arteries.
If this wasn’t enough, nicotine is not the only ingredient in cigarettes that poses a danger to health. Over 4,000 chemical substances have been identified as constituents of cigarette smoke. Of these at least 43 are known to cause cancer in humans.
Cigarette smoke contains:
- Carbon monoxide (which binds to hemoglobin, interfering with the transport of oxygen throughout the body. It also promotes the development of cholesterol deposits on artery walls. These two factors increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.)
- Benzene
- Cyanide( Hydrogen cyanide causes bronchitis by inflaming the lining of the bronchi)
- Ammonia
- Nitrosamines
- Vinyl chloride
- Radioactive particles
- Other known irritants and carcinogens.
Over the long term, smoking dramatically reduces flow of blood to the brain.
Men who have smoked for years are more likely to have abnormally low penile blood pressure, leading to impotence. The sperm of men who smoke have less ability than that of nonsmokers to penetrate, and thus fertilize, an egg, leading to sterility.
Women cigarette smokers are more likely:
- To experience menopause earlier
- To face a greater risk of osteoporosis after menopause
- To have a much higher risk of developing cervical or uterine cancer
- They appear less fertile
- To have more difficulties during pregnancy
- To have more miscarriages, stillbirths, and premature deliveries
- To have smaller babies which have more health problems than nonsmokers
Infants whose mothers smoke both during pregnancy and after childbirth appear to be three times as likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) as infants of nonsmokers.
Children whose fathers smoke also face an increase in health problems. Children of male smokers have been shown to be at a higher than normal risk of developing brain cancer and leukemia.
Smoking dramatically effects nutrition. Smokers break down vitamin C twice as fast as nonsmokers. This effects the gum and teeth health, along with many other processes that speeds the aging process. This can deprive the body of adequate amounts of one of the most powerful and versatile antioxidants at our disposal. Other antioxidant vitamins are depleted as well. Cigarette smoke is high in nitrogen dioxide ozone, which oxidizes the antioxidant vitamins and is known to do damage to DNA.
Tobacco smoking causes an estimated:
- One third of all cancer deaths
- One fourth of fatal heart attacks
- 85 percent of deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- 85 percent of lung cancer cases.
Other health problems linked to smoking include:
- Angina
- Arteriosclerosis
- Cataracts
- Chronic bronchitis
- Colorectal cancer
- Diarrhea
- Emphysema
- Heartburn
- High blood pressure
- Impotence
- Peptic ulcers
- Respiratory ailments
- Urinary Incontinence
- Circulatory ailments
- Cancers of the mouth and throat
The good news is that this addiction can be overcome, and that health benefits begin almost immediately. In just 24 hours after your last cigarette, your blood pressure and pulse rate should return to normal, as well as the levels of oxygen and carbon monoxide in your blood. Within a week the risk of heart attack begins to decrease, the senses of smell and taste improve, breathing becomes easier.
Our health is our responsibility. It takes a decision on our part to take control of our actions, which affects not only us but our loved ones for many years to come. Hopefully we will be here to enjoy them. It is said that every cigarette smoked takes off 15 minutes from the end of one’s life. Let’s take action now, You Can Do It!!
There are products that help
Why do our colons need a good cleansing? Well think about it, what was it created to do? What’s it’s purpose? It’s function is to remove waste. We ask a lot of it. We all need to realize our colon is a crucial part of our health. If it isn’t healthy, we can develop serious diseases anytime.
Old fecal matter that is stuck to the wall or in pockets of the colon will throw off toxins, feed parasites and poison your health.
Eliminating fatty wastes, mucus, and other toxic buildups are very important to our well being.
You know the saying is true, “death begins in the colon”, because our cancer fighters are in our colon and if its clogged up, the cells that can locate a precancerous cell can’t detect it.
This environment prevents the colonizing of the good or friendly bacteria. Friendly bacteria in the digestive tract aids digestion and increases the resistance to harmful bacteria, yeast and viruses.
Toxic buildup side effects can cause several conditions:
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Bloating and indigestion
- Weight gain
- Inability to lose weight
- Disruption in mental function
- Pain and stiffness in the joints
- Excess strain leading to weakening of the heart
- Blemishes or acne
- Psoriasis
- Bad breath
No wonder our society has so many diseases or conditions our grandparents never had to deal with in their time.
Statistics show that 90% of the diseases of our time are due to improper functioning of the colon.
So do our colons need a good cleansing?
Apparently our bodies tell us they do.
Here are some excellent products
We tend to think when we hear the word” bacteria” that it is always dangerous or bad, when in actuality our intestinal tracts contain a complex and diverse culture of disease causing (bad) and “friendly”or good bacteria. We must have the “friendly” bacteria to survive.
Our goal for a Healthy Immune System is to have many more of the Friendly bacteria than the disease causing bacteria. Also known as probiotics.
The most predominant organism in the intestinal flora of a healthy intestinal tract is Bifidobacterium Bifidum. This lovely little creature is essential to our well being.
Breast feeding of babies encourages the growth of this “friendly” bacteria known as Bifidobacterium. It protect the baby from gastrointestinal infections so severe that it requires hospitalization or even death.
Mother’s milk contains sugars (galacto-oligosaccharides) which Bifidobacterium feed and flourish on in the intestinal track. Studies show by the fourth day of life Bifidobacterium represent 48% of the bacteria in the breast fed babies, compared to15% in the bottle fed babies.
As our food travels down to our large intestines, the partially digested remnants become the foods for our friendly or not so friendly bacteria. Each kind or species of bacteria survives best on a particular kind of nutrient. The “friendly” bacteria thrives on plant foods and the pathogens or (bad for us bacteria) thrives on meat or junk food or low plant diets.
So , what we choose to eat determines the predominance of the species of bacteria in our “gut”. We need to have a diet of predominantly whole plant foods, limiting meats and highly processed foods if we want to encourage a healthy immune system.
Friendly bacteria dines on the parts of the plant foods that our bodies can not use. The undigestible complex carbohydrates, also known as dietary fiber , and other smaller undigestible sugars (oligosaccharides), provide the bulk of the food for our bowel bacteria. Only plants have these complex and simple carbohydrates. Purified wood cellulose, which have been added to some breads, calling it “high-fiber breads” is not broken down by the flora in our intestines.
There are several other reasons why the health, or balance of the bacteria or flora in the intestinal tract can be upset. Antibiotic use, illnesses, temperatures, and other drug treatments. These can lead to the overgrowth of Clostridium difficile a pathogenic bacteria.
There are many benefits of having a healthy gut flora, here are but a few:
- Relieves constipation
- increases the resistance to bacteria, yeast and viruses
- Reduces cholesterol and triglycerides
- Improves our digestion
- Speed healing of diarrheal diseases and colitis
- lessen symptoms of inflammatory arthritis
When our diets are not exactly what they should be, help also come in supplements.
These are excellent products
This group of eight water soluble vitamins work together to boost metabolism, keep the skin and muscles healthy, enhance the immune system along with the nervous system. They encourage cell growth and division.
Some of the functions and deficiency signs of these wonderful little troopers are:
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)
Function
Energy metabolism (carbohydrate metabolism), neurological activity, brain and heart function
Deficiency Signs
Beriberi, this condition characterized by fatigue, anorexia, weight loss, gastrointestinal disorders, weakness, heart abnormalities, fluid retention, stunted growth, poor memory convulsions.
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
Function
Energy production, fatty acid and amino acid synthesis.
Deficiency Signs
Corners of the mouth cracking, tongue inflammation, reddening of the eyes, vision problems, dermatitis, nerve damage, malformations and retarded growth in children and infants, decreased neurotransmitter production.
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
Function
Energy production, red blood cell formation, formation of steroid compounds, cognitive function and mood.
Deficiency Signs
Pellagra, a condition characterized by dermatitis, dementia, diarrhea, depression, weakness, schizophrenia, anorexia, and lassitude.
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
Function
Metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats for energy production: production of adrenal hormones and red blood cells.
Deficiency Signs
Numbness and shooting pains in the feet; fatigue
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
Function
Formation of body proteins, neurotransmitters, red blood cells; immunity
Deficiency Signs
Mood abnormalities, sleep problems, anemia, impairment of nerve function, eczema, cracking of the lips and the tongue, premenstrual syndrome, depression.
- Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid)
Function
Prevents neural tube defects ( must be taken by the mother in early pregnancy. The risk is reduced by 60 percent if 600 mcg of folic acid supplement is taken daily by the mother one month prior to conception and through the first trimester. Also reduces the risk of limb and urinary defects.) Cardiovascular health. Red blood cell production. Skin and nail health.
Deficiency Signs
Macrocytic anemia, fatigue, irritability, weakness, weight loss, anorexia, dyspnea, sore tongue, palpitations, forgetfulness, digestive upset, diarrhea.
- Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
Function
Synthesis of DNA, red blood cells, nerve development
Deficiency Signs
Macrocytic anemia, glossitis, spinal cord degeneration, digestive upset, fatigue, mental abnormalities, including irritability, and depression
- Vitamin B7 ( Biotin)
Function
Metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, nail and hair growth
Deficiency Signs
Seborrheic dermatitis (cradle cap) and hair loss in infants, brittle nails and hair .
But stress in our lives drain our bodies of these very important vitamins. And we live in a stressful world. Stress in our lives can cause anxiety, It you suffer from anxiety, chances are that you’re short on B vitamins. B vitamins help combat the effects of stress and will balance your brain chemicals.
Brewer’s yeast is one of the best sources of the B vitamins.
These are very good products
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