Bladder Infections

Two early signs of bladder infection are cloudy urine and a burning sensation when you urinate. You may also experience pain or a sense of heaviness in the bladder, especially when it is full or has just been emptied. As the infection progresses, false alarms from irritated nerves can send you running to the bathroom unnecessarily. If the symptoms of your bladder infection grow to include a dull ache in the lower back and a fever, consult a doctor immediately—these symptoms are warning signs that the infection has spread to the kidneys, and kidney infections are very serious problems.

Several years ago, I was at a New Year's dinner party and got to talking with a man named John. I'm not sure how we got on the subject of bladder infections, but I think it started with the cranberries we were eating. I listened with interest to John's bladder infection odyssey. It began in California as he embarked on a long drive to Canada. It was obvious from his story that the trip would have been much less eventful had it not been for a persistent bladder infection that got worse the farther north he drove. He met people he never would have met and had adventures that never would have occurred without the infection, in part because he had to make so many "pit stops." In time, the situation became rather dire, but by that time he was working in the wilderness in Canada's remote Northwest Territory.

Far from any doctors, he suffered with his problem for a few months. When he returned to California, his doctor immediately put him on a high dose of the antibiotic tetracycline. Thinking the problem would finally be resolved, John returned to his job in Canada. Unfortunately, the drug did little to help the infection, though it did permanently stain his teeth (an unfortunate side effect that sometimes occurs with this antibiotic). During his next trip back to California, John received a prescription for a second, stronger round of antibiotics, also with no results.

By this time, poor John was ready to put himself in the hospital because he could barely urinate, was suffering tremendously and feared he was becoming impotent. He was saved when someone told him about cranberry juice (and pumpkin seed oil for his reproductive system). To his complete amazement, the juice began to improve his infection in only a couple of days. Not knowing I was an herbalist, he turned to me after finishing his tale and said that I probably found that hard to believe. I smiled and said, "Not at all." Actually, I had heard dozens of similar stories.

An increasingly common source of bladder infection is chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease (see "Vaginal Infections" in chapter 71). The culprit behind most bladder infections, however, is E. coli, a bacteria normally found in the bowels that all too easily finds its way into the bladder.

One way to discourage bladder infection is to keep your urine too acidic for bacteria like E. coli to survive. Cranberry juice is famous for this, and it is so well accepted that your physician may already be prescribing this folk remedy. You can also acidify your urine the Japanese way, by eating umaboshi plums. In Japan, one or two plums are added to a pot of rice or some other dish. For convenience, there is also an umaboshi plum concentrate sold in natural food stores.

Recently, researchers working at the Weizmann Institute of Science and Tel Aviv University in Israel discovered that cranberries and blueberries do even more than simply increase urine's acidity. They also contain compounds that keep bacteria from attaching to the bladder's wall and so prevent infections from taking hold. The recommended dose is three to six ounces a day of cranberry juice or 1½ ounces of the berries. Since commercial cranberry juice is laden with sugar, it is best to make your own remedy from raw berries or to buy unsweetened cranberry concentrate or capsules of dried cranberry, both of which are sold in natural food stores. If you have ever tasted raw cranberries, you already know that they are much too tart to eat raw, but they can be cooked into a tasty medicine—see the recipe in chapter 133. Unlike cranberries, blueberries can be eaten raw.

I have seen the herb uva ursi work on bladder infections that even cranberry could not defeat. This groundcover from the southwestern United States contains a powerful antiseptic that is activated when it reaches the urinary tract. Once there, it kills bacteria, removes infectious material, reduces inflammation and probably even strengthens the urinary tract lining. Interestingly enough, medical researchers have found that this herb works best in the alkaline environment produced by bacteria. Uva ursi enjoyed official recognition in the prescription guide known as the U.S. Pharmacopoeia as late as 1950, when it was replaced with sulfa drugs (antibiotics). In Germany, this herb is still used by doctors to treat urinary tract infection and inflammation. On the advice of herbalist and author Michael Moore, I use manzanita, a close relative of uva ursi, since it grows abundantly where I live in the northern California mountains.

For all its good, uva ursi can slightly irritate the kidneys and upset your stomach if used for more than a week or so. However, this should give you plenty of time to knock out even the most stubborn bladder infection. One way to mellow out uva ursi's harshness is by adding marshmallow to your formula. Marshmallow soothes the urinary tract and also fights urinary tract infection in a way similar to uva ursi, although it is not quite as powerful. Your best bet is to take these herbs as indicated below, then, when the symptoms have subsided, switch to cranberry, blueberry or umaboshi. You can also use a massage oil on the bladder area that contains an antiseptic essential oil such as tea tree, for extra soothing.

Other urinary tract infection fighters that you can put on your dinner plate include garlic, nasturtium and rose hips (which is high in the infection-fighting vitamin C). And next time you dine out, you should think twice before leaving your parsley garnish on your plate. One of the compounds found in parsley seeds is a basic ingredient in pharmaceutical drugs used to treat urinary infections. Since parsley seeds can be toxic in large amounts, however, you should stick to using the leaves and the root. One food that contains plenty of both parsley and garlic is the Middle Eastern salad known as tabbouleh. You can purchase this salad already prepared at many delis or you can make your own.

Several herbs reduce the inflammation and pain that often accompany a bladder infection. Marshmallow, cramp bark and especially goldenrod are good choices. Another herb that can be used to soothe irritation is purslane. Although you may not find purslane in stores, you may find this "weed" growing in your garden. This sprawling succulent is so healthful, in fact, that some vegetable gardeners have taken to planting it in their gardens. To use it, simply chop it up and add it to salads and vegetable dishes.

If you suffer from urinary tract spasms and constriction, both of which make it difficult to urinate, try taking meadowsweet, fennel seed and hydrangea. European herbalists suggest drinking a "tea" of lemon and barley water as a soothing diuretic. You can make barley water by cooking barley with a whole chopped lemon, then straining and drinking the water. Or you can get the same health benefits by dining on barley soup (in chapter 126). For other recipes to allow you to eat your way to good bladder health— tabbouleh and dishes that include parsley, nasturtium flowers and garlic—see chapters 125 to 135.

Urinary Infection Tea

1 teaspoon uva ursi

½ teaspoon each corn silk, cramp bark, marshmallow root and rose hips

1 quart water

Simmer herbs in water for a couple of minutes, then steep them for 20 minutes. Strain herbs. Drink 2 to 4 cups daily. To make sure the infection is gone, continue taking the herbs for 2 days after the symptoms disappear.

Urinary Massage Oil

1/8 teaspoon tea tree essential oil

4 ounces vegetable oil

Combine ingredients and it's ready! Rub directly over the bladder twice a day to relieve the pain resulting from urinary tract infection.