Primary care

Preventing and Treating Urinary Tract Infections

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Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can be quite difficult to tolerate and sometimes even to treat. By incorporating various lifestyle changes, one can decrease their chances of getting a urinary tract infection. By incorporating these various changes when you do have a urinary tract infection, one may also be able to better recover from a urinary tract infection. One of the main areas of focus for preventing a urinary tract infection revolves around decreasing exposure to contaminants or possible “infectious agents”. This is not a comprehensive list of how to completely approach a urinary tract infection, and so, if you are experiencing a UTI, please seek medical advice, such as that from a naturopathic doctor.

Lifestyles changes that can help prevent urinary tract infections:

  • Wipe from front to back – wiping from back to front can cause transmission of known UTI causing bacteria from anus to the urethra.
  • Avoid using harsh soaps to clean the urethral and vaginal area.
  • Ensure underwear is only worn for one day before washing.
  • Determine if you have allergies to soaps, clothing detergent, etc.; and avoid the irritating substance.
  • Consider sources of re-infection such as partners, sex toys, and underwear.
  • Make sure to wash sex toys thoroughly after every use.
  • Ensure fully emptying of bladder when urinating.
  • Urinate before and after sexual intercourse.
  • Ensure adequate hydration (i.e. Drink plenty of water).
  • Avoid perfumed toilet paper, soaps, etc.
  • Wear cotton underwear – this can help to better ventilate the urethral area and decrease chances of a UTI.

Diet changes that can help prevent urinary tract infections

  • Eat a diet rich in whole foods with little or no sugar or refined carbohydrates – Sugar and refined carbohydrates can feed certain bacteria and help them to thrive.
  • Avoid known food allergies/sensitivities. If you are curious if you have any, you can contact myself and book an appointment to better determine this.
  • Avoid caffeine and alcohol – these substances can dehydrate and make an individual more prone to UTIs.

What to avoid in order to prevent urinary tract infections:

  • Wearing thong underwear – similar to wiping from back to front, a thong can act as a “super highway” for bacteria.
  • Wearing underwear to bed.
  • Wearing panty-liners.
  • Holding urine in bladder for extended periods of time.

What to do if you have or suspect a urinary tract infection:

  • In the event of a urinary tract infection, it is important to follow the suggestions mentioned above in addition to the following:
  • Seek medical care – some urinary tract infections in certain individuals may require an antibiotic or further assessment.
  • Drink sugar – free cranberry juice – Cranberry can help to remove the bacteria from the ductal wall and help to eliminate the infection more quickly.
  • Drink plenty of water – drinking water can help to flush out the infection more quickly.
  • Watch for signs of fever or complications – a fever and back pain may be a sign that the urinary tract infection is getting worse. If this happens, do not delay in seeking emergent medical care.
  • Increase your parsley intake – parsley has some anti-bacterial properties that make it effective at fighting off and killing bacteria that cause urinary tract infections.
  • Increase your blueberry intake – similar to cranberries, blueberries have several properties in them that help to remove bacteria from the ductal wall and eliminate them from the body.

Have you benefited from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Dr. Elisha Cook ND by calling 519-537-7058 and book your appointment today!

Bacterial Infections versus Viral Infections: What you need to know!

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Flu Fever. Sick Girl Sneezing In Tissue. HealthThis time of the year provides many avenues for individuals to fall under the weather. Most of the time, individuals struggle with the common cold, but symptoms and states can escalate into scenarios that are far worse. The treatment of these various states can drastically impact not only recovery but prevention of future infections as well. This is dependent on identifying whether a bacteria or a virus is the ultimate cause of the illness.

Bacterial Infections

As you might be able to guess, bacterial infections are caused by a bacteria. The cause or route of exposure depends on the type of bacteria. For example some bacteria can enter through ingestion (e.g. our food). When an individual is infected with a bacteria, a common symptom might include a high fever. Others symptoms depend on the presenting concern, e.g. if someone has diarrhea, they might experience blood in the diarrhea. From a primary care standpoint, it is important to address bacterial infections with an appropriate antibiotic. However, if the appropriate antibiotic is not chosen, this can lead to bacterial resistance. What this means is that a bacteria fights off the antibiotic and does not respond to the antibiotic in the future as a result. In short, the next time that you have a bacterial infection from the same bacteria, and use the same antibiotic, you will not be able to fight off the bacteria.

Viral Infections

Viral infections are caused by a virus. A virus may have similar presentations to a bacteria, but ultimately can be less aggressive in general. Often, a viral infection will cause a relatively lower increase in temperature when compared to a bacteria. In addition, depending on the viral infection, the sickness caused from it can be self – limiting, meaning that it will go away on its own once it has run its course. This is not the case for all viruses though. As a result, these infections do not need to be treated with antibiotics. Taking an antibiotic when it is not necessary can result in future resistance to antibiotics and cause the treatments to not work when it may be crucial that they do. Regardless, it is important to consult with your medical doctor as to how to best approach any colds, flus, or sicknesses you might have.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Dr. Elisha Cook ND by calling 519-537-7058 and book your appointment today!

What is Naturopathic Medicine?

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Alternative Medicine Symbol - The Green AsklepianRecently, there has been a lot of hype in the media about Naturopathic Medicine and Naturopathic Doctors (NDs). Some good and some bad remarks, but hype non-the-less. Many skewed views exist regarding what NDs actually do. Many think that NDs are overly glorified “Witch Doctors”; others might view NDs similar to General Practitioners, but just using herbs instead of pharmaceuticals; and many think that homeopathic doctors and NDs are one in the same. It is my hope that I can “clear the air” and hopefully bring some justice to what NDs actually do.

Naturopathic Medicine aims at treating the root cause of disease, and not just merely the symptoms. Unfortunately, medicine sometimes looks at an individual merely as a broken arm, rather than looking at the person with that broken arm. NDs propose to try and look at the individual as a whole, and not merely their parts, and attempt to cure disease through this framework and looking for the cause of disease. A ND might, for example, look at the patient’s living conditions, nutritional status, safety, work conditions, etc., in attempt to discover what caused the broken bone and how could it be prevented in the future. As a result, each individual is treated as just that, an individual. One treatment might not work for another simply because everyone is different, and the cause of disease can be completely different for two individuals even with the “same” condition. For example, two individuals could present with headaches, but one person might get headaches due to muscle tension, while another might get them due to caffeine withdrawal. Though both of these individuals might have similar presentations, treating their headaches with the same treatment may not result in a cure for both.

Part of a NDs approach to care involves incorporating the principles of Naturopathic Medicine into ones care. The principles of Naturopathic Medicine are: First do no harm, treat the cause of disease, teach healthy living and preventative medicine, heal the whole person, emphasize prevention, and support the healing power of the body. NDs strive to incorporate all of these principles into each patient case in order to treat disease, support the health of the individual, and prevent future disease. A state of balance and harmony is sought after in the body, and thus achieved through this approach to care, as well as through the use of Naturopathic Medicine’s various modalities. The modalities are used to support the patient’s own healing capabilities, and consist of: Botanical Medicine, Clinical Nutrition, Hydrotherapy, Homeopathy, Physical Medicine (including massage and naturopathic manipulation), Primary Care, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, and Lifestyle Counselling. Despite what some believe, the practice of naturopathic modalities is not merely based on “gut instinct” or tradition, but is based on Evidence Based Medicine and Traditionally practices that have been tested and used for centuries.

It is my hope that being part of this profession will allow me to be part of the movement of our future health care that involves addressing disease before it presents, treating the whole person, managing disease with few side effects, and improving overall quality of life.