Urinary tract infections are the infection of any part of the urinary tract (urethra, bladder, ureters, or kidneys). Women experience UTIs more than men (around 50-60% of women will experience one or more), and women are much more likely to experience recurrent infections.
Infections may be due to congenital abnormalities, or they may be due to other health conditions or medical procedures, however, most often the cause is bacterial infection by Escherichia coli (E. coli) in the urethra, bladder, vagina or kidneys. Left untreated, this infection can cause damage to the kidneys and bladder.
Up to 60% of women will experience a recurrence of a UTI within a year of the first infection. Recurrent infection is defined as 2 episodes within 6 months or 3 within 12 months. Antibiotics are the usual treatment prescribed, however they can come with side effects such as candida, diarrhoea, nausea, vaginal burning, and headache. Antibiotics are great at killing bacteria, however, they are indiscriminate, killing beneficial gut flora as well as those bacteria that are being targeted.
The good news is there are natural and effective ways to break the cycle of recurrent UTIs with functional medicine.
Urinary tract infection, including recurrent or constant UTI symptoms, can include:
On some occasions, there may only be frequent urination, or no symptoms at all.
Infections of the urinary tract are caused by bacteria proliferating and being poorly controlled by the immune system. This can be:
UTI’s can be characterised into two types:
Uncomplicated UTIs
An uncomplicated UTI is usually a bacterial infection by Escherichia coli (E. coli) in the urethra, bladder, vagina or kidneys. This type of infection is responsible for more than 80% of UTIs. Staphylococcus saprophyticus accounts for 10-20% of uncomplicated UTI’s, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, Corynebacterium urealyticum, Proteus, Enterobacter, Pseudemonas spp. are much less common, and are usually associated with other health conditions, or due to medical procedures.
Complicated UTIs
Complicated UTIs, as the name suggests, are due to other complications in the body, such as:
Research has found people with the ‘atopic triad’ have a defective barrier of the skin and upper and lower respiratory tracts.
These genetic alterations cause a loss of function of filaggrin (filament aggregating protein), which is a protein in the skin that normally breaks down to create natural moisturisation and protect the skin from penetration by pathogens and allergens.
Filaggrin mutations are found in approximately 30 percent of people with atopic dermatitis, and also predispose people to asthma, allergic rhinitis (hayfever), keratosis pilaris (dry rough patches and bumps on the skin), and ichthyosis vulgaris (a chronic condition which causes thick, dry, scaly skin.)If one parent carries this genetic alteration, there is a 50 percent chance their child will develop atopic symptoms. And that risk increases to 80 percent if both parents are affected.
Food hypersensitivity has been found to cause or exacerbate atopic dermatitis in 10-30% of cases, and 90% of these are caused by eggs, milk, peanuts, soy and wheat.
The connection between the gut microbiome and skin health is complex, however, research has found the microbiota contributes to the development, persistence, and severity of atopic dermatitis through immunologic, metabolic and neuroendocrine pathways.
Deficiency of Omega-6 essential fatty acids (EFA) has been linked with the increased incidence of atopic dermatitis, along with the inability for the body to efficiently metabolise EFA’s to gamma linoleic acids (GLA) and arachidonic acids (AA).
Changing weather conditions can certainly aggravate eczema symptoms, but the triggers are subject to change among individuals.
Mould exposure and susceptibility to mould can cause Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), of which dermatitis is a manifestation.
There is some overlap between the causes of UTIs, and the risk factors for recurrent UTIs, which include:
Women frequently present to their GP with UTIs, and the most common treatment approach is to prescribe antibiotics.
Your GP may test your urine to look for signs of infection or blood, and it is common for testing to be negative or inconclusive. Testing of mid stream urine quantities of E. coli bacteria can be inconclusive depending on the quantity of bacteria found, and your doctor will most often diagnose UTI’s based on your symptoms and past history.
Your GP may also refer you for further testing, to rule out other causes of your symptoms.
Antibiotic treatments can be taken in a range of ways; continuous prophylaxis to reduce the risk of contracting UTIs, a single dose after sex, or when an infection is present.
Treatment of UTIs with antibiotics can have a significant impact on the gut flora, which can lead to candida overgrowth, and for many women with recurrent UTIs, it is a perpetual cycle of alternating UTI and candida infection. This can be very frustrating, and leads people to seek out a specialist for recurrent UTIs who provide lasting and natural solutions.
Chronic UTI natural treatment with a functional medicine practitioner starts with an in-depth and comprehensive investigation to identify the root cause and contributing factors of your UTIs, and why it is recurrent.
In an in depth initial consultation, we investigate:
Your natural UTI practitioner may recommend functional testing to help determine the cause of your UTI, or to investigate baseline health, with tests such as:
Depending on your results and symptoms, a personalised recurrent UTI functional medicine treatment may target the following causes of recurrent UTIs:
Natural remedies for a recurrent UTI including dietary, lifestyle, herbal and supplemental strategies may include (depending on your condition):
Herbal medicines for a recurrent UTI include:
These are some of the strategies that our functional medicine practitioners may use to resolve recurrent UTIs. Treatment is personalised to each person, and in our unique 6-month program, you’ll have the support of your functional medicine practitioner to guide and direct your treatment, and a health coach to help you navigate the journey back to good health with ease.
Are you ready for a personalised, natural functional medicine treatment? Our unique model of care was designed with you in mind. Find out how, then book a call today
If you are concerned about how antibiotic treatment of your UTI can disrupt your microbiome and create a cycle of recurrent UTI infections, then you’ll be pleased to know that there are recurrent UTI natural treatments.
Getting rid of a UTI is often a three pronged approach, and depending on your symptoms, may include:
Our functional medicine specialists can help you get rid of your recurrent UTI for good through a holistic, personalised approach that’s natural and effective.
There are a variety of factors that cause and can contribute to getting a UTI , and it becoming recurrent, such as:
Natural recurrent urinary tract infection management in women is available at Melbourne Functional Medicine where the practitioners will help to identify why you have chronic UTI infections, and treat them with natural and effective strategies.
Bladder cancer can easily be misdiagnosed with a UTI.
If you have any concerns, talk to your GP.
Bladder Cancer Australia has some information on what to look for. If you have blood in your urine, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have bladder cancer, however you should see your GP to check.
The best probiotic for chronic UTI treatment in Australia is one that will help restore balance to your microbiome, and that will depend on what has caused it to be out of balance. Precision probiotics prescribed by your recurrent UTI specialist will address the underlying causes of your UTI.
They may include strains such as Lactobacillus crispatus LCRO1, Lactobacillus fermentum LF10, and Lactobacillus acidophilus LA02 for women, and/or L. plantarum 6595, L plantarum HEAL9, L. paracasei 8700:2, L. rhamnosus GG, L. acidophilus LA02 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BS01 which can assist in restoring gut flora health during/after antibiotic treatment.
The best natural treatment will be the one that addresses your particular set of circumstances, and investigates why you are getting UTIs, and why they are recurrent, like the recurrent UTI functional medicine approach.
Australians are seeking out the help of a functional medicine specialist for recurrent UTIs to receive holistic, thorough healthcare that gets to the root of their health concerns.
Chronic urinary tract infections can be caused by a variety of reasons. The easiest ones to identify are:
Melbourne Functional Medicine have recurrent UTI naturopath practitioners who are passionate about women’s health, and can treat your UTIs naturally.
Recurrent UTI functional medicine treatment might include lifestyle medicine, dietary changes, and herbal or other natural medicines. Your UTI specialist will assist you in prescribing the right treatment for you, which includes treating the whole person, not just the symptoms.
If you’d like to find out more, book a free discovery call to see how we can help you feel great again.
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Reach out to the team directly – we’ll be happy to assist.
