Natural health remedies for facial flushing and bladder infections

My daughter suffers from facial flushing — she blushes as red as a beet if she is nervous or embarrassed. 

Is there anything that you can recommend to reduce the flushing? It seems to be getting worse.

What your daughter is experiencing is a completely normal response to any sort of strong emotion.

It must be said that blushing is certainly more apparent in some individuals, which leads to a catch-22 situation where the embarrassment experienced as she becomes aware of the facial flush will contribute to a further rush of redness.

Blushing is not necessarily limited to the face — it can also appear on the neck and sometimes even the upper chest. The good news is that it is not generally a cause for medical concern.

Homeopathic remedies are often recommended in this type of situation, where emotional upset is at the root cause of the problem.

Homeopathic pulsatilla is commonly prescribed to address shyness, however it is best to talk to a qualified homeopath in order to prescribe for your daughter’s specific requirements.

To find out more about homeopathy and recommended practitioners, I suggest you contact the Irish Society of Homoeopaths on 01- 816 8830 or irishhomeopathy.ie.

Flower remedies are another type of gentle remedy used to work on emotion-based issues.

The popular Bach Flower range includes Rescue Remedy, a mixture of five essences for times of great emotion, stress or anxiety, or you could choose an individual essence.

To find out more about the 38 individual essences, your daughter should check out the website at www.bachflower.com.

Indigo Essences are a range of Irish vibrational remedies developed using crystals. Available as drops or sprays, this range addresses a wide range of emotions.

Your daughter can read more about them at www.indigoessences.com, and choose a remedy or combination that seems to fit with her feelings.

I am five months pregnant and have contracted a bladder infection. I have had trouble with these since my early 20s, and would prefer not to take antibiotics while carrying a child. 

I am aware that it is not an option to leave it without treatment. Is there any natural safe alternative available?

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) during pregnancy are surprisingly common, and I understand your wish to avoid the use of antibiotics at this time.

Having said that, it is important to monitor your health closely, watching for any signs of blood in your urine, pain in your kidney region, nausea, vomiting, fever, or chills.

These all indicate that the infection has taken a strong hold and spread to the kidneys, and if any of these symptoms appear you should head straight to your doctor or emergency room for treatment.

There are antibiotics deemed to be safe for use during pregnancy, which your doctor will be aware of.

My favourite pregnancy-safe supplement for urinary tract infections is D-mannose.

Rather than kill off the bacteria, D-mannose binds to bacteria so that it is flushed out with the urine rather than sticking to the bladder wall. D-mannose is water-soluble, which means that it is absorbed and excreted very quickly.

It is this action that allows this supplement to work quickly and effectively (unlike many other natural remedies for cystitis and UTIs).

D-mannose is available in health stores. You can also purchase online from www.synergy-health.co.uk (00 44- 01698-827335) or the US manufacturers, Waterfall (see: www.waterfall-d-mannose.com ).

It is important to drink plenty of water to help flush the bacteria out. Many people recommend cranberry juice, which has some benefits in treating UTIs, although you will need to find an unsweetened brand as cranberries are quite tart.

The commercially available juices usually have sugar or sweetener added to make them more palatable.