Natural health: How to treat urinary tract infections 

Advice on how to prevent recurring UTIs and what to do if someone sweats excessively

It's mostly women who suffer from UTIs because the urethra is significantly shorter in females than in males. Picture: Posed by model, stock image 

Q. I'm in my mid-30s and suffer from recurring urinary tract infections (UTIs). Sometimes the infections are so painful I have to go to bed. I'm careful to drink lots of water and take a cranberry and vitamin C supplement. Is there anything else I can do?

A. Urinary tract infections, particularly when they keep coming back, are quite distressing and can prevent you from carrying on as usual in your daily activities. It's mostly women who suffer from these infections because the urethra is significantly shorter in females than in males.

Eliminate processed and refined sugar from your diet entirely until the infection has cleared from your system. Refined sugar not only causes inflammation in the body, but it also feeds pathogenic bacteria and helps it to thrive until it multiplies out of control. Processed foods, in general, tend to favour so-called ‘bad’ bacteria over ‘good’ or beneficial bacteria and can also contribute to a very limited and unbalanced microbiome. A history of repeat bladder infections can also lead to involuntary bladder contractions and a constant feeling of urinary urgency, or ‘needing to go’, which can be a source of great discomfort.

You are doing the right thing by drinking plenty of water. It is also essential to stop drinking caffeinated beverages. 

You can make a bladder and kidney supportive herbal tea by combining uva ursi (bearberry) leaf with marshmallow root or leaf, calendula petals, and a few juniper berries. 

Uva ursi leaf is the most important ingredient in this herbal blend, so if you only choose one ingredient from the list, then this should be it. Uva ursi is very specific in its action, remaining inert as it travels through the body until it is hydrolysed in the bladder, producing hydroquinone which effectively disinfects the bladder. It works equally well as a treatment for current infection and preventative remedy. 

Bacterial infection accounts for most cases of urinary tract infections or cystitis, which is why uva ursi is so effective. E Coli, in particular, is the culprit in around 85% of cases where the recurrent infection is an issue. UTIs can also be non-bacterial in origin, usually as a result of using talcs or perfumed soaps and body care products.

Give the cranberry and vitamin C supplement a rest while you take uva ursi. Cranberry tends to cancel out the effect of uva ursi in the bladder and urinary tract. Vitamin C is very useful in reducing bladder inflammation, boosting immunity, and repairing tissue damage, but it is important to avoid acidic forms of this nutrient – such as ascorbic acid —  and opt for sodium ascorbate or calcium ascorbate.

Q. My teenage son has started to sweat heavily, even when exercising lightly. It runs in the family. What would you recommend?

A. There are several reasons as to why excessive sweating occurs — from dietary sensitivities through to the condition hyperhidrosis. It is not understood why excessive sweating occurs in cases of hyperhidrosis. 
The eccrine sweat glands found on the palms of the hands, soles of feet, forehead, cheeks, and armpits, have the primary function of assisting in temperature control by secreting a clear, odourless fluid. The apocrine glands are found in the armpits, along with the genital region. 

These glands produce a thicker fluid which has the characteristic smell we associate with sweat. Both types of sweat gland are controlled by the sympathetic nervous system.

There is a herb specifically recommended to reduce excessive sweating. Sage (Salvia officinalis) is commonly linked with night sweats and hot flushing associated with menopausal changes but is equally effective in treating any case where heavy perspiration is an issue – male or female, young or old.  

You can find sage in tincture or capsule form, or make a tea using fresh or dried sage leaves (1 teaspoon per cup of boiling water for dried, 1 tablespoon per cup for fresh).