When it comes to urinary tract infections (UTIs), a lot of attention is given to the bladder, kidney, ureters and urethra. Whilst this is important, it is not the full picture. Not when it comes to resolving frequent urinary tract infections especially.

What is a Urinary Tract Infection?

A UTI is an infection in any part of the urinary tract, and all the parts mentioned above found within. It is typically caused by an overgrowth of bacteria (usually E. coli).

Women get more UTIs than men, and there are a couple of theories for this; one is because they have a shorter urethra making it easier for bacteria to travel to the bladder, and another is when women have their periods and wear a pad and/or tampon these can encourage bacteria to grow.

If a UTI does not resolve after 3 days, it is important to see a doctor when antibiotics may be required as a UTI can become extremely serious if it moves from the bladder to the kidneys. But it is always a good idea to send off a urine sample at this point to know what type of bacteria it is to ensure only one course of antibiotics are given - to help clear up the infection first time.

UTIs & The Immune System Link

Because of the over-prescribing of antibiotics leading to bacterial antibiotic resistance, and the subsequent lowering of important healthy bacteria species in the gut when taking antibiotics - it is important to address the true cause of a UTI to avoid this vicious cycle, especially if they are recurrent.

There is lots of emerging studies demonstrating that a weakened immune system is what can allow a UTI to develop in the first place and if not resolved, can enable the UTIs to reoccur over and over again.

Your immune system could be totally normal but just have taken a dip from being overworked and then may let a UTI take hold, however, there are also people living with autoimmune diseases whose immune system is not optimal. This means they stand a greater chance of developing UTIs, especially recurring ones. Some examples of common autoimmune diseases include coeliac disease, graves disease, Hashimoto thyroiditis and multiple sclerosis. 

Tackling Recurrent UTIs

With patients who are struggling with UTIs, I first take a look at their case history and try to understand what could be causing them on a personal level. However, in all cases, I will focus on optimising the immune system as much as possible for each individual.

Some of the supplements I find supportive include UTI specific probiotics, D-mannose and zinc, and I also like to lean on herbal medicine with one popular herb in my practice being uva ursi.

--

I have been working with children and teens for as long as I have been a practicing naturopathic nutritionist and herbalist. What I can say I have observed in this time is that children and teens also hugely benefit from a whole-body approach to health care - and not just adults.

Basic Guidelines Go Along Way

I recently posted about how children and teens can be given some valuable guidelines for eating healthily, which will then serve them well into adulthood when they have moved out of home - helping them to stay healthy. This includes:

1. Eating your greens
2. Cutting out sugar
3. Cutting out artificial additives 
4. Eating organic and free range (the way nature intended!)

Having conversations on a regular basis about why these guidelines are important can really help kids feel connected to why they should be going for healthy food over processed food most of the time (I say 'most of the time' as progress is the aim here, not perfection!).

Common Health Issues for Kids & Teens

Some children struggle with their moods, and what is always important here is to ensure that at the very least children and teens are both getting enough magnesium; it is calming and our soils are very deficient so supplementation is often always needed.

Gut problems are becoming more common in children and teens; some common issues are over prescription of antibiotics wiping out the good bacteria here and/or consuming too much sugar on a regular basis.

The attention spans of children and teens are also seemingly getting worse; whether too much screen time or another diagnosis such as ADHD is playing a role, ensuring both are getting enough omega 3 fish oil is important (and be sure to take one with high doses of EPA and DHA as most are quite low and may not be as effective).

Herbal Therapy for Children & Teens

Herbs also offer wonderful therapeutic support for most conditions children and teens come to see me with. So long as administered by a qualified herbalist and a thorough case history is taken - then herbs can work well alone and also in conjunction with other medications being prescribed as they are known as 'complementary' therefore complementing other approaches being taken at the same time.

--

Do you have a child or teen that seems to be constantly getting sick, or do they have a named condition that you would like to explore using complementary therapies to manage such as herbal medicine and naturopathic nutrition? If this resonates, please email john@johnway.je and I will get back to you within 2 working days.