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A Quick intro to the the Urinary System

Our Urinary system helps remove waste and toxins from your body. It helps regulate blood pressure and blood volume. It also throws out excess salt, water and minerals not required for the body. 

It is made up of 4 components:

1. Kidneys: 2 bean shaped organs (roughly the size of your fists) that function as filters. They remove waste and chemicals from the blood and combine it with water to make Urine, which is your pee! 

2. The Ureters: 2 tubes that carry the urine from each kidney to a storage tank.

3. The Urinary Bladder: This is the storage tank that holds the urine before it is eliminated from the body.

4. Urethra: The outlet which carries the Urine out of the body.

What is a UTI? 

A UTI a.k.a Urinary Tract Infection.

Who are the main culprits of UTI?

Bacteria with some fancy names are the culprits!!

Among all, the most popular of culprits is Escherichia coli a.k.a E. coli. It is one among the bad bacteria that cause 80 to 90% of UTIs in people. 

The anus (opening from where your poop leaves the body) is behind and close to the urethra (opening from where urine leaves the body). There are some bad bacteria that live in your anus. 

If you wipe from back to front after you use the toilet the bad bacteria can move from the anus to the urethra opening. They can climb up the urethra into the bladder and make a home for themselves to cause the infection. 

Bacteria can get to the kidney through blood circulation. They can also make a Urinary stone which can block the Ureters like a large stone blocking the flow of water inside a narrow pipe. This makes passing urine painful.

How does it affect the body?

A person with a UTI experiences pain and burning sensation in the middle of urination, constant pressure in the bladder, back pain, small amount of urine despite the frequent urge to urinate, involuntary dripping of urine when you are not using the restroom, cloudy and foul smelling urine, fever, nausea and chills. 

Who is prone to getting a UTI?

Women have a higher risk of developing one because their Urethras are shorter. This means the bacteria don’t have to travel far up the urethra to the bladder and set up a home for themselves.

Women who have attained menopause, diabetic women with high blood sugar levels and women whose partners use condoms with spermicidal foam are prone to getting a UTI. 

The chances of getting an infection increases if a woman gets it once. For some women it is genetic.   

How do people usually deal with it? 

People are usually prescribed antibiotics and lots of water to deal with it. 

But, a frequent use of antibiotics, especially who are prone to recurring UTI, can have negative side effects or lead to more health complications. 

To manage UTI effectively, the solutions need to perform three tasks:

Resist bacteria 

The bacteria grow special claws to attach themselves to the urinary bladder tightly. The bacteria can also increase in number inside the bladder. There are ingredients which can bind to, detach and destroy bacteria to throw them out of the body. 

Cranberry juice

Cranberries contain a component called Cranberry A-proanthocyanidins (PACs) which binds the bacteria like a magnet to iron and does not allow the bacteria to stick to the Urinary Bladder. This in turn helps in separating them from the bladder lining and takes them out of the body. 

Trikatu

This is an Ayurvedic blend containing equal parts of the fruits of Black pepper (Piper nigrum), Long pepper (Piper longum) and Ginger (Zingiber officinale). This mixture exhibits antibacterial properties. The mixture contains components called Piperine and Gingerols which enhance the effect of antibiotics in the body.  They also help the body take up nutrients from the food effectively. 

White Turmeric

White Turmeric contains a component called Curcumin which is antimicrobial. This means that the Curcumin can kill the bacteria by punching holes into it.  It also stops the bacteria from increasing in number and hence prevents the infection in the first place. 

Flush toxins  

The contents from dead bacteria remnants can cause infection. There are some foods/ ingredients called Diuretics which tell the kidney to produce more urine and make you urinate more frequently. This process helps flush out dead bacteria from the body. 

Varuna

It is a traditional ayurvedic herb that is used to treat UTIs. It acts as an effective diuretic by increasing the volume of urine eliminated from the body. 

It also functions as a lithotriptic agent - It contains a component which can remove urinary stones by breaking them down into pieces. 

Vitamin C, a popular antioxidant, White Turmeric and Shatavari (another Ayurvedic herb) are known to flush toxins out of the body

Soothes pains

Bacteria in the bladder cause inflammation. Inflammation gives rise to pain and burning sensation when one urinates. This is also responsible for bladder pressure.  There are some ingredients which reduce the pressure in the bladder, soothe the pain and burning sensation.

Shatavari 

It is an antimicrobial which kills the bacteria, suppresses inflammation and soothes the bladder. It is also capable of breaking down kidney stones. 

Zinc (used as an alternative to other anti-inflammatory drugs) and Varuna are also known to suppress inflammation.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 prevents Urine Incontinence (UI) by making the pelvic floor strong. 

The pelvic floor (a muscle below your urethra) that closes the urethra tightly to prevent UI or uncontrolled leakage of urine out of the bladder when not using the restroom.  An infection can irritate the pelvic floor to cause UI. 

Other ingredients known to alleviate symptoms of UTI: 

Sariva

An acidic urine in the bladder kills bacteria. Infection causing bacteria can make the urine less acidic and cause a burning sensation. 

Sariva restores the acidity of the urine, to kill bacteria and reduce the burning sensation. It also functions as an antioxidant. 

Prebiotic fiber

Reduces constipation and is gut friendly. 

Helps increase the number of ‘good’ / beneficial bacteria while reducing the growth of ‘bad’ bacteria in your gut. These ‘good’ bacteria feed on prebiotics to provide nutrients beneficial for health. 

So ladies, now you know how to prevent and manage UTIs with natural remedies. It is important for every woman to be informed about urinary tract health and hygiene. It is equally important to share this knowledge with others, so make sure you share the above information with your friends.

&Me is passionate about women’s health and hygiene.

Check out our UTI Relief Cranberry Drink with all the above ingredients, no preservatives and promising results. It contains clinically proven 18gm of Cranberry A-proanthocyanidins (PACs) that helps separate harmful bacteria from your bladder lining. The drink’s diuretic property helps flush out toxins from the urinary tract. The Ayurvedic herbs soothe the intimate area and reduce itching while the Vitamins and Minerals in it replenish the nutrients lost by frequent urination. 

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