Lady Problems – Infections

Infections: they happen.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are best treated with pharmaceuticals immediately and then with supportive herbs to nourish the sexual organs. Learning how to prevent STIs can involve mental-emotional healing such as flower essences, homeopathy, formulated teas, counseling and learning about physical barriers. Not addressing these types of infections right away and adequately can lead to complications later.

Yeast infections are caused by an overgrowth of yeast and sometimes bacteria. The vagina is like an ecosystem that is seeded from the gut where most of the immune system, or army, is established. The good bacteria provide an army of balance to protect systems like your vaginal tract. There are a number of components that provide a good ecosystem in the vagina for the right balance of bacteria, including pH, which is necessary for the good bacteria to thrive.

However, there are many things that can throw off pH, such as our periods, diet, and intercourse. Once pH is out of balance, it becomes more difficult to get back into balance. This explains why many women end up having several yeast infections in a row and right after their periods. There are many natural treatments to help bring back this balance if the problem is, indeed, a yeast infection. To complicate this tender matter, yeast infections can commonly be misdiagnosed. Whereas medications are aimed at killing all living flora in the vaginal tract or push the pH one direction, our goal is to bring your vagina back to balance (and back to a happy place).

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) involve the urinary tract system and can include symptoms of pain when urinating, pain in lower abdomen, feeling like you have to urinate all the time or are not able to urinate much, incontinence, blood in your urine, or cloudy urine. UTIs can be caused by all sorts of bacteria in the bladder or in the tube leading to the bladder. There are two other tubes connecting the bladder to the kidneys and this is where it can get serious. More serious symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, or severe pain, which can cause you to hold your breath or grunt, are signs that the bacteria have traveled into the kidney and you need medical attention immediately. As you can see, UTIs can lead to very serious problems if they are ignored or improperly treated. Fortunately, there are many natural tools we can use both to treat bladder or kidney infections and to prevent future infections.

Patients with these types of infections will typically walk out of our office with a homeopathic remedy, botanical treatments, nutritional guidance, hydrotherapy treatment instructions, supplements and/or hygiene instructions to avoid infections down the road. UTIs usually respond well to natural treatment even if they have been a struggle for 20 years. You can have life without those UTIs determining what you can and can’t do!

There are a number of other types of infections including those involving glands in the labia, bacterial vaginosis, and viral infections, which should all be treated specifically according to cause. Addressing general health is always important to enabling the whole body to stay in wellness.