Inflammation

Treating Urinary Tract Infections with a Functional Medicine Approach

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Women’s health is a critical pillar of our public health system. Indeed, the complex female anatomy also enables various conditions that we certainly do not see in their masculine counterparts. Such is the case of cervical dysplasia and the elevated frequency of urinary tract infections. However, these conditions are constantly associated with antecedents, triggers, and mediators that can overlap, leading to a complex assessment and holistic treatment that can be treated with a functional medicine approach.

What is a UTI:

Around 50% of the women population will suffer from a urinary tract infection throughout her life, and in fact, 30-40%of these patients will have a recurring condition after treatment. Furthermore, urinary tract infections can affect everyone but are ten times more common in the female population when compared to men. Indeed, between the female population, those pregnant, young, and peri or post-menopausal women will be the most affected by UTIs, accounting for up to 7 million office visits. Furthermore, elderly patients, infants, diabetic patients, and spinal cord injury are also susceptible to urinary tract infections.

According to literature, a urinary tract infection is a bacterial infection of the bladder and associated structure. However, there are several categories of UTI depending on the severity of the case.

  • An uncomplicated urinary tract infection affects patients in such a way that the bacterial infection is present. Still, this condition is uncomplicated since the patients have no structural abnormality, comorbidity, diabetes, pregnancy, or immunocompromised state.
  • The bacterial strains commonly present in a UTI are gram-negative bacilli like E. Coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Proteus mirabilis, and Enterobacter aerogenes. On the other hand, around 10-15%is due to gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus saprophyticus.

The common UTI symptoms are:

  1. Pain or burning sensation.
  2. The urgency to urinate, more than usual.
  3. Blood or pus in the urine.
  4. Cramps or pain in the lower abdomen.
  5. Chills or fever.
  6. Strong smell in the urine.
  7. Pain during sexual intercourse.
  8. Nausea, vomiting, malaise.

In addition, a UTI can have multiple causes such as:

  1. New sex partner or having multiple sex partners.
  2. Diabetes.
  3. Pregnancy.
  4. Frequent or intense intercourse.
  5. The constant use of antibiotics or irritating contraceptives.
  6. The use of irritating products.

Treating UTIs with a Functional Medicine approach:

The most common way to treat a urinary tract infection is with antibiotics, typically recommended for ten days. Nevertheless, different bacterial strains can cause this infection, and some of them can create antibiotic resistance leading to further complications.Β 

Furthermore, some foods have proven to be beneficial in the treatment of urinary tract infections. Indeed, several nutrients, specifically antioxidants, and natural antimicrobial agents, can be used in the UTI’s treatment of those special populations, such as pregnant women.

  • Cranberries and blueberries: These fruits are powerful anti-adhesion agents. Indeed, cranberry consumption functions as an effective prophylactic, decreasing the severity and occurrence of UTIs. In addition, the polyphenols found in cranberries can suppress the inflammatory cascades caused by the immunologic response to the pathogenic bacteria.

Supplementation:

Current literature suggests that eating fresh or dried cranberries can be useful to impede or suppress the infection. In addition, cranberry juice can also be used as a prophylactic method. Nevertheless, the expert opinion differs due to the high sugar content in juices. In fact, experts recommend the intake of cranberry and polyphenols supplementation in capsules. How to pick the right supplement for you? Here is a quick guide that will help you determine what is the best supplement for you.

There’s a current antibiotic resistance going on worldwide, and this is the main reason why most patients seek a better option to treat their conditions. The current UTI treatment needs to eliminate the bacterial strain causing this reaction and prevent new infections. Consequently, the functional medicine approach includes powerful polyphenols that decrease the inflammatory cascades triggered by the immune response to the pathogenic bacteria. Furthermore, these polyphenols enable prophylactic protection that inhibits bacterial adherence.- Ana Paola Rodriguez Arciniega, MS

Bibliography:

Bono, Michael J. and Wanda C. Reygaert. β€œUrinary Tract Infection.” StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 23 June 2021.

GonzΓ‘lez de Llano, Dolores et al. β€œCranberry Polyphenols and Prevention against Urinary Tract Infections: Relevant Considerations.” Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)Β vol. 25,15 3523. 1 Aug. 2020, doi:10.3390/molecules25153523

Additional Online Links & Resources (Available 24/7)

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Online Appointments or Consultations: bit.ly/Book-Online-Appointment

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Online Physical Injury / Accident Intake Form:Β bit.ly/Fill-Out-Your-Online-HistoryΒ 

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Online Functional Medicine Assessment:Β bit.ly/functionmed

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Professional Scope of Practice *

The information herein on "Treating Urinary Tract Infections with a Functional Medicine Approach" is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.

Blog Information & Scope Discussions

Our information scope is limited to Chiropractic, musculoskeletal, acupuncture, physical medicines, wellness, contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations, associated somatovisceral reflex clinical dynamics, subluxation complexes, sensitive health issues, and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.

We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.*

Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.

We are here to help you and your family.

Blessings

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN*, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

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