Cystitis

Cystitis is inflammation of the bladder. It is a condition that is more prevalent in women than it is in men - this is possibly because women's urethras are shorter than mens, measuring around 3.5cm compared to approximately 20cm in men.

Cystitis affects approximately half of all women at some point or other during their lives. Symptoms includ pain and a burning sensation when passing urine, pain in the lower abdomen and difficulty when urinating - very uncomfortable and painful. It is also more common during certain phases of life such as pregnancy and menopause.

It is like a lot of other infections in that it attacks mostly when we are suffering from tiredness, stressed out, and under increased emotional stress. If you are being troubled by this unpleasant condition often, then first and foremost go and see your GP to see what is making you predisposed to the attacks. If you don't have much success through your doctor, then try some alternative remedies, such as the above.

We can help ourselves by making sure we are getting enough sleep and rest, eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, doing the things that make us happy, for example, taking time off work and spending time with our loved ones. All these things help boost the immune system and guard against nasty infections such as cystitis.

If you do fall prey to this infection, the following suggestions for treatment should help alleviate the problem:

Make an infusion of equal amounts of buchu, yarrow, ground ivy and golden rod. Drink a cup up to four times a day. If the inflammation is severe, then there can sometimes be blood in the urine. To ease this, add shepherd's purse to the mixture.

OR:

Drink 3 to 4 cups of an infusion of either parsley or dandelion each day. Add a small pinch of baking soda to each cup to help reduce the acidity of the urine.

Caution: Seek professional help if the symptoms are severe and persistent