An Herb Or Two to Fight Off That Urinary Infection

Dealing with a urinary track infection sucks on every level, and typically those of us who get them run off to the doctor at the first sign of infection. 

Why do we do that?

Well for starters most of us don't know how to treat an infection without the anti biotic the medical world has provided.

Have you read some of the side effects that your doctor thinks are just fine?

I bring this up because I deal with urinary track infections a lot; due to a medical practitioner overlooking a kidney infection during the pregnancy of my first child, witch ultimately dealt a pretty big blow to my entire bladder system.

Having problem's with this myself, I have seen first hand the kinds of drugs they try to force on you without a safer alternative.

Just recently I required a set of these anti biotic's to kick a pretty bad infection apparently, because i have never used this particular drug before. They put me on a drug called Nitrofurantoin mono/mac 100mg tabs, and I was reading the side effects of this drug and I'm not sure I even want to keep using it.

The side effects for this medication include, allergic reactions like skin rash or hives, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue, chest pain, cough, difficulty breathing, dizziness, drowsiness, fever or infection, joint aches or pains, pale or blue-tinted skin, redness, blistering, peeling or loosening of the skin, including inside the mouth, tingling, burning, pain, or numbness in hands or feet, unusual bleeding or bruising, unusually weak or tired, yellowing of eyes or skin not to mention it can cause liver, lung, and kidney failure.

But what can we use to combat a urinary infection without risking our health? 

Cranberry

This plant is used most often and because of it's compounds it does not allow the bacteria to stick to the lining of the bladder. To get the best result when using cranberry, use only pure unsweetened cranberry juice or cranberry capsules.

Uva Ursi

The Herb contains chemicals, primarily hydroquinone and hydroquinone derivatives, that make it potentially useful for urinary conditions and is used to treat infections such as cystitis, urethritis and nephritis.  It is absorbed in the stomach and converted into a substance with antimicrobial, astringent, and disinfectant properties. During urination, as it passes out of the body, it acts on the mucus membranes of the urinary tract to soothe irritation, reduce inflammation, and fight infection. Uva Ursi also contains diuretic chemicals, including ursolic acid, powerful astringents, and a chemical that helps promote the growth of healthy new cells. In addition to its antiseptic and astringent actions, Uva Ursi may help to flush out bacteria by promoting urination.

Goldenrod

Has been useful regarding inflammation. You can use this herb to assist in the pain that comes with a urinary infection because it decreases inflammation and also helps control the painful spasms you may experience with a urinary track infection. It is also a diuretic.

Dandelion

This herb is  used for the treatment of the gall bladder, kidney and urinary disorders. As a tonic, Dandelion strengthens the kidneys. An infusion of the root encourages the steady elimination of toxins from the body. This is a powerful diuretic but does not deplete the body of potassium.

Marshmallow Root

The abundance of mucilage makes the herb an excellent demulcent and emollient. These properties make it useful in inflammation and irritation of the alimentary canal, and of the urinary and respiratory organs. Decoctions of the plant; especially of the root, are excellent in painful complaints of the urinary organs, exerting a relaxing effect upon the passages. Powdered root boiled in milk is recommended for hemorrhage from the urinary organs and in dysentery.

There are other things out there, that you can use to kill pesky bacteria and things you can use to prevent it but before you go and try an herb for an infection talk it over with your doctor or see some one who specializes in alternative medicine.

The only universital herb on the planet

In today's world in America, we have been blinded by money, how to make a quick buck. Blind to expenses the people will deal with.

They have invented one prescription after another with a disregard to how many side effects have been created. We push off that we can bleed from our eyes because the medication is supposed to treat something ells, and the Doctors think that bleeding from the eyes is OK, if it takes care of the problem.

We totally buy this too!

From those of you who know me, I study herbs, how to use them, witch ones are most effective, and how they help you. I do my best to direct people towards things that are lost costing or free and supply information to my knowledge regarding what herbs can be use in regard to most problems. I do not presume to have a medical degree nor do I intend to harm anyone. I am however pursuing school in the study of plants and how they affect the body in biology, and plan to obtain a PHD on the subject.

In regards to being a plant lover, I have covered most plants here on my blog and how you can use them in your everyday health, but I wanted to talk about the most versatile plant in the world and clear up some common misconceptions regarding its nature.

 I do want to point out that the plant we are going to be talking about is currently illegal and for many reasons should not be, but for sure would bankrupt the pharmaceutical industry and I think the truth should be told regarding the real reasons they keep this plant illegal and how this plant, benefit's many different things.

What is this magic herb?

Cannabis

Yes, I said Cannabis. There are many common misconceptions and lies regarding this plant, how it's used and what it really does for the body. I have to admit the government has done a good job of scaring people into believing that this herb is dangerous. They tell you that it kills brain cells and causes cancer, not to mention that they say it's addictive.

Have you ever wondered why there is no deaths or hospitalizations as a direct result of using the plant? If the plant is so bad, why do they have no stats to back up any of their claims? Why tell us lies?

  What they don't want you to know is that it is one of the most safest and effective treatment for just about any medical ailment you may be suffering from.

First let me stuff the lies back in the closet where they came from and dish out some hard core truths.

The idea that Cannabis causes brain cell death is completely a myth, they did perform one study in regard to this "brain cell death" theory where they provided Cannabis to a group of monkeys, what they didn't tell you about that study was that the monkeys where gas masked and fed huge amounts of Cannabis without any oxygen over a period of 30 minutes, hows that for animal cruelty. Of course when you deprive the brain of oxygen your brain cells die, but had they administered the Cannabis correctly the test would have shown an entirely different result.

Cannabis causes cancer......If this were so, we would be able to find a single case, truth be told there are none that are attributed to just the use of Cannabis.

OH and the gateway theory.......That is quite simple, the country has made Cannabis out to be so bad and has made it illegal to possess, it is then put into the hands of people who sell illegal things, all illegal things. In order to use Cannabis you have to buy it from someone who sells illegal things and those people introduce other illegal things to you, to make more money. So in honesty, people are the gateway.

As far as the plant being "addictive" in the minds of what America wants you to believe, the plant itself has no additive quality's that span from its use.  That means that unlike opiates this plant can be used and stopped without any form of withdrawal from its use. Including long term use.

Now lets get into just how the Cannabis plant can benefit your health.

Cannabis uses include, analgesic-hyponotic, a topical anesthetic, anti asthmatic, antibiotic, anti epileptic, antispasmodic, antidepressant, and tranquilizer. Witch means you have a plant that alleviates pain pleasantly, can be used to numb the skin, treat asthmatic problems, kill bacteria, control seizures, spastic muscles, cures depression and helps you sleep.

With these benefits alone its a wonder the government doesn't want people to know of its uses.

The plant is also useful as an anti tussive, appetite stimulant, and anodyne for neuralgia, including migraines.

Witch means that you can also use this plant for the common cough, to increase your desire to eat, and is a very highly affective pain reliever for the nerves.

The plant also aids in psychotherapy and aids in the withdrawal from alcohol and opiates.

Would this be better than methadone?

Above all things the Cannabis plant is the number one treatment for any and all forms of nausea this includes nausea induced by medicine.
With all of the uses this plant has to offer why would it still be illegal?
The answer to that is money. The United States has built up this persona revolving around what new medicines we can push on the public for profit regardless of how many side effects they may have, with the idea that because they help with the main problem, the side effects are to just be dealt with. Cannabis grows freely from the ground and can not be manipulated by science.

The bottom line is that nature provides wonderful aids to our health and when they are kept in there natural form they treat the problems you are dealing with directly and usually without a side effect.

Lets get one thing strait, I do not wish that you go out and break the law to use this herb but I do not believe this herb in anyway causes danger to it's users and my goal is just to inform people of the truth behind what the law has misinformed regarding one of natures best.
With all that Cannabis can do for your health you can expect some side effects, they include happiness, munchies, and sleepiness but all of the above things that you would have treated pretty much explain what you will be expecting.
Before you completely ride Cannabis off as something that is bad, take the time to research the topic and try and find some solid evidence behind what the Unites States wants us to believe......I can tell you its very taboo.

Are Doctors Really Clueless?

I received an interesting piece of mail today, did you know they have yet another drug out on the market? This one is to assist people with sleep disorders, the "wake up" drug they call it. The worst part was that they give you a free trial with a card that allows you to go get some......

Should we be worried?

I got to reading about this medicine, and my favorite part of all medication they have on the market today is reading what they can do to you if you use them..... That's right the side effects.

So this new "wake up" pill is supposed to make you wake up or stay awake but not without the possibility of, skin rash, hives, sores in your mouth (ahhh that's a good one, we all want that), peeling skin (yum), swelling um mm all over, dark urine, and skin turning yellow. You can also deal with depression, anxiousness, hallucinations, aggressive behavior and other mental problems, heart problems, oh and trouble sleeping, just what we need, no sleep. What I can not seem to understand is why you would put yourself through so much just to help something that may just need a direct treatment.

Is staying awake worth so much? What if you could treat the problem and leave the mess? Would the doctors tell you how?

From my experience with the use of alternative medications, is that they are not met well, with the doctors of today, one recent event proved my point to this. I went to see a doctor not to long ago regarding pain that I could handle, but didn't know why it hurt and I was looking for an answer to that. They gave me all the usual tests and found nothing to be out of the ordinary, but the pain was still there, they could do nothing further but offer me pain med's. I told the doctor that I didn't need any of the medication, that I had stuff at home to help, the doctor asked me what I was going to use and I told him that I used natural things to assist my pain and told him I would be using Valerian. To my surprise the Doctor didn't know what that was and then tried to persuade me to get another form of pain reliever such as Tylenol. Only Tylenol isn't any better on the stomach and I like my body parts.

I do have some faith restored in the nursing communities, due to the new requirement for plant education, because the nurses were quite familiar with the herb I chose.

Regarding the new "Wake up" drug and Pain relievers in general I wanted to throw out some herbs that can be useful in place of the ones they want to make money off of, and have results directly related to pain and staying awake.

Regarding your "Wake up"

You can use five different herbs in the area of a body stimulant, to help you feel more awake and lively.

Cayenne Peppers:

  Act as a heart stimulant which regulates blood flow and strengthens the arteries. In tincture and capsules is how it may be administered. (use caution regarding people with ulcers)

Ginseng: 

Can stimulate bone marrow production, stimulate the immune system, inhibit tumor growth, balance blood sugar, stabilize blood pressure, and detoxify the liver, among many other tonic effects. You can use this in tea, tincture, and capsules.

 Guarana:

   Used to enhance athletic performances, also as a stimulant, and to reduce mental and physical fatigue. Can be taken in a tea, tincture, and in capsule form.

Gotu Kola:

 Good in helping to overcome stress, depression, fatigue and mental confusion. It can also be used to increase the development and maintenance of blood vessels, can be taken in a tea or a tincture.

Rosemary: 

 A relaxing beverage, helpful in treating depression, headaches, and muscle spasms, Is to be used in a tea, tincture, and also capsules.
~

Regarding alternative "Pain" medication.

Five things you can use instead of a narcotic medication.

Valerian: 

  An effective stress reducer, has benefits to nervous tension, depression, irritability, hysteria, panic, anxiety, fear, stomach cramping, delusions, exhaustion, and nervous sleeplessness. Eases muscle cramping, rheumatic pain, migraines, uterine cramps, intestinal colic, stress-related heart problems, and hypertension.  Has also been used to treat attention deficit disorders in children and adults, hyperactivity, and anxiety headaches.

Vervain: 

 Very effective as a nerve tonic, the herb is considered a relaxant and a sedative. It is also an effective anti-inflammatory.

Cramp Bark: 

 Reliving cramps, including muscle spasm's, cramps you would experience on your menstrual, and cramps during pregnancy. It has also been used as a kidney stimulant for urinary conditions that involve pain or spasms.

 Enchinacea: 

  Known to enhance the activity of the immune system, relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and have hormonal, antiviral, and antioxidant effects.

Skull cap:

   Powerful herb, used as an anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, nervine sedative . Has a  treatment of a wide range of nervous conditions including epilepsy, insomnia, hysteria, anxiety, delirium tremens, including withdrawal from barbiturates and tranquilisers. This should not be given to pregnant women since it can induce a miscarriage. This has also been an affective treatment for ADD.

It never hurts to questions the ones who we have been programed to listen to, It is your body after all, and you know it best.