Urinary tract infection (UTI) is usually caused by inflammation or bacteria in the urinary tract. Pregnant mothers are most susceptible to this infection, especially after the sixth week and before the twenty fourth week of pregnancy. This usually happens due to the alterations that take place in the urinary tract during pregnancy.

Also, a growing uterus can block the urine drainage from this part of the body, leading to the accumulation of bacteria which causes infection. The symptoms are uncomfortable and even painful. These include pain and burning sensation, frequent urination, fever and chills. So how can you prevent UTI during pregnancy? we have a few tips for you!

- Hydration: The best thing you can do to both prevent and treat a urinary tract infection is to start drinking at least six to eight glasses of water in a day. Another good way to prevent and treat UTIs is with the help of cranberry juice which has powerful antioxidants that flush toxins out of your system effectively. You will, however, need to ensure that the cranberry juice is fresh and natural, without any sweeteners.

- Hygiene: Keeping yourself clean is one of the most important ways in which you can avoid UTI. It is best to clean from front to back, rather than the other way, so that you drive away bacteria and dirt. Also, make sure that you wash your private parts with warm water infused with a few drops of normal liquid antibacterial, so that you can be sure that the bacteria do not get a chance to thrive and affect your system. Also, remember to use soaps, washes and creams that have a mild formula, rather than a harsh chemical concoction. Hygiene for this area of the body includes keeping it dry.

- Diet: Your diet should have plenty of fluids and lemons or other citrus food that are rich in vitamin c, as this is a good vitamin to keep bacteria at bay. Also, you should eliminate sweet and refined products to ensure that you do not contract UTI. Other foods to avoid include caffeine and alcohol.

- Clothing: Wear airy and cotton based undergarments that are breathable and have a soft texture. This non abrasive type clothing can also help in keeping the area dry, so that bacteria does not get a chance to develop, as they typically need a damp environment for growth. Change your undergarments twice a day, if need be, and avoid wearing trousers and shorts that are too tight.

These tips and many others including urinating as soon as the urge sets in, can help in fighting the risk of contracting UTI during pregnancy.

Tips To Prevent UTI During Pregnancy

Kidneys are an important part of the human body. From filtering wastes from the blood to maintaining the blood pressure and red blood cell count in the body, the kidney does it all. Both the kidneys are essential organs and should there be any discomfort in the kidneys, one should consult a medical practitioner as soon as possible. Kidney failure is a common problem in people. This issue manifests itself with certain signs and symptoms. One should listen to these symptoms and act quickly before the condition worsens. Here are some of the signs and symptoms of kidney failure.

Interestingly, in the initial stages, kidney failure portrays no symptoms. It starts developing slowly and steadily causing discomfort in other parts of the body and hindering the working of other organs.

Weakness: If you are suffering from kidney failure, you will start feeling weak. Weakness is however not a symptom which can confirm a kidney failure. Weakness is caused due to many other health issues and thus, you need to verify with other symptoms to be sure of the fact that you are suffering from kidney failure only.

Shortness of Breath: You may start experiencing heavy breathing right after doing some rigorous work. In fact, you might feel shortness of breath or be panting for long moments after climbing just a set of stairs. Shortness of breath is quite common indicating that the body is getting tired after doing work. Such indication, more than once a day, calls for an immediate check up of the body.

Lethargy: While most people, especially the young generation to those in the early thirties jokingly declare themselves as lazy people; lethargy, however, is a symptom of many diseases. Various health issues develop if you feel lethargic of working. Apart from kidney failure, diabetes is also manifested in lethargic body movements. At times, just getting out of the bed in the morning seems very tiring and one continues to lie on the bed even after he/she is fully awake.

Stomach Pain: If you experience pain in the stomach, especially in the sides, then it should be immediately checked by a medical practitioner. Doctors say that kidney failure can bring about stomach pains.

Unusual Urine Discharges: This would include clear urine discharges which indicate that the kidney has stopped filtering the waste products.

Thus, these are some of the most important and common symptoms of kidney failure. If you notice any of these, it is advised to visit a doctor for a check up.

Symptoms of Kidney Failure

Urinary incontinence is a common problem that afflicts many adults around the world. Stress related urinary incontinence is a fairly common problem that afflicts many as well. This form of incontinence is usually caused by physical activity, which exerts pressure on the bladder and may cause the leakage of small amounts of urine.

Triggers and Symptoms for stress urinary incontinence
In terms of urinary problems, stress is used to describe physical problems in particular and not mental stress. So the triggers or risk factors of it could be any of the following:
1. Exercise
2. Jumping
3. Sneezing
4. Coughing
5. Exercises
6. Sexual activity

This form of urinary incontinence is very common in women who are older or have already been through menopause. It may also be common for women who have recently given birth or are pregnant. The urethra or the bladder may become prone to external stress and then involuntarily leak out some urine.

Causes
The causes can be quite varied from patient to patient but are primarily attributed to the weakening of the pelvic muscles, bladder or the sphincter. If any of these muscles open involuntarily due to physical stress, it leads to urine leaking out. Some of the causes which may lead to this are:
1. Pregnancy and childbirth: Pregnancy or childbirth related problems may cause damage to the urethra or sphincter during childbirth; leading to stress urinary incontinence.
2. Surgery of the prostate: Another common problem, especially with men, is with surgical interventions to correct prostate problems.
3. Menopause: Many older women often complain about stress incontinence after menopause due to the weakening of the muscles.
4. Pelvic surgery: Any surgery to the pelvic area or illnesses which may cause the muscles to become relaxed or act involuntarily due to external stress, may cause incontinence.
5. Weakening of the pelvic muscles: Certain illnesses may cause the pelvic muscles to become weak and thus cause the sphincter as well as the bladder to react involuntarily. UTIs or urinary tract infections have also been known to cause incontinence due to the same reason.
6. Obesity: Obesity has been known to put stress on many of the bodily systems and it may affect the bladder and the urinary sphincters as well.

Causes and Symptoms of Stress Urinary Incontinence

A lot of bad things can and do happen when the kidneys fail.  The kidneys are vital for proper bodily functioning because they filter liquid and solid waste products out of the blood and allow vital chemicals (which the body needs for functioning) to flow into the body through the bloodstream.  People can become very sick when the kidneys either fail to perform these functions or fail to perform them properly.  Many people will get chronic kidney disease, therefore, they need to know what the causes and symptoms are in order to treat, and even prevent these diseases from occurring.

People who suddenly experience the following symptoms should see a nephrologist as soon as possible for a medical examination:  blood or protein in the urine, kidney stones, acute kidney injury, kidney infections, and/or pain, and Hepatitis C and kidney disease.  

Blood in the urine can be a sign of kidney problems which can lead to kidney disease.  Additionally, people who urinate frothy or bubbly urine, or have swelling in the hands, face, and feet should see a doctor because this is a sign of protein in the urine.  Protein in the urine can be detected by a urine test.  Kidney stones can be very painful and are problematic.  They are caused by mineral buildup in the kidneys.  Men and white people tend to get kidney stones more, and they can cause blood in the urine, painful urination, sharp lower abdominal or back pain, and nausea and vomiting.

Acute kidney injury occurs when the kidneys stop functioning altogether in a short period of time.  Because this disease can be deadly, those with this disease should get immediate medical help.  Usually, the very sick patients in hospitals get this disease, but it can also be caused by certain medicines, injury, or infections.  This type of kidney disease is easily reversible.  

Symptoms include

Not passing enough urine when urinating
Leg, ankle, or feet swelling
Fatigue
Breathing problems
Confusion
Nausea, and chest pressure or pain. 
Kidney infections tend to be caused by bacteria that have spread from the urinary tract.  Women, because of their anatomy, tend to get kidney infections more than men. 

Symptoms include:

Fever
Vomiting
Back, side or groin pain
Chills
Nausea
Frequent urination
Frequent urges to urinate
Painful or burning urination
Pus or blood in the urine
Cloudy or foul-smelling urine
Kidney pain in the lower back or sides can signify more serious kidney problems.  They can be caused by urinary tract infections, polycystic kidney disease, kidney infections, blood clots, and/or bleeding in the kidneys.  
Hepatitis C is a disease that attacks the liver and can cause kidney disease.  

Symptoms include

Loss of appetite
Nausea
Fever
Fatigue
Vomiting
Dark colored urine
Grey colored stool
Joint pain
Yellow skin and eyes
While kidney diseases are at best unpleasant, and at worst, life-threatening, they can be avoided by drinking lots of water, eating a healthy low salt diet, and watching for any changes in health and urine over time.



What Happens When Kidneys Fail & Signs That Indicate It

Dialysis refers to the medical procedure that removes toxins, solutes, and excess water from the blood in patients whose kidneys cannot perform the blood filtration process naturally. Dialysis is advised to those patients who have been diagnosed with chronic kidney failure (CKF) or chronic kidney disease. In such cases, the kidneys of the patient lose their ability to expel the body s waste in the form of urine, which is a case of kidney failure. The condition of kidney failure is fatal in nature and this is why dialysis (artificial urine removal) is prescribed but it is highly uncomfortable to the patient and is also costly. This is why patients do not want to get dependent on dialysis and look for other remedies as once one gets on dialysis, there is no looking back. There is no allopathic medicine that can cure kidney failure and restore its normal functions. 

A kidney transplant is the only option but if one takes recourse to homeopathy, a cure is possible. Homeopathy does not offer a replacement for dialysis but it does have medicines that can restore the damaged kidneys to the normal state. 

How?
Well, homeopathic medicines work in three ways   they control the conditions that cause damage to the kidneys and thus, prevent further damage to the kidneys, they remove the root cause of renal failure, and they strengthen the immune system of the patient, helping the organs of the body to perform normal functions without any problem. Homeopathic medicines have worked in many patients and when the treatment is done under watchful and expert eyes, the patient can start experiencing relief within a few weeks. After some months, the patient can get rid of their kidney problem completely and lead a normal life. Homeopathic medicines have many advantages over dialysis and allopathic treatment, including the following:

Homeopathic treatment course has a shorter duration in comparison to allopathy that can stretch for the lifetime of the patient. The former takes two to five years, depending on the severity of kidney failure, to cure the patient.
Homeopathy does not have any side effects but dialysis and kidney transplant are painful for the patient and also take a toll on the body. Though transplant is a popular remedy, it may not be successful and is not advisable for all patients with renal failure.
Homeopathy is cost-effective whereas dialysis is expensive.
Homeopathy aids those patients who have a high rejection percentage of a new kidney (who are looking to get kidney transplant). If such patients take homeopathic medicines, then this percentage can come down.
Homeopathy works in a holistic manner. It also treats the tumors and cysts of the kidney, which allopathy does not. The former also takes care of disorders and diseases associated with renal failure such as diabetes and hypertension, an advantage that is missing in the case of latter.
Some homeopathy remedies that are known to cure kidney failure include Aconyte, Apocynum, Belladonna, Digitalis, Kali chloricum, and Phosphorous. These medicines can be taken on a normal basis by patients but it is recommended to consult an expert homeopathic practitioner for the treatment of renal failure. Such a practitioner can diagnose and treat the problem accurately and in lesser time.

Dialysis Can Be Stopped By Homeopathy!

The urethra is a thin tube that is responsible for carrying urine from the bladder. The urethra is wide enough to facilitate a free flow of urine. However, in some cases, the tube can narrow down and it can restrict urinary flow. This condition is known as a urethral stricture. It is a condition that affects mostly men.

Causes:
The inflammation of the tubular tissues or the presence of scar tissue is the number one cause for urethral stricture. In some cases, an accident or the injury to the groin area can also lead to the formation of such thin tubes. The other factors can include pelvic fractures, radiation, urinary infection and in some cases even STDs(Sexually Transmitted Disease).

Symptoms:
Most of the symptoms of Urethral stricture are mild. Only in some rare cases, the symptoms can be extreme. These can include weak or restricted urine flow, frequent urges to urinate, and feeling of heaviness in the bladder, a burning sensation during urination, swelling and pain while urinating. Sometimes your urine may discharge volts of blood and the color of urine may change.

Diagnosis:
Diagnosis is by a physical examination and by analyzing the urine samples. In most of the cases, the thickness of the walls is measured by cystoscopy. The rate of the urine passed may also be checked for identifying the symptoms.

Treatment:
Treatment depends on the severity of the condition. Nonsurgical methods aim to improve the width of the urethra. This is done by using an instrument called a dilator. This is done as an outpatient procedure. This procedure is the most common method done and is done for most of the milder cases. Surgery is another option. The surgery aims to remove the heaviness of the urethra and enlarges the size of the flow.

Urine Flow Diversion:
This is done in extremely rare cases if the bladder has to be completely removed. In those cases, hole in the abdomen is done and urine is bypassed to that hole. However, this is an extremely rare scenario.

Prevention:
Try to avoid injuries in the groin area. If you are playing sports or a fitness enthusiast, use proper protection for your abdominal and groin regions. Try to always have safe sex and if you feel that there is some discomfort or some uneasiness while passing urine, do consult with a doctor immediately. In many cases, the condition can be avoided if proper precautions are taken.

What Is Urethral Stricture?

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