Conditions Archives - Page 6 of 8

The Bladder Microbiota and Urinary Incontinence

ByLayla | On March 27,17 | 1 Comment

We typically associate incontinence with a lack of muscle tone of the pelvic floor or sometimes with bacterial infection. But what if the bladder microbiota and urinary incontinence are linked?

I have explored the role of the urinary microbiota in previous posts (here and here) and how an imbalance in microbes known as ‘dysbiosis’ can play a role in different bladder conditions. One of them is urgency incontinence.

It sounds weird but there is evidence suggesting that even incontinence can be related to the microbes living in our bladder.

This applies specifically to urgency urinary incontinence.

Conditions

Eosinophilic Cystitis

ByLayla | On March 25,17 | 2 Comments

Eosinophilic Cystitis is a rare type of cystitis characterized by the build-up of eosinophils in the bladder.

It expresses similarly to normal cystitis or interstitial cystitis with increased frequency, painful urination, pelvic pain, nocturia and blood in the urine.

Conditions, Cystitis, Interstitial Cystitis, Overactive Bladder

Why Current Testing For UTIs Fails Patients

ByLayla | On March 19,17 | 11 Comments

The current gold-standard testing for UTIs involves culturing the bacteria present in a clean-catch midstream urine sample (MSU) in a lab dish.

On top of that, a dipstick test is often used to indicate the presence of infection markers in urine.

The guidelines for these testing methods have been established in the 1950s. With the discovery of the urinary microbiome, inadequacies of this method have come to light.

It turns out that urine is in fact not sterile and that many microbial species cannot be cultured in a lab.

Therefore, current testing for UTIs fails patients by missing infections.

Conditions

The Importance of Looking Good to Feel Good

ByLayla | On March 12,17 | 6 Comments

Today I would like to address how important it is to get dressed and make ourselves look good when we’re suffering from chronic illness. Especially when we’re suffering from chronic illness!

Why? Because when we look better, we tend to feel better!

Conditions, Cystitis, Cystitis, Interstitial Cystitis, Protocols

Probiotics for the Urinary Tract

ByLayla | On February 20,17 | 18 Comments

Probiotics are ‘live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host’ [1]. Historically, probiotics have lacked credibility in the orthodox medical community but with recent scientific advances in the field of the human microbiome the therapeutic potential of different probiotic strains has been recognized.

In my last two posts I have looked into the urinary microbiome and how an imbalance of microbes in the bladder can predispose us to bladder conditions such as urinary tract infections, interstitial cystitis, overactive bladder and chronic pelvic pain.

Today I would like to take a look at several probiotic strains that have been studied for bladder- and genital health.

Conditions, Cystitis, Interstitial Cystitis, Overactive Bladder, Urinary Incontinence

Urinary Dysbiosis: The Underlying Factor Of Bladder Conditions

ByLayla | On February 13,17 | 3 Comments

In last week’s post I talked about the urinary microbiota – the bacterial communities that have recently been discovered to be present in the urinary tract.

We know now that microbes that live in and on our bodies play a crucial role in health and illness. There are friendly and pathogenic microbes (bacteria, fungi etc.) plus opportunistic microbes that can become pathogenic when left unchecked.

When the delicate balance of good vs bad microbes is disturbed we become prone to an array of health conditions and infections. This is called a ‘dysbiosis’.

Conditions, Cystitis, Interstitial Cystitis, Overactive Bladder, Urinary Incontinence

Is A Healthy Bladder Really Sterile? A Look at the Urinary Microbiota.

ByLayla | On February 05,17 | 2 Comments

The human bladder and urine have long been considered to be sterile. Emerging evidence challenges this paradigm.

Recent advances in gene sequencing have made it possible to look at the human microbiome (the collective bacteria that live in and on our bodies) and more and more studies are showing an important link between the microbiome and our health.

Standard urine testing methods are limited in their ability to show the true bacterial composition of the urine and their main use is to show certain strains of bacteria that typically overgrow in urinary tract infections.

Conditions, Interstitial Cystitis, Overactive Bladder

‘Leaky Bladder’ as the Root of Non-Bacterial Bladder Problems

ByLayla | On January 23,17 | 2 Comments

In my last post I looked at the GAG layer in the bladder and how damage to it can cause problems for the bladder lining, a.k.a the bladder urothelium.

When the bladder urothelium gets damaged it can lose its integrity and become ‘leaky’ or ‘hyper-permeable’. Molecules that shouldn’t normally leave the bladder can get into the space (‘interstitium’ – hence interstitial cystitis) between the layers of the tissue and into the blood.

Conditions, Interstitial Cystitis

Could Your Interstitial Cystitis Be Caused By A Damaged GAG Layer?

ByLayla | On January 15,17 | 11 Comments

The so-called GAG layer plays an important role in protecting the bladder lining (epithelium) against anything that enters the bladder.

When this protective layer is disturbed, the sensitive bladder lining is exposed to irritation and attack. From this, sensitivity, pain and other problems can arise.

A damaged GAG layer has been established to play a big role in the pathogenesis of interstitial cystitis.

Conditions, Overactive Bladder, Overactive Bladder/Incontinence, Protocols

Low Metabolism and Overactive Bladder

ByLayla | On January 09,17 | 3 Comments

Happy 2017, y’all! I hope this year will bring relief from all your bladder issues – keep on learning and searching! In today’s post I would like to address something that I personally have been messing around with in the past month. It is the connection between low metabolism and overactive bladder.