Due to a woman's anatomy, about half of American women will suffer from a bladder infection at least once in their lifetime. Bladder infections, urinary tract infections (UTI's), or cystitus is a painful infection of the bladder that can be tricky to treat. Up to 10 percent of women suffer with 3 to 5 infections per year. Some people even suffer more frequently with one bladder infection after another. For many, the typical antibiotic treatment is becoming less effective. Antibiotics may bring temporary relief only to have another infection re-occur within about a week's time. Many believe that bacteria are becoming increasingly immune to the antibiotics.

What causes bladder infections

90 percent of the time, bladder infections in women are caused by naturally occurring bacteria found in the body. E-coli makes its way into the bladder and imbeds itself into the cells of the bladder wall. Because the e-coli can actually live within the immune system cells that are supposed to be fighting it off, e-coli is a resilient enemy.

Several conditions can contribute to the cause of chronic bladder infections.

Anatomy

A woman's anatomy is a contributor to the problem. The tube from the bladder going out of the body is shorter in women than in men, so it's easier for bacteria to make their way into the bladder. Many women suffer from bladder infections in connection with their monthly cycle or intercourse. Women who have given birth to several children and who have fallen bladders can be even more susceptible.

Reflux

Reflux is when the bladder doesn't empty completely. This can be caused for a variety of reasons. One thing that contributes to reflux is not drinking enough water. A human body needs 8 to 10 glasses of water each day. But most people drink sodas, coffee or tea instead. Many of these just make the problem worse because they are diuretics. You'll need to drink an extra glass of water for every one of these products you drink.

Birth defects also contribute to reflux. For example, in my family it is a dominant defect to have the tube from the kidney enter the bladder in the wrong place. This keeps the bladder from emptying properly. Many of the women and girls in my family suffer from chronic bladder infections as a result.

A Cure

In the past, the only resource for those of us suffering from chronic bladder infections was to drink large quantities of water every day, pop cranberry concentrate pills at every meal and take frequent courses of antibiotics. None of these really work consistently, and antibiotics have side effects including yeast infections which are caused by the antibiotics killing off all the bad and good bacteria in your body and leaving only the antibiotic-immune yeast to flourish out of control.

After having my sixth baby, the combination of a fallen bladder and a birth defect in my kidney created a painful combination in my life. I popped cranberry pills daily and took the strongest antibiotics I could take and still nurse my baby. I even made homemade cranberry and orange juice in an attempt to alleviate the chronic, painful infections. But nothing really helped. After finishing a course of antibiotics, the problem would return after only a week of relief. Doctors were stumped.

Finally, I got online and started searching for answers. I found an article on a new all-natural remedy called d-mannose. For example, Dr. Jonathan Wright has an article on d-mannose and urinary tract infections online here. D-mannose is a rare naturally occurring sugar that is found in some plant and food substances. Even the body makes it. But it is a sugar that your body doesn't metabolize. It goes straight into the bladder and the bacteria absolutely love it. They love it so much that they immediately detach themselves from the bladder wall, cling to the sugar and follow it straight out of the body. It works consistently for anyone. It's 100% safe. Even diabetics can take it because the sugar isn't metabolized. It's safe for little children, pregnant women, nursing mothers, anyone. It's all-natural and has no side effects and informed doctors are increasingly recommending it. If your bladder infection is caused by e-coli bacteria (which 90% of the cases are), then a bottle of d-mannose will knock it out.

D-Mannose isn't readily available in stores at this time, so I had to do a bit of searching to find it. After much research, I settled on Discover Nutrition's ClearTract. ClearTract is an economical d-mannose product available at DiscoverNutrition.com.

ClearTract is a white, dry powder. Stir ½ to 1 teaspoon in a glass of water and drink it and you won't even know it's there. When you have an infection, you'll take it every 2-3 hours. Once your infection is gone, you can take a maintenance dose once each day and later once a week. If you are susceptible to infection in connection with your menstrual cycle or intercourse, you can take doses before and after those.

If I feel the slightest hint of a bladder infection coming on, I take a couple doses of ClearTract that day and it stops it before it can start. If you or someone you know is suffering, stop by DiscoverNutrition.com and order a bottle of ClearTract. I promise you will be glad you did.

Marnie Pehrson, a mother of 6, has been highlighting truth and talent for 15 years. Whether it's writing a novel that spotlights individuals who've made a difference in the world or helping a talented entrepreneur create a platform for his life's work, Marnie underscores truth and talent in innovative and compelling ways. She is the creator of www.IdeaMarketers.com and helps experts promote their products and services online. For more information on her various projects and books, visit http://www.pwgroup.com. Contact the author, Marnie Pehrson , at marnie@pwgroup.com
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