CHRONIC UTI’s
A chronic Urinary Tract Infection is classified as having 2 or more bladder infections in a six month period or 3 or more in one year. Urinary Tract Infections(UTI’s) are infections anywhere along the urinary tract which includes the bladder and the kidneys. However, if you suspect that you have a kidney infection, you should seek medical care immediately from your Primary Care Provider. Common causes for UTI’s are poor hygiene, chronic antibiotic use, spermicides and sexual intercourse, or impaired immune function, but the most common cause still remains a transfer of E. Coli Bacteria from the intestinal tract to the urinary tract.
Conventional medicine will usually address UTI’s with antibiotics such as Bactrim, Ampicilin, Amoxicillin, or Cipro, and while these may treat the infection, they also disrupt the balance in the microbiome causing an imbalance in the good versus bad bacteria. This imbalance can further impair the immune system and lead to other gut problems. There can also be an imbalance in the vaginal flora itself.
Functional Medicine addresses chronic UTI’s by using specific nutraceuticals and very targeted probiotics, along with testing for contributing factors such as impaired immune function and gut dysbiosis.