Urinary tract infections

2019-10-21

Every year around 10 million people visit European doctors with urinary tract infections (hereafter UTI). Women are much more affected, with about 50% of women having a urinary tract infection once in their lifetime, and about 20-30% of women suffering a relapse after 3-4 months. According to Western medicine, bacteria, especially Escherichia coli (approx. 80%) is to blame, followed by Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella and Pseudomonadas, Candida albicans, Enterococus, Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium. Bacteria usually enter the urinary tract through the urethra and can then settle in the bladder. The result is redness, swelling and pain in the urinary tract, i.e. inflammation of the urinary tract and the bladder, called cystitis. If this condition is not promptly treated, the infection may progress to the kidneys and cause inflammation of the kidneys – pyelonephritis.

Risk factors for the development of UTI

  • women because they have a much shorter urethra than men
  • weakened immune system (e.g. chemotherapy, diabetes, etc.)
  • any condition that prevents the bladder from being completely emptied (e.g. enlarged prostate, kidney stones, etc.)
  • sex with a new partner, use of a spermicidal condom, hormonal and mechanical contraception…
  • catheter in the urethra

UTI signs and symptoms

  • compulsive and frequent urination, but with only a few drops of urine
  • burning sensation with urination and/or lower abdominal pain
  • whitish or slightly bloody urine – smelling urine
  • general symptoms such as fatigue, confusion, headache, fever, etc.
  • finding of bacteria in urine
  • in the case of progression of infection to the kidneys, the symptoms are very pronounced and moreover, pain in the lower back, fever, chills, vomiting is added
  • renal or bladder cancer should always be excluded in the case of urine in the blood!

How TCM sees it

According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), all these urinary tract problems are called LIN diseases. They include various symptoms – from pain to inflammation – but there is always RE heat in the body. As one Chinese doctor Zhu Dan Xi said in 1481: There are 5 LIN diseases, but they all always have RE heat.
TCM distinguishes between SHI excess condition and XU deficiency condition for each disease. In our case, the acute states are usually in a state of SHI excess and in a state of RE heat, the chronic states are in a state of XU deficiency (kidney SHEN, spleen PI and heart XIN), which is additionally complicated by SHI moisture. In the case of the SHI excess state, it is either total moisture and heat SHI/RE, or heat in the heart XIN RE and heat in the liver GAN RE. If RE heat is intense, it can “burn” the blood vessels in the urinary tract, causing blood to appear in the urine.

Classification of LIN diseases

  1. Hot RE LIN diseases

Symptoms: rapid onset of problems, frequent, compulsive urination, little urine, the urine is dark or yellow in colour and strongly smells, burning and lancinating severe pain during urination, which can shoot into the lower abdomen or lower back, also chills and fever, bitter mouth, vomiting, constipation – this corresponds to moisture and heat in the bladder PANG KUANG SHI/RE. This is the most common case of UTI!
Tongue: red tongue with a strong yellow oily coating
Pulse: fast SHUO and slippery HUA
Herbal mixtures: Brightness of dark pool (102) + Beverage of Chinese sages (900)

  1. Bloody XUE LIN diseases
  • SHI excess status

Symptoms: blood in urine, painful, burning and compulsive urination with weak flow, pain can shoot into the abdomen, ribs and lower back, restlessness, irritability
Tongue: red tongue with thin yellow coating
Pulse: fast SHUO and full SHI
Herbal mixtures: Waterfall of blue lagoon (108) + Brightness of dark pool (102) + Beverage of Chinese sages (900)

  • XU deficiency status

Symptoms: Symptoms: painful urination, but not as severe as the previous state of excess SHI, slight bleeding of pale blood in the urine, lower back pain, weakness in the knees, heat in five hearts (chest, soles and palms), night sweats, hot flushes
Tongue: red, dry with a thin coating
Pulse: light XI and fast SHUO
Herbal mixtures: Fresh evening pagoda (185) + Beverage of Heaven Grace (888)

  1. Qi energy of the LIN disease
  • SHI excess status

Symptoms: strong stretching in the lower abdomen, urine dripping after urination, intermittent and weak urination, difficult urination, frustration, anger, depression and other signs of qi liver stagnation GAN QI ZHI
Tongue: normal or slightly purplish
Pulse: tense XIAN
Herbal mixtures: Harmony of Magic Change (063) + Sabre of little samurai (101) + Beverage of Chinese sages (900)

  • XU deficiency status

Symptoms: a feeling of dragging downwards in the lower abdomen, pain is not so severe, dripping of urine, weak flow, light urine, tiredness, drowsiness, weak voice
Herbal mixtures: Tiger spring (152) + Beverage from true Ginseng (822)

  1. Stone LIN diseases

Kidney and urinary stones are formed according to TCM for two basic reasons:

  1. Kidney Qi deficiency SHEN QI XU– the kidneys do not adequately drain the water and sediments from which the kidney stones are formed
  2. Stagnation of moisture and heat in the lower triple burner XIA JIAO SHI/RE– water evaporates by heat and sediments are then thickened into stones
  • SHI excess status

Symptoms: sand or stones in the urine, pain when urinating, urinating is not fluent, intermittent or sudden inability to urinate, severe pains that shoot into the abdomen, ribs or lower back, blood vessels may be in the urine
Tongue: thick yellow or white coating
Pulse: tense XIAN and fast or intermittent SHUO
Herbal mixtures: Stones of shaolin valley (020) + Beverage of Chinese sages (900)

  • XU deficiency + SHI excess status

Symptoms: chronic problems with stones, slight abdominal or back pain, fatigue, paleness, poor voice or heat in five hearts (chest, palms and soles), hot flushes
Tongue: pale and swollen or red with a thin coating
Pulse: weak XU or fast SHUO and thready XI
Herbal mixtures:

  1. Turbid LIN diseases
  • SHI excess status

Symptoms: turbid urine, as if rice has been washed in it, or urine with oil spots on the surface, if the urine is stagnant, sediments are formed, urination pain, irregular turbid urine flow
Tongue: red with yellow sticky coating
Pulse: fast SHUO and hard SE
Herbal mixtures: Dam of yellow river (111) + Beverage of Chinese sages (900)

  • XU deficiency status

Symptoms: chronic or repeated attacks of turbid urine, dense urine, chronic and mild urination pain, weight loss, dizziness, fatigue, lower back pain
Tongue: pale
Pulse: weak XU, light XI, deep CHEN
Herbal mixtures: Secret of golden case (171) + Beverage of Heaven Grace (888)

  1. Fatigue LIN diseases

Chronic and recurrent complaints, weak pain, problems appear and worsen during fatigue – dripping of urine even after urination, weak urination.

  • Kidney deficiency SHEN XU

Kidney Yin deficiency SHEN YIN XU – lower back pain, weakness in the knees, night sweats, red tongue without coating, fast pulse SHUO and light XI
Herbal mixtures: Fresh evening pagoda (185) + Softness of heavenly fay (888)

Kindey Yand deficiency SHEN YANG XU – lower back pain, cold limbs, swelling, slow pulse CHI deep CHEN
Herbal mixtures: Secret of golden case (171) + Beverage from true Ginseng (822)

  • Heart Yin deficiency XIN YIN XU

Heart palpitations, shortness of breath, tiredness, insomnia, dry mouth, red tip of the tongue and all problems get worse in anxiety or worries
Herbal mixtures: Elixir of heavenly emperor (121) + Softness of heavenly fay (888)

  • Spleen Qi decrease PI QI XU XIAN

Feelings of stretching around the stomach and abdomen, lack of appetite, softer stools, pale swollen tongue with fingerprints
Herbal mixtures: Tiger spring (152) + Beverage of Chinese sages (900)

 

In case of doubt with the choice of herbal products, we recommend TCM Test Tongue Analysis, which is evaluated by Dr. med. Petr Hoffmann and you will receive a recommendation (herbal products and foods) to your e-mail within 3 days.

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