If the cystitis is caused by the presence of E.coli, (the most common cause of cystitis), the cure is simply a matter of getting rid of the E.coli. There are basically only three ways to do this:
- Strengthen your immune system to the point where it can fight off an attack.
You can boost your immune system with echinacea, garlic, and antioxidants — chemical compounds that neutralize the effects of oxidation. The best-known antioxidants are vitamins A, C and E, and the mineral selenium. Zinc is also useful but can be difficult to digest. Unfortunately, prevention is better than cure. if you are already suffering from a severe attack of cystitis, it is probably that, for whatever reason, your immune system is at a low point, and it will usually take considerably longer than you can afford to wait to strengthen your immune system to defeat the E.coli. - Have antibiotics prescribed by your doctor.
If this is your first or second episode of cystitis, antibiotics can be very effective at getting rid of the infection. Unfortunately, they all have side effects, and some of these side effects can be as bad as (or worse than) the infection, so don’t take this step lightly. If you do decide to go down the route of taking antibiotics, be sure to carefully read the information that comes with them. You may have to stop taking a zinc or iron supplement, for example, because of the way that particular antibiotic reacts with those metals. - Flush the E.coli out of your system.
This is the most viable option. When you flush the E.coli away, the symptoms of cystitis, (which were the symptoms of an attack of E.coli) simply disappear, usually within hours. The body is remarkably efficient at healing itself once you have got rid of the source of infection. The best way to flush the E.coli away is simply to take a half teaspoon of Waterfall D-Mannose in a glass of water or fruit juice at the recommended intervals.
Other considerations:
Drinking a lot of water helps to dilute the E.coli in your bladder and urinary tract. Unfortunately, water on its own is unlikely to solve the problem, although it can help to alleviate the symptoms by reducing burning sensations and pain. But the source of the infection is still likely to be there, waiting to go on the attack again.
Lemon or cranberry juice can help to some extent. Small amounts of D-mannose can be present in the fruit sugars of both of these, helping to enable E.coli flushing. Unfortunately, drinking a lot of either can make you feel very ill and can upset your digestive system almost as much as taking antibiotics does. Better, and far more effective, to take pure D-Mannose.
Sodium bicarbonate, potassium citrate, and similar ‘cures’ work by making your urine unacceptable alkaline for the E.coli. But again, they generally taste foul, can make you feel very ill, and if taken to excess can be dangerous. And it may not work. Also, if you happen to be affected by Proteus, it thrives in an alkaline environment, so you could help your bug to thrive rather than killing it
Garlic can act as a natural antibiotic, and kill or deactivate the E.coli present. However, you will need to take a lot of it, (3 to 4 crushed cloves, 3 to 4 times a day) and taken in quantity, garlic makes you smell disgusting, upsets the digestion, and since it is a natural antibiotic, may kill off friendly bacteria in your gut, leaving you with long-term digestive problems.
Try Aloe Vera. You can liquidize the leaf of a plant, or just squeeze out the juice and drink with some fruit juice. It seems to help ease the worst of the pain, perhaps by helping to coat the bladder.
Vitamin A deficiency can lead to urinary tract problems by damaging cell membranes, thus leaving them more vulnerable to attack.