Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Scottsdale Naturopathic Doctor
Bladder Pain, frequency and urgency for women can feel very frustrating as there are not many prescription medications for long-term bladder pain. Ironically, women with bladder pain are shucking corn as we speak and throwing the important Women's Health herb corn silk in the garbage can!
This must stop! Today's PSA for women will be on chronic bladder pain for women and how I work to manage it naturally!
The MD's I used to work for would inevitably ask me what herbs worked for bladder pain, since it was such a frustrating symptom for women to complain about. They knew they did not have much to help their symptoms. I taught them about corn silk tea, and how to properly make it to heal and calm an irritated bladder and they would often report back how much better their patients were with cornsilk tea.
If you have to plan all your day errands and trips around where you can find a bathroom every 30 minutes, then something is seriously not right and you may benefit from some cornsilk tea!
Corn silk tea is a fabulous soothing treat for an irritated bladder. Whether you are using corn sik tea for preventing a bladder infection or calming the irritation of interstitial cystitis a form of chronic irritable bladder it generally works well for most women, and is a trusted Women's Health herb that is cheap and effective.
Horsetail and marshmallow root can also be safe and calming to the lining of the bladder. The demulcent properties of these teas are great for preventing bladder infections because the slippery "mucilaginous" nature of the glycosaminoglycans prevent bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall. Another example of a demulcent herb everyone knows that is mucilaginous is Aloe vera.
To make corn silk tea it is best to add 1 Tbl of heaping herb per 8 oz cup of room temperature water into a mason jar. Shake well and let sit overnight as a "cold infusion." The demulcent or mucilaginous properties of corn silk actually extract best in room temperature water than a typical hot tea infusion.
Strain your infusion and drink 2-3 cups at least per day to calm a very irritated bladder.
Patients with Food Allergies or Sensitivites to corn should not use cornsilk tea as they will likely react adversely to it which is an occasional side effect with any herbal medicine. Although I rarely see this!
Bladder pain for women can often accompany hormone imbalance with perimenopause and menopause.
I often find many food triggers from spicy foods, tannins, acidic foods, citrus, and Food Allergies and Sensitivities irritating my patient's bladders. This is why it is very important to work with a skilled Women's Health Doctor that knows how to address both nutrition and hormone imbalance that are often the root cause of bladder pain.
With menopause comes hormonal changes that can alter the friendly flora in the vagina and cause pathogenic organisms to take over such as a Yeast Infection. If you have already been to a Urologist, and have received no improvement then you are a perfect candidate for Naturopathic Medicine and hormone balancing!
Antibiotic use without enough probiotics to restore the microbiome are also often to blame for chronic female bladder pain. The bladder often becomes inflamed after a course of antibiotics and it is important that women rely on probioitic capsules for a month after one course of broad spectrum antibiotics and not just rely on yogurt. You basically need to drink a gallon of yogurt a day to fix your microbiome after taking harsh antibiotics and if there is underlying hormone imbalance causing pH changes it can create the perfect storm for bladder inflammation which triggers constant pain.
If you have already been worked up by a Urologist, and nobody has been able to help you then Naturopathic Medicine will be a perfect fit for you to try to heal from chronic bladder pain.
We ultimately need to figure out what is wrong with YOUR bladder, and the triggers and herbs it needs to be healed will be very individualized for each woman. But rest assured, you should not have to live in constant misery and pain with your bladder. This is one problem that is better off served with Naturopathy, Bioidentical Hormones, and herbs as there are not many medications that help for bladder pain.
If you need my help with your bladder pain simply pop over to my SCHEDULE page to treat yourself to a Naturopathic visit. I would be happy to help with this very common yet frustrating women's health issue!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum Depression, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 23 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease.
She has been an Herbalist for over 28 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
