Urinary Tract Infections UTI's
In this post we'll be discussing the diagnosis and treatment
of urinary tract infections. We'll show you how to check
for them, and the natural remedies and conventional treatments you'll want to
add to your preps.
Men rarely get bladder infections (urinary tract infections), so
many of us don't appreciate how incapacitating they can be. Cleanliness
can be a nightmare proposition during catastrophes. Add to that the
short urethra God issued with the female bladder, and
you have the first dark comedy of errors. A cruel joke of
nature predisposing girls and ladies to painful infections.
Symptoms
Urinary tract infections are almost always caused by bacteria.
Microscopic invaders that make their way into the bladder, where
they quickly set up housekeeping. Painful pelvic contractions,
frequent urination, and the uncontrollable urge to suddenly go soon
follow. These symptoms are sometimes accompanied by an
intermittent low-grade fever. This is disastrous for preppers
traveling to their Bug-Out-Locations, because walking long distances quickly
becomes impossible.
Why are Preppers Susceptible to UTI's?
In normal life you have the ability to urinate as frequently as
you'd like. In concert with adequate hydration, this tends to wash
out any bacteria that have made their way into your bladder. This wasn't
possible for people stuck in the bomb shelters of subterranean London during
WWII. Without adequate water or bathroom facilities, they quickly
became dehydrated, and were forced to hold their urine for
extended periods of time. Together, the combination guaranteed someone was
going to get sick. Similar conditions will likely apply to modern
preppers at times. Knowing this helps you anticipate the problem and
implement prevention measures.
Natural Treatments for UTIs
The best treatment is prevention, so stocking plenty of
water in your shelter and refraining from holding your bladder is usually all
that's needed. Simple steps for sure, but not always possible during
an apocalypse when hygiene is its own nightmare. So preppers must be
comfortable diagnosing and treating UTI's, and know how to check if the
infection has spread to the kidneys.
Symptoms
Foul smelling, cloudy, or burning urine, combined with the
physical symptoms discussed above, are all that are needed to diagnose the
condition. Treatment should begin as soon as possible.
Otherwise the infection might
spread into the kidneys, which is a potentially fatal complication.
How do
you tell if a bladder infection has spread to the kidneys?
A kidney infection should be suspected if a person with a UTI
develops a fever that's constant or high-grade. Often the person
will complain of back pain. At that point you'll want to check if
the infection has extended to their kidneys. This is done by
lightly tapping on the person's back directly over their lower rib
cage. If they jump and recoil with sharp pain, then the
kidneys are infected! This finding is called costovertebral
angle (CVA) tenderness, and strongly suggests the persons kidneys are severely
inflamed.
Signs
Pyelonephritis (Kideney
Infection) & CVA Tenderness
Once in
the Kidneys the Infection is Serious - Switch to Antibiotics Immediately.
Ideally you'll have a stockpile of people pills, but if not,
fish antibiotics equivalent to Bactrim DS (Sulfa),
or Ciprofloxin (Cipro), will generally cure the infection (Click Here for more info on
fish antibiotics and how to use them). If you don't get a response to treatment
within the first three days, switch to another antibiotic. The bacteria causing
these infections are known to have developed drug resistance to
several classes of antibiotics. So if one doesn't work, you should switch to
another. In the event antibiotics aren't available, force fluids to
flush the infection, improve the persons nutrition, and limit activity as much
as possible. And remember: prevention, prevention, prevention!
-ThePrepperPages.com
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