Garlic, The Secret Weapon Against UTIs.

Burning… That’s how I would describe UTIs, and here is the burning truth on those nasty infections.

For this article, we spent time going through popular Facebook groups around Nairobi to investigate what women and men in Nairobi know about UTIs.

We also talked to Dr. Anne Odaro of Anna Holistics, who helped us come up with a comprehensive UTI guide.

This article will not only show you that UTIs are absolutely normal, but also that they can as well be prevented and treated.

And hey, there are even home remedies that will help you reduce the chances of infection and re-infection.

What are UTIs

So, let’s begin.

Urinary Tract infections are the second most common types of diseases that affect human beings around the world, says Dr. Anne.

According to the CDC, about 150 million people are diagnosed with UTIs around the world, which accumulates in the millions in treatment.

While they do affect women more than men, they are common for both sexes and can be utterly uncomfortable. At least 50% of women around the world will experience some form of UTI in their lifetime.

The reason UTIs affect more women than men is that women have a smaller urethra compared to males which makes it easier for bacteria to reach the urinary tract.

Your urinary tract is the part of your body that includes your kidneys, urethra, ureters, and bladder. Most infections occur on the lower urinary tract that is the urethra and bladder.

Chances of re-occurrence increase when they are not treated and may even lead to more harmful conditions.

Kilimani Moms UTI Scenario

A look at the famous Nairobi Facebook group ‘Kilimani moms Udaku one’ and, it‘s evident that UTIs affect many women and there’s little information about the same that women have not accessed.

So Bienvenu!

The Facebook posts read,

“hey moms, wenye wako na mimba below 3 months, mnaskiaje huko kwa nunu? Mimi inaniwasha sana, naskia moto tu alafu hewa inatoka inaweza leta pop sound…”

Just to be clear, ‘nunu’ is the vulvar region.

Another one went,

“Ladies kujeni hapa. Sharp pain kwa tumbo husababishwa na nini. Sio cramps lakini..”

Yet another one read,

“Moms naitaji usaidizi wenu… Nini hufanya mtu askie uchungu akitombw* but mjul* ikiwa ndani si uchungu lakini ikitoka ni ngori. Kwanza kusususu ata siongei…”

For your bonus another one said,

“Nimekwa na pain almost 4 days sasa, kwa tumbo na mgongo and the pain inakuja ikipotea. NB am not pregnant.”

Dr. Anne contends, “All these posts refer to some UTI, and the comments below them reflect a misconception of UTIs.”

Risk Factors of UTIs

Given the risk factors associated with UTIs, it’s almost impossible to prevent them, remember, UTIs are a bitch!

Types of UTIs

Depending on the part of the urinary tract infected, UTIs can generally be of three types:

Kidney (acute pyelonephritis)

The signs involved with these include:

• High fever
• Shaking and chills
• Vomiting
• Fever
• Upper and backside pain

Bladder (Cystitis)

• Pelvic pressure
• Frequent painful urination
• Blood in urine
• Discomfort in the lower abdomen

Urethra (Urethritis)

• Discharge
• Burning sensation while urinating
• Common symptoms of UTIs

The common symptoms of UTIs can thus be summarized as:

• A persistent urge to pee
• Burning sensation while peeing
• Passing off small and frequent amounts of pee
• Cloudy urine often with some white precipitates
• A strong and could be foul smell
• Blood in your urine
• Pelvic pain

Can garlic treat UTIs?

“Hello moms, kitunguu saumu hutumiwa aje kwa nunuu?” Asked the post on one of Nairobi’s most vibrant women groups on Facebook.

“For UTIs,” another replied.

Now, can this readily available regimen be your cure to preventing and treating UTI’s and if yes, how? Do you apply it to your urethra?

Four students from the Brit Institute of Technology and Sciences, India conducted research to investigate the efficacy of Garlic in combating the growing antimicrobial resistance.

Garlic has traditionally been used in treating many diseases since time immemorial. The study aimed to asses the antimicrobial activity of aqueous garlic extract against multidrug–resistant cultures of pathogenic bacteria present in infected human urine.

Of the 166 uropathogens testes, 82% were found to be susceptible to crude extract of garlic.

This study, therefore, concluded that aqueous garlic possesses effective antimicrobial activity against resistant microbes.

The researchers recommended that garlic may be of great significance in treating public health issues like UTIs.

How to Use Garlic

• Take two pellets of garlic and crush them with a pestle and mortar.
• Boil a cup of water and add it to the garlic extract
• Wait for it to cool and mix up.
• Drink this three times a day for three days, and the UTI should go away.

Pro Tip: While garlic is effective in combating these pathogens, it is not a 100% treatment, and women are advised to see their gynecologists is symptoms persist.

Also, drinking garlic extract regularly and eating in your food reduces the chances of infection.

Always wipe front back.