8 Amazing Health Benefits of Stinging Nettles

If you happen to brush past a stinging nettle while out for a walk, you’ll experience a sudden pain that feels like you are being pricked by some needles. While this might convince you to stay away from this plant, they can be very beneficial for your health. In fact, what many classified as an annoying weed has actually been an important component of health remedies and pharmaceuticals for a very long time.

Stinging nettles have diuretic, laxative, anti-inflammatory, and antihistamine properties. Furthermore, this herb is a great source of iron, vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin C, and vitamin K. Other nutrients in it include silica, carotene, calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium, and chromium.

Stinging nettles are available as dried leaves, extract, juice or tea, or root tincture. You can also get it in the form of an ointment or cream that can be applied to the skin or as capsules and tablets.

Below are the top 8 health benefits of stinging nettles.

1. Helps with Arthritis and Other Joint Pain
Stinging nettles are beneficial for people who suffer from arthritis or any other kind of joint pain. Its function is very similar to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen. This herb is rich in anti-inflammatory properties, along with minerals such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium, that all help ease joint pain as well as increase bone strength.

Tips

• Drink stinging nettle tea once or twice a day.
• Apply nettle leaf juice directly to the painful joints once a day.
• Take nettle supplements (consult your doctor first).

2. Treat an Enlarged Prostate
Stinging nettles can be beneficial to men who are suffering from an enlarged prostate, as the essential bioactive phytochemicals present in it help to shrink prostate tissue. Being a diuretic as well, it also encourages the elimination of inflammatory wastes through urination.

Tips

• Take a 300 mg stinging nettle supplement once a day. For the correct dosage to treat the condition, you should consult your doctor first.

3. Treats Urinary Tract Infections
Nettles can also relieve the symptoms of urinary tract infections. The active compounds in nettles function as a mild diuretic, which will make you urinate more and help flush any harmful bacteria out of your body. Furthermore, it helps to relieve any inflammation.

Tips

• Drink 2-3 cups of nettle tea each day. This will make you urinate more often, which is essential when dealing with this type of infection. 

4. Promotes Kidney Health

Stinging nettles help to clean your kidneys. As a natural detoxifier, diuretic, and blood purifier, nettles aid in the removal of impurities such as bacteria, calcium crystal deposits, and stones from your kidneys.

Tip

• To promote kidney health, you can take this herb in its many different forms – dried leaves, extracts, tinctures, pills, tea. It’s best to consult your doctor so you can find out which form will suit you the best.

5. Treats Eczema
Stinging nettles are also useful for treating eczema, a chronic skin disorder that causes dry skin, swelling, redness, flaking, cracking, blisters, crusted sores and itching. Due to their anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties, nettles work as a natural treatment for eczema as they help to reduce inflammation and itching.

Tips

• Extract the juice from a few nettle leaves and apply it to the affected area. Repeat once or twice a day to alleviate itching and pain.
• Drink stinging nettle tea 2-3 times a day.

6. Aids Detoxification

Toxin accumulation in the body can severely damage vital organs and systems, causing chronic illness. Stinging nettles are very effective at removing these toxins. As nettles act as a diuretic and are high in nutrients, they are the perfect tool for a detox. They detoxify the blood and encourage the elimination of inflammatory wastes from the body. Furthermore, they stimulate the lymphatic system, helping the kidneys and liver to eliminate waste.

Tips
• Drink a cup of nettle tea a few times a day, or add some leaves to a green smoothie. 

7. Cures Hay Fever
Stinging nettles are highly effective at treating hay fever as well as allergic rhinitis or season allergies. As a natural antihistamine, nettles can reduce inflammation of the upper respiratory tract and provide some comfort from symptoms such as coughing, nasal congestion, sneezing, and itching.

Tips

• If you’re prone to seasonal allergies, talk to your doctor about taking nettle supplements for one month prior to the allergy season.
• Furthermore, drinking nettle tea twice a day at the first sign of hay fever symptoms will help provide some relief.

8. Soothes Asthma

Nettles, due to their antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties, are great when it comes down to treating asthma. They help to open up constricted nasal and bronchial passages to relieve asthma symptoms. Furthermore, the vitamin C and butyric acid helps to maintain a healthy immune system and metabolism to help prevent asthma attacks.

Tips

• Drink a few cups of nettle tea a day to reduce the severity of your asthma symptoms and to promote a quick recovery.

Additional Tips and Cautionary Notes

• Always wear gloves when handling nettles, as the leaves are covered with fine hairs that will irritate your bare skin.
• This herb is not suitable for pregnant women or small children.
• May interfere with blood thinners and heart medications, so consult your doctor first.
• Don’t drink too much nettle tea as it’s a diuretic. More than 3 cups a day is too much

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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Causes of Nighttime Urination

When you body goes into rest mode every night, your bladder switches gears and produces less, but more concentrated urine to let you sleep without interruption. This balance can be cut short by a variety of factors, including disease. And while the majority of people need a nighttime detour to the bathroom because of the glass of wine they had in the evening and have nothing to worry about, frequent and multiple nighttime urination is a red flag.
Even so, nocturia (the scientific term for frequent nighttime urination) may be caused by a disease, there are some benign causes, among which are the following:

    Diuretic medications
    Caffeine
    Alcohol
    Excessive fluids before bedtime.

As a symptom, nocturia can point to a variety of diseases, from urinary infections to neurological diseases and everything in-between. Scroll down to read about each cause.

1. Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Nighttime urination is so prevalent in sleep apnea that it became a tell-tale sign of the disease, as significant as snoring, but many people don’t suspect that sleep apnea may be the cause of frequent nighttime urination. The American Sleep Apnea Association mentions that over 84% of patients suffering from sleep apnea reported nocturia.

Many patients with untreated sleep apnea report 6 or more nighttime bathroom trips. The underlying mechanism of nocturia in sleep apnea is unclear, but it is known that patients who start a treatment targeting sleep apnea find that it resolves the nightly bathroom breaks almost completely.

2. Bladder Prolapse
A bladder prolapse can happen when a woman’s bladder is poorly supported by pelvic muscles and ligaments, as a result, it descends to the vaginal wall. Patients with even a minor prolapse complain about nocturia, and bladder prolapse is one of the leading causes of nocturia in women.

In this condition, nighttime urination likely occurs because the tension of the vagina can aggravate the bladder when in a horizontal position, and one gets the urge to urinate, even when the bladder isn’t full.

3. Enlarged Prostate
 An enlarged prostate is called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in medical terms. In patients suffering from BPH, the urinary tract changes its shape and functionality together with the enlargement of the prostate.

BPH is one of the major causes of nocturia in males, which is brought about by increased bladder sensation and the narrowing of the urethra, which can make you feel an urgency to urinate, even when your bladder is nearly empty. In these cases, nocturia is not the only symptom and an increased need to urinate and incontinence are also observed.

4. Anxiety and Depression
Mental problems, such as anxiety and depression may manifest themselves in the form of nocturia, too. Although the exact link between these 2 conditions is unknown, nocturia is believed to be a side effect of sleep disturbances that come with anxiety and depression.

In these cases, it’s not the need to empty the bladder that wakes a person up, but they take a trip to the bathroom when they’re already up. To stop both the nocturia and the sleep disturbances, it is recommended to try to relax before sleep, either by doing breathing exercises, aromatherapy, or meditation.

It is also a good idea to avoid evening naps, nighttime meals and caffeinated drinks in the evenings.

5. UTIs
One of the most common causes of nocturia are a urinary tract infections (UTIs), cystitis, as well as bladder or kidney infections. These infections of the urinary system usually cause frequent burning sensations before, during and after urination, as well as the urgency to urinate during the day and night.

Other symptoms of these infections include changes in urine, fever, pain in the lover back and lower pelvis.

6. Swelling of the Legs (Edema)
There are many causes of edema, ranging from liver failure to heart disease, but all of these conditions cause excess water buildup in the tissues of the extremities.

This extra fluid has to go somewhere, so the body transports this fluid to the kidneys to excrete it from the body, which usually happens at night. This way, patients suffering from leg swelling may have to take a few night trips to the bathroom.

7. Multiple Sclerosis
People who suffer from multiple sclerosis, too, can experience nocturia, with an estimated 80 percent having some sort of bladder dysfunction during the progression of the disease, with some patients having to wake up 5-8 time during the night, feeling the urge to urinate.

This symptom occurs because MS patients have suffered damage to the nervous system, which may result in the disruption of nerve signals connected to the functioning of the bladder.

8. Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the 2nd most common neurodegenerative disease. In the course of the disease, patient most commonly experience motor control difficulties, but as much as 60% of PD patients also have bladder symptoms.

Although the causes of nocturia in PD are poorly understood, it was suggested that it may be due to higher quantities of urine production or a lower capacity of the bladder.

9. Overactive Bladder
An overactive bladder is a diagnosis encompassing a variety of conditions that all have the same symptom: a sudden unstoppable urge to urinate. Nocturia is one of the symptoms of an overactive bladder, and it is more common in people over the age of 60, but it has also been reported that one in three adults over the age of 30 needs 2 or more nighttime bathroom trips as well.

Other symptoms of an overactive bladder include a sudden uncontrollable urge to urinate, frequent incontinence, and more than 8 bathroom breaks in a 24-hour period. The reasons of this conditions are unknown, and therapy includes a variety of exercise, dietary restrictions, botox injections and even electro stimulation.

10. Tumors In the Pelvic Area
Both malignant and benign tumors of the organs of the lower abdomen, such as kidneys, reproductive organs and the digestive system may cause nighttime urination, as the tumor may press against the bladder, making it smaller and capable of holding less urine.

This will usually cause not only nocturia, but also incontinence and frequent urination during the day time.

11. Diabetes
Having high blood glucose levels can make the body get rid of excess glucose through urine. The more sugar the urine contains, the more it stimulates urine production.

This will make you urinate more often throughout the day and night, and it will also bring about the sensation of thirst. There is also a form of diabetes called diabetes insipidus that causes excess urination, with some patients urinating 20 litres (5.28 gallons) more than a normal person every day.

Please keep in mind that the information contained in this article is presented for informative purposes only. If you experience nocturia or any other suspicious symptoms, make sure to get a diagnosis by a specialist.
 

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                         FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                  https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/           

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What happens to your body when you hold your pee?

You may not know but holding your pee for an extended period of time can be harmful in a number of ways. The truth is that going to the washroom is a necessity for everyone, although finding a place to go may not be always convenient. So, when you feel the urge to urinate, it tells that your body needs to get rid of those toxic waste products. Urination is a complex process involving various muscles, organs, and nerves that work together to tell you that it’s time to go. 

So, it is important to not ignore the urge to empty your bladder. The human bladder can hold up to 16 ounces, or 2 cups, of urine, but the perception of feeling full varies from person to person as it depends on a number of factors and how fast the bladder fills.

Know the health risks of holding urine

Holding pee for a short time may not be harmful, but when you don't empty your bladder on a regular basis, it can have grave health outcomes. Ignoring the urge to pee can increase the risk of certain health problems, including urinary tract infections (UTIs). This may be due to the fact that the urine standing in the bladder can increase the bacteria growth there.

Other possible complications that can arise from not emptying bladder may include an infection or kidney damage. This is possible because your bladder is a part of your urinary system and is connected through the ureters to your kidneys. Holding urine may be particularly bad for people who have certain conditions such as - enlarged prostate, neurogenic bladder, kidney disorders, urinary retention, etc - as they can increase the risk of infection or kidney disease.

Pregnant women, who are already at an increased risk for UTIs, should not hold their urine at all.

The bottom line is that it’s best to have healthy bladder habits and consider using the bathroom, especially when drinking fluids. This will help you to keep your bladder healthy as well as maintain the kidneys in perfect conditions.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                
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Blood in urine (hematuria)

Most people would panic on seeing slightly red urine being passed. A common urologic condition, this happens because blood cells are leaking into the urine. There are multiple reasons which can cause it, and not all of them are major causes for concern.

Blood that you can see is called gross hematuria. Urinary blood that's visible only under a microscope (microscopic hematuria) is found when your doctor tests your urine. Either way, it's important to determine the reason for the bleeding.Treatment depends on the cause.
Some common causes, and how to manage this.

1. Urinary tract infections: There could be an infection of the entire urinary tract including the kidneys, the ureters, the bladder, and the urethra. In addition to blood in the urine, there could also be an urge to urinate, pain with urination, fever, and flank pain.
2. Enlarged or infected prostate: The prostate naturally enlarges with age and can obstruct the urethra, causing pain and blood in the urine. There is a constant urge to urinate and difficulty initiating the stream. Infection of the prostate also produces similar symptoms along with fever and pain.
3. Kidney diseases: In addition to infections, other kidney diseases including glomerulonephritis, which can also lead to hematuria. Kidney stones, which are quite common, are also another reason, and this will be characterised by the sudden sharp pain around the flank which is very diagnostic of kidney stones. Injury to the kidneys from trauma or sports is another reason for hematuria.
4. Cancers/tumours: Cancers in the kidney, bladder, or prostate can cause blood to appear in the urine, but this would happen once cancer has reached some advanced stage, not very early in the process.
5.  Inherited disorders. Sickle cell anemia — a hereditary defect of hemoglobin in red blood cells — causes blood in urine, both visible and microscopic hematuria. So can Alport syndrome, which affects the filtering membranes in the glomeruli of the kidneys.
6.  Medications. The anti-cancer drug cyclophosphamide and penicillin can cause urinary bleeding. Visible urinary blood sometimes occurs if you take an anticoagulant, such as aspirin and the blood thinner heparin, and you also have a condition that causes your bladder to bleed.
7. Strenuous exercise. It's rare for strenuous exercise to lead to gross hematuria, and the cause is unknown. It may be linked to trauma to the bladder, dehydration or the breakdown of red blood cells that occurs with sustained aerobic exercise.
   Runners are most often affected, although anyone can develop visible urinary bleeding after an intense workout. If you see blood in your urine after exercise, don't assume it's from exercising. See your doctor.
   

SymptomsGross hematuria produces pink, red or cola-colored urine due to the presence of red blood cells. It takes little blood to produce red urine, and the bleeding usually isn't painful. Passing blood clots in your urine, however, can be painful.
Bloody urine often occurs without other signs or symptoms.
 
Diagnosis: In addition to a physical exam, blood tests, imaging (CT scans and/or MRI) and cystoscopy might be required to confirm the diagnosis. Identifying the cause is extremely important as treatment would depend completely on the causative agent. Though hematuria is just one of the symptom, the underlying cause could have severe adverse effects on the whole body system.
Treatment: Whether it is an infection or enlarged prostate or kidney stone or tumour, once the cause is identified treatment is customised accordingly. Antibiotics for the infections, laser treatment for the stones, etc. are recommended.
If you see your urine turning slightly pink in colour, talk to your doctor immediately. Identifying the underlying cause and treating it will help solve the problem of hematuria.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.   
 
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