Many of us have been there. All of a sudden you have the urge to urinate all the time. The increased frequency may be accompanied by the dreaded burning, and the all-popular blood and clots when you pee. Believe me, I have been there with you, sister. Many cases of cystitis are caused by sex, but there are many factors that affect how susceptible you are. I have put together a program for myself that has effectively cured me of bladder infections. Now, I'm not a doctor, or any type of medical person, for that matter. But I am someone who has suffered for 20 years with ongoing, chronic bladder infections. So believe me when I tell you you can beat them. This information is not meant to replace your doctor's assistance, but if these things work for you all the better.

Rest: Getting the proper amount of sleep is absolutely crucial to your health. When my problems were the worst, I was only getting 4-5 hours of sleep a night. I normally need at least 7-8, and would love to get 9-10. But life gets in the way. Anyway, don't short yourself on sleep or you'll end up with all kinds of medical problems.

Nurtition: Your mother was right, eat your vegetables! And your fruits! And your protein! I switched to an organic diet in January of 2008 and it has really helped me feel better. It can be more expensive to buy organic, but there are ways to get around that. I make every other meal a meatless one. Beans are a great source of protein and fiber, and are usually low in fat. I read recently that children fed a mostly organic diet have 6-9 times less pesticides in their bodies. There's nothing wrong with that!

Supplements: I published another Hub on Oil of Oregano, and I take it every day. It has been instrumental in getting rid of my staph bladder infection. I also take a product called Fem-Dophilus. It was created by doctors and has been the subject of several studies proving it does work at replacing bad bacteria in the vaginas of women who take it. I also take and recommend a strong (50 billion) probiotic, as that also helps replace bad bacteria in the gut. In addition, I take d-mannose every day. D-mannose is a simple sugar derived from blueberries and cranberries that works on E-Coli. The bacteria adhere to the d-mannose and are flushed out in your urine. D-mannose doesn't kill any bacteria, just escorts it out of the body. It has no side effects and does not affect the blood sugar count of diabetics. Last, I drink Fruit A Vie. It is a knock-off juice drink of Mon A Vie. Mon A Vie is staggeringly expensive ($45.00 per bottle and you are supposed to drink a bottle a week!) where Fruit A Vie is $19.00 a bottle and it lasts a month. It is available at Sam's Club. I'm not normally a pill popper, but these things keep me healthy.

I have tried Uva Ursi and other dried herb capsules, but they didn't work for me. Please don't give up on the search for a natural cure for your problem. If antibiotics work for you, great! But in the vast majority of cases, bacteria that cause bladder infections are never really eradicated by the antibiotics. Bacteria have been found to form biofilms in the bladder that are resistant to everything. That's the great thing about natural cures; the bacteria never form a resistance to them.

Exercise: I do yoga five times a week, unless I'm sick. It strengthens the body and isvery calming. There are many different types of yoga so find one that works for you.

Acupuncture and Chiropractic: I had a course of acupuncture and many adjustments. This is not something you need to do forever, although they would love it if you did.

Fun: Do something you absolutely love so you remember why we work so hard. There will always be work to do. Remember yourself.

Sex: A great form of fun! But really, this is the area that makes you nervous, doesn't it? Because most bladder infections follow sex. You've heard it all already: wipe from front to back, wash before and after sex, drink a lot of water. All good advice, but if you're healthy you already have bacteria all over the place on and in your body. The bladder is meant to be able to get rid of it. This leads me to the last piece of advice:

Get tested for allergies: I read that the birth control pill can be associated with low B12, and low B12 can be associated with bladder infections. My problem started about the time I went on the pill and became sexually active. So it's the chicken or the egg with this one. I have gone off the pill and been tested for environmental and food allergies. Hidden allergies have been implicated in chronic bladder infections. I had five allergies show up, including a small gluten allergy. So now I watch what I eat and try eat a larget variety of organic, healthy food.

You are not alone. You will find an answer to this horrible problem. Just don't give up. Good Luck!