Re: kidney infection

Thank you! I have a couple more questions. In another post you mentioned that Uva Ursi kills good bacteria. Won't that be harmful to her progress just like an antibiotic?

No.  Any high tannin herb, including uva ursi will kill flora if in direct contact.  So these herbs cannot be taken at the same time as probiotics.  Taken at least a couple hours apart there is not an issue.

The advantage of uva ursi is that its antiseptic hydroquinones form at the kidneys. So it is specific to the urinary tract and will not kill the flora in the body the way conventional antibiotics will.

Also, last summer she had it 3 times and was in and out of the hospital. Do you happen to know all of the possible causes? She doesn't drink a lot of water which doesn't help.

In women the most common cause is not drinking enough water and not urinating frequently. Women are more prone to UTIs because their urethra is shorter so there is less distance for the bacteria to travel.  Frequent urination is essential to keep the urethra flushed free of bacteria.

There are a number of other causes.  Not urinating immediately after intercourse, vaginal infections, wiping towards the vagina instead of away from it, interstitial cystitis, kidney damage, poor immunity, etc.

She doesn't eat a lot of protein. Is there anything particular about the type of bacteria that she is contracting.

It is a relatively common opportunistic bacteria. This means that the bacteria usually attacks its host when the immune system is down, which in itself has numerous causes.

The bacteria can colonize a number of areas of the body including the intestines, urinary tract, lungs, etc.