The Bladder | Articlesuper.com

The Bladder

POSTED BY admin on May 22, 2008 under Health

What do you know about the bladder? This article by Susun Weed talks about our bladder, some problems that can occur and the bladder star: comfrey!

I am the holding
tank. I am the lowest point. It all flows down to me. The blood goes round and
round, and the liver decides what stays and what goes. What goes, goes to the
kidneys. And when the kidneys are done with what goes round, it goes down to
me. It all comes down to me.

      

It goes round and it
comes down and I hold it in until it is time. Then I let it go, so it can go
round somewhere else, back into the flow of nourishment and change.

      

I am part of it all,
but I am apart; I am touched by it all, but not taken. I am the container, not
the contents. I offer short-term storage, no interest, no credit, just in and
out, here and gone. I have no plans, no memories, no desires. Fill me. Empty
me. Again. And again.

      

I am your bladder. I
am your servant. But I can only hold so much.

      

Your rage trickles
down to me. It burns me; it irritates me. Your fear of life seeps into me. It
annoys me; it compresses me.

      

Grudges precipitate
and settle into me. Your suspicious nature grabs hold of me. It tears at me; it
agitates me. Controlling me doesn’t give you control over your life. Trust the
process; surrender to the flow. 

      

I am your bladder. It
all comes down to me. It all goes round and round, and it comes out here.

  

Healthy
Bladder

The urinary bladder is an elastic,
muscular, thin-tissued storage place for urine, which is produced by the
kidneys. Urine travels to the bladder via thin, foot-long tubes called ureters.
The tube  from the bladder to the outside
is the urethra. An adult’s bladder can hold at least 1000ml before
bursting.

The bladder has an inner layer of
protective, collagen-rich mucus, a middle-layer of smooth muscle (the detrusor
- “thrust out? - muscle), and an outer layer of connective tissues
which unites the bladder, ureters and urethra.

At the base of the bladder, smooth
muscles form an internal sphincter that involuntarily releases urine. Below
that, skeletal muscles - which are under conscious control - form  the external urethral sphincter, giving us a
choice in when we void. The average human bladder is emptied every 2-5 hours
during the day.

When the bladder is about half full,
stretch receptors send an impulse to the sacral spinal nerves, which send a
message to the brain, causing the detrusor muscle to contract, the
internal sphincter to relax, and alerting us to our need to “go.? If we don’t
void, the urge disappears within a minute, then recurs at intervals. The
tighter the stretch, the more frequent the messages to let go. 

Although women’s bladders are
somewhat constrained in size by the 
uterus, which lies behind it, there is little difference in the
capacity, or functioning, of healthy men’s and women’s bladders.                        

But the bladder’s proximity to the
ovaries and uterus in women, and the prostate gland in men, give a subtle,
hormonally-mediated twist to bladder problems. A woman’s shorter urethra (4cm
versus his 20cm) makes bladder infections more common for her; more women than
men are incontinent; and prostate problems interfere with bladder functioning
in many men as they age.

 

Bladder
Problems

There are many problems that can
bother the bladder, from infections to retention (can’t go) to
incontinence (can’t not go). If the muscles of the pelvic floor are
weak, urine leaks (stress incontinence); if they are very lax, the
bladder prolapses down into the vagina. As men age, the growth of the
prostrate can press on the bladder, preventing it from fully emptying and
increasing the frequency of urination. And some men have paruresis or
“shy? bladder, while women are more bothered by an overactive bladder or
urge incontinence which bothers many women as well. Exercising the
pelvic floor muscles is the best medicine for anyone with these problems. 

If bacteria move from the anus into
the bladder the result is a urinary tract infection (UTI) or cystitis,
which can range from acute episodes to chronic urgency and pelvic pain.
Bacteria - including gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Ureaplasma urealyticum, and Mycoplasma
genitalium - can inflame the urethra (urethritis) and cause pain.  Herbs are very effective in soothing
inflammation and in clearing infections of all sorts, though drugs may be
required. 

Symptoms of cystitis include
frequent intense urges to urinate, often with burning pain, tenderness,
incontinence, and bloody, cloudy, or strong-smelling urine. When treated
promptly, cystitis is not threatening. Left untreated, however, the bacteria
can move up the ureters and into the kidneys, causing fever, chills, nausea,
vomiting, back pain on one side, and eventual kidney damage. 

Interstitial cystitis is an ulcerated
condition of the bladder which mimics cystitis, but gets worse, or fails to
respond to treatments that relieve cystitis. Interstitial cystitis may be
related to fibromyalgia.  

And cancer can grow in the
bladder or kidneys.

Bladder Star
- Comfrey

An herb that can improve muscle tone
in the bladder, ease irritation in the bladder lining and ureters, heal all
surfaces, counter inflammation, and create resilient health throughout the
urinary system is a true bladder star. That’s comfrey - Symphytum.  

I don’t use Symphytum officinale,
which is often cited, and is associated with alkaloid-overdose of the liver.
Instead, I use the comfrey from my garden, Symphytum uplandica x, also
called “Russian? or “blue? comfrey. In fact, I’ve never seen anyone growing officinale,
which is a small plant with yellow flowers. I strongly suspect that all the
comfrey for sale in the United States in uplandica.

The allantoin in comfrey is a
superb healer of mucus surfaces, such as those lining the bladder and ureters.
It gives almost immediate relief to those with interstitial cystitis and
works to counter urge incontinence and overactive bladders.
Comfrey’s anti-inflammatory action relieves urethritis and prostate
swelling, too.

The astringent tannins in
comfrey help tone and tighten the bladder and pelvic floor muscles, countering stress
incontinence. Comfrey also relaxes the detrusor muscle.

The lavish amounts of minerals,
vitamins, and protein found in comfrey allow the body to engage in any repairs
that are needed and may counter bladder cancer.

A sitz bath of the leaves or
roots works well for those reluctant to consume comfrey. But, for best results,
comfrey leaf infusion, a cup or two a day, gets my vote.

 

 

Legal Disclaimer: This content is not intended to replace conventional medical
treatment. Any suggestions made and all herbs listed are not intended to
diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, condition or symptom. Personal
directions and use should be provided by a clinical herbalist or other
qualified healthcare practitioner with a specific formula for you. All material
in this article is provided for general information purposes only and should
not be considered medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable
healthcare practitioner if you are in need of medical care. Exercise
self-empowerment by seeking a second opinion.

 

Susun
Weed

PO Box 64

Woodstock, NY 12498

Fax:
1-845-246-8081

 

Visit
Susun Weed at: , contact us at: susunweed@herbshealing.com

 

About the author

For
permission to reprint this article, contact us at: susunweed@herbshealing.com

 

 

Vibrant,
passionate, and involved, Susun Weed
has garnered an international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures,
teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional
medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of
herbal medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated and enthusiastic lectures
are engaging and often profoundly provocative.

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