Role of cantharis and Sarsaparilla in the management of Urinary tract infection: A Review

Abstract

UTI is an inflammatory response of the urothelium to bacterial invasion. It can either involve the upper urinary tract (kidneys) Pyelonephritis, or the lower urinary tract (bladder and urethra) cystitis, Dysuria and urethritis respectively. Infections are generally defined by their presumed site of origin. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most frequent clinical bacterial infections in women, accounting for nearly 25% of all infections. Around 50–60% of women will develop UTIs in their lifetimes. Escherichia coli is the organism that causes UTIs in most patients. Recurrent UTIs (RUTI) are mainly caused by reinfection by the same pathogen. Having frequent sexual intercourse is one of the greatest risk factors for RUTIs. In a subgroup of individuals with coexisting morbid conditions, complicated RUTIs can lead to upper tract infections or urosepsis. Although the initial treatment is antimicrobial therapy, use of different prophylactic regimens and alternative strategies are available to reduce exposure to antibiotics. UTIs are a common health problem which many times go undetected or unreported, but the symptoms of UTI can be very well treated with Homoeopathic remedies without any side effects. Cantharis and Sarsaparilla were extensively used for the management of UTI.