Female Care

We all get bad breath at some time or another. Yes, it seems like the stink only appears before a date or job interview, but if you were more alert in the A.M. hours, you’d notice bad breath surfaces every morning. How do you get rid of bad breath, or more importantly, what homemade remedies can you use to get rid of bad breath in an emergency such as 1) your date is coming up the stairs and you have no mouthwash or 2) you’re at a family dinner and you have to use what is available in your aunt’s medicine cabinet. The following are just a few of the homemade remedies available in a pinch, or even if you prefer natural remedies over store bought chemicals.

Quick Ways to Fight Bad Breath at a Restaurant
Your first line of defense against bad breath is herbs. If you’re at a restaurant and see a garnish of anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, mint, parsley, or thyme, eat them last as they will help freshen your mouth. Also, consider carrying a little baggie of any of the herbs mentioned; although, if you get pulled over or spill your purse contents on the ground, we can’t guarantee that won’t look “suspicious.” Herbs have been used to fight bad breath for centuries.

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What is cystitis?

Cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder (the sac that stores urine) and is the most common type of urinary tract infection.  It usually occurs when bacteria that normally live in the bowel travel up the short tube (urethra) that connects the bladder to the outside. Once inside the bladder, these bacteria quickly grow.

Cystitis is common in women of all ages. Around 30-50 per cent of women will have cystitis at some time in their lives. A woman is most likely to get cystitis when sexually active, while pregnant and after menopause. The infection cannot be passed to others during sex. Women get cystitis more often than men because women have a shorter urethra. The urethral, vaginal and anal openings are also very close, making it easy for bacteria to be spread from one to the other.

What are the symptoms?

• Stinging or burning when you pass urine.
• Passing only small amounts of urine.
• An urge to pass urine more often.
• Feeling that the bladder is still full after passing urine.
• Smelly, cloudy, dark or bloody urine.
• Pain low down in the abdomen.
• Feeling unwell with nausea and fever.

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