Medically diagnosed cystitis
If your doctor has diagnosed you with a mild case of cystitis (otherwise known as a bladder infection) you’ll be all too familiar with its characteristic symptoms, which may include a burning sensation when urinating.1

Alisma: traditionally used relieve medically diagnosed cystitis symptoms in Chinese medicine in bladder damp-heat pattern
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), symptoms such as burning on urination, urinary is often seen as due to an excess of damp heat in the bladder organ-meridian system.

The Chinese herbs alisma and pyrrosia are traditionally used to support the health and function of the urinary tract in TCM when damp heat is present in the bladder, in a situation known in Chinese medicine as bladder damp-heat pattern.

Both alisma and pyrrosia are traditionally used in Chinese medicine to clear damp heat from the bladder, to maintain healthy levels of urine output and to help relieve symptoms of medically diagnosed cystitis in the pattern of bladder damp-heat.

In particular, alisma is used traditionally in TCM to soothe symptoms like urinary burning by clearing excess damp heat from the bladder in bladder damp heat pattern.

Couch grass traditionally soothes irritation and helps flush out the urinary tract in Western herbal medicine
Although they share a common name, medicinal couch grass (pronounced ‘cooch’) is a different species to the couch grass you may have growing in your front yard! The species that’s used therapeutically is Elymus repens (previously known as Agropyron repens) – a grass plant that’s native to Europe, Asia and parts of Africa and the Arctic circle.

In traditional Western herbal medicine, couch grass is regarded as having anti-inflammatory properties and demulcent (soothing) effects on irritated tissues, and is taken to help relieve symptoms of medically diagnosed cystitis.

Based on its use in traditional Western herbal medicine, couch grass may also help flush out the urinary tract.

Cranberry helps reduce medically diagnosed cystitis frequency in women
Around 30% of women will experience medically diagnosed cystitis at least once during their lifetime. Up to a quarter of those affected are likely to experience a recurrence of the infection within six months.2

Cranberry has been shown to reduce the frequency with which medically diagnosed cystitis recurs in women.



References:

Cystitis. Better Health Channel, Victoria State Government. Accessed 2 December 2020 and last updated May 2018, betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/cystitis