Mercy Urogynecologist Dr. R. Mark Ellerkmann Discusses Treating Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in Women

Urinary tract infections or UTIs are extremely common, but women are more prone to them. About half of all women will suffer from a UTI, many deal with recurring infections.

Florence Lewin's doctor has a suggestion to deal with her recurring urinary tract infections.

"He said, 'Why don't we treat it more naturally?'" Lewin said.

For years, Lewin suffered from bladder infections.

"It's not terrible but it can be. It can just make you feel like you have flu like symptoms. It's painful," Lewin said.

Lewin had always taken antibiotics until R. Mark Ellerkmann, M.D., FACOG, Director, The Urogynecology Center, Institute for Gynecologic Care at Mercy, suggested trying an alternative.

"I have a lot of patients who swear by D-mannose," Dr. Ellerkmann said.

D-mannose is a naturally occurring sugar.

"It helps to encapsulate certain bacteria to cover them, and makes them less fastidious to stick to the lining of the bladder," Ellerkmann said.

Probiotics and estrogen cream in postmenopausal women often help too.

"Hopefully through various strategies outside of just putting someone on an antibiotics pill once a day, we can gain improvement in quality of life," Dr. Ellerkmann said.

It has worked for Lewin.

"So far, so good. I feel better and that's what's important," Lewin said.

To view Mercy urogynecologist Dr. R. Mark Ellerkmann’s interview regarding treatments for recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women, click here.