Womens Health Blog

Cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder, which may be the result of an infection or bruising after athletic sex.

The most common symptom is a frequent urge to urinate, with only a small flow occurring each time; this is nearly always accompanied by severe pain, which worsens when urination is completed. Other symptoms that may occur include smelly or blood-stained urine, fever, occasional chills, and lower abdominal pain.

Many of the symptoms of cystitis can apply to unrelated problems and other vaginal diseases. For instance, a strong yellow­to orange-colored urine, even one with a strong smell, is not necessarily indicative of cystitis, or indeed any other infection. It is just as likely to be a symptom of dehydration, either due to vomiting or sweating profusely, or simply because you have not drunk enough fluid. Occasionally, food such as asparagus, if eaten in large quantities, can also cause urine to change color.

Cystitis is very common, annoying, and inconvenient, but it does not endanger general health. Most women have it at some time in their lives. It is particularly common during pregnancy: in the first few months, when the urethra relaxes under the influence of the hormone progesterone, and infections spread more easily, and later on when the pressure of the enlarging uterus may cause a small amount of urine to remain in the bladder after urination. This becomes stagnant and the lack of flow may encourage bacteria to multiply, which results in cystitis.

What Causes It?

The most common infecting organism is E. coli, a bacterium that normally lives in the bowel and around the anus and only causes problems when it spreads up the urethra into the bladder. Women are more prone to cystitis than men because their urethra is shorter than that of men.

The type of cystitis known as “honeymoon cystitis” is caused by unusual amounts of frequent, strenuous sexual intercourse, which can bruise the urethra.

Occasionally, infection can be caused by other things, such as the use of antiseptics in bathwater, or the overzealous use of vaginal deodorants or douches.

As women become older and reach menopause, a shortage of estrogen and progesterone can lead to the thinning of all genital organs and the perineum (the area between the genitals and the anus), and in some unexplained way this can contribute to a menopausal type of cystitis. Prolapse of the front of the vaginal wall may also be a cause because of poor urinary flow and stagnating urine.

If a woman needs an indwelling catheter, as she might after an operation or if she suffers from incontinence due to a disease such as multiple sclerosis, for example, then an infection could occur. This rarely happens, however, as long as the catheter is inserted and removed correctly using a sterile technique.

Contrary to popular belief, dirty toilet habits do not per se cause cystitis, although you should always wipe yourself from the front to the back.

Should I See The Doctor?

If the self-help measures listed below don’t bring relief, seek help from your doctor as soon as possible.

What Might The Doctor Do?

• Your doctor may take a urine specimen to confirm which bacterium is causing your symptoms so that she can gauge its sensitivity to a range of antibiotic drugs, the normal treatment for cystitis.
• As soon as the specimen has been analyzed, she can start you on a course of antibiotics, usually a penicillin derivative. It’s absolutely essential that you take the full course of treatment even if your symptoms subside completely within 24 hours (they often do; some sufferers report complete relief after about only two hours). If you do not do so, the infecting organisms may become resistant to antibiotics and your cystitis can become chronic. If this happens, it can be exceedingly difficult to eradicate.
• If your cystitis does not respond to treatment, your doctor may recommend a full hospital investigation to see whether or not there is any predisposing internal cause.
• If investigation shows no trace of a bacterium, you may be suffering from an irritable bladder, which is often caused by emotional factors.

What Can I Do?

• Drink plenty of fluids at the first sign of the symptoms. It’s important to get urine flowing fast to flush out the bladder, so try to drink the equivalent of a glass of water every half hour.
• Make your urine alkaline by adding a little baking soda to your drinks. You will find that alkalinizing your urine eases bladder pain quite considerably.
• For pain relief, take acetaminophen every four hours. A warm pad or wrapped-up hot water bottle on the front of the abdomen may also help.
• Drink cranberry juice, which is a urinary antiseptic.

To Prevent A Recurrence

• Drink plenty of water at all times.
• At the first symptom, increase your water intake and alkalinize your urine by adding a little baking soda to your drinks. (Don’t continue this for too long; you could have unpleasant side effects, such as gas.)
• If you are having sex frequently, drink a lot of fluid to keep the urine flowing. Urinate before and after sexual intercourse.
• Use tampons instead of sanitary napkins since they are less likely to allow bacteria to thrive; some women find, however, that tampons irritate the bladder further.
• If you suspect that wearing a diaphragm is a contributory cause, ask about another form of contraception.
• Wear cotton briefs or cotton liners.
• Don’t use antiseptics in the bathwater, and don’t use vaginal douches or deodorants.
• Don’t be obsessive about washing your perineum with soap and water. Using a bidet, if you have one, after moving your bowels is a good idea so that you avoid contamination of the vagina and urethra from the rectum.
• Depending on the medicines prescribed by your doctor, you can make them more effective by adjusting the acidity or alkalinity of your urine. Ask your doctor what your antibiotic is. For example, tetracycline is more effective if your urine is acidic, so drink plenty of cranberry juice while you are taking it.

Filed under: Uncategorized