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Cystitis is the medical word for bladder irritation. The majority of the time, the irritation is caused by a bacterial infection, which is known as a urinary tract infection (UTI). A bladder infection can be unpleasant and uncomfortable, and if it spreads to your kidneys, it can become a major health issue.
Cystitis can also arise as a reaction to some medicines, radiation therapy, or possible irritants such feminine hygiene spray, spermicidal gels, or long-term catheter use. Cystitis can sometimes occur as a side effect of another condition.
Antibiotics are typically used to treat bacterial cystitis. Other forms of cystitis are treated differently depending on the underlying reason.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF CYSTITIS?
Typical indications and symptoms of cystitis include:
- Urge to urinate that is strong and persistent
- Urinating with a burning sensation
- Passing little volumes of urine on a regular basis
- Urine with blood (hematuria)
- Urine that is cloudy or has a strong odor
- Pelvic dissatisfaction
- A pressing sensation in the lower abdomen
- Fever of low intensity
New episodes of inadvertent daytime wetting in young children may also indicate a urinary tract infection (UTI). Nighttime bedwetting is unlikely to be connected with a UTI on its own.
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF CYSTITIS?
The urinary system consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. All of these things help your body get rid of waste. Your kidneys, a pair of bean-shaped organs in the upper abdomen, filter waste from your blood and regulate the quantities of several substances. Urine travels from your kidneys to your bladder, where it is held until it departs your body through the urethra.
Bacterial cystitis
UTIs are caused when bacteria from outside the body enter the urinary tract via the urethra and begin to multiply. The majority of cystitis cases are caused by a strain of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria.
Bacterial bladder infections in women can occur as a result of sexual contact. Even sexually inactive girls and women can get lower urinary tract infections because the female vaginal area frequently houses bacteria that cause cystitis.
Noninfectious cystitis
Although bacterial infections are the most common cause of cystitis, a variety of noninfectious conditions can also induce bladder inflammation. Here are a few examples:
- Interstitial cystitis: It is unknown what causes this persistent bladder inflammation, often known as painful bladder syndrome. The majority of instances are diagnosed in women. It might be difficult to diagnose and treat the illness.
- Cystitis induced by medication: Certain medications, particularly the chemotherapy agents cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide, can trigger bladder inflammation as the drugs' broken-down components escape your body.
- Chemical cystitis: Some persons may be allergic to the chemicals in specific products, such as bubble bath, feminine hygiene sprays, or spermicidal jellies, and experience an allergy-type reaction within the bladder, producing inflammation.
- Cystitis caused by radiation: Radiation therapy to the pelvic region can result in inflammatory alterations in bladder tissue.
- Foreign-body cystitis: Long-term catheter use can put you at risk for bacterial infections and tissue damage, both of which can cause inflammation.
- Cystitis in conjunction with other disorders: Cystitis can occur as a side effect of various conditions such as diabetes, kidney stones, an enlarged prostate, or spinal cord injury.
WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS FOR CYSTITIS?
Some persons are predisposed to developing bladder infections or recurring urinary tract infections. One such group is women. One important explanation is physical anatomy. Women's urethras are shorter, reducing the distance bacteria must travel to reach the bladder.
Women who are most at risk of UTIs are those who:
- Are sexually active: Bacteria can enter the urethra as a result of sexual contact.
- Use some methods of birth control: Women who use diaphragms are more likely to develop a UTI. Diaphragms containing spermicidal drugs enhance your risk even more.
- Are pregnant: Pregnancy hormone changes may raise the risk of a bladder infection.
- Have gone through menopause: UTIs are frequently connected with altered hormone levels in postmenopausal women.
Other risk factors for men and women alike include:
Interference with urine flow: This might happen as a result of a bladder stone or, in men, an enlarged prostate.
Immune system changes: Certain illnesses, such as diabetes, HIV infection, and cancer treatment, can cause this. A weakened immune system makes bacterial and, in some situations, viral bladder infections more likely.
Use of bladder catheters for an extended period of time: These tubes may be required in those suffering from chronic conditions or in the elderly. Prolonged use can raise the risk of bacterial infections as well as bladder tissue damage.
Cystitis is uncommon in males who do not have any predisposing health conditions.
WHAT ARE THE COMPLICATIONS OF CYSTITIS?
Bladder infections rarely cause consequences when treated early and correctly. However, if left untreated, they can progress to something more dangerous. Possible complications include:
- Kidney infection: Untreated bladder infections can progress to kidney infections, often known as pyelonephritis. Renal infections can cause irreversible kidney damage.
Because their symptoms are frequently neglected or misdiagnosed as other ailments, young children and the elderly are at the highest risk of kidney damage from bladder infections.
- Blood in the urine: Cystitis can cause blood cells in your urine that can only be detected under a microscope (microscopic hematuria), which normally resolves with treatment. If blood cells persist after treatment, your doctor may refer you to a specialist to investigate the cause.
Visible blood in the urine (gross hematuria) is uncommon in bacterial cystitis, but it is more prevalent in chemotherapy- or radiation-induced cystitis.
HOW IS CYSTITIS DIAGNOSED?
If you experience cystitis symptoms, see your doctor as soon as possible. In addition to discussing your symptoms and medical history, your doctor may advise you to undergo certain tests, such as:
- Urine analysis: If you have a suspected bladder infection, your doctor may request a urine sample to see if there is bacteria, blood, or pus in your pee. If this is the case, he or she may request a urine bacterial culture.
- Cystoscopy: During this test, your doctor will introduce a cystoscope — a small tube with a light and camera attached — through the urethra into your bladder to look for symptoms of disease in your urinary tract.
Your doctor can also use the cystoscope to take a small sample of tissue (biopsy) for lab analysis. However, if this is your first time experiencing signs or symptoms of cystitis, this test is unlikely to be required.
- Imaging: An imaging test is normally unnecessary, but in some cases, especially when no evidence of illness is identified, imaging may be beneficial. An X-ray or ultrasound, for example, may assist your doctor in identifying other potential reasons of bladder inflammation, such as a tumor or structural problem.
WHAT ARE THE TREATMENTS FOR CYSTITIS?
Antibiotics are typically used to treat cystitis caused by bacterial infection. The underlying etiology determines the treatment for noninfectious cystitis.
Bacterial cystitis Treatment
Antibiotics are the first-line treatment for bacterial cystitis. The drugs used and how long they are taken for are determined by your overall health and the germs discovered in your urine.
- First-time infection: Symptoms usually improve considerably after a day or two of starting antibiotics. However, depending on the severity of your infection, you may need to take antibiotics for three to seven days.
Take the whole course of antibiotics suggested by your doctor, regardless of the length of therapy, to ensure that the infection is totally gone.
- Repeat infection: If you have recurring UTIs, your doctor may recommend extended antibiotic treatment or refer you to a urologist or nephrologist for an evaluation to check if urologic abnormalities are causing the infections. Taking a single dosage of an antibiotic after sexual intercourse may be beneficial for some women.
- Hospital-acquired infection: Hospital-acquired bladder infections can be difficult to treat because bacteria found in hospitals are frequently resistant to the antibiotics commonly used to treat community-acquired bladder infections. As a result, different types of antibiotics and treatment techniques may be required.
Postmenopausal women may be especially vulnerable to cystitis. Your doctor may offer vaginal estrogen cream as part of your treatment if you can take it without increasing your risk of other health problems.
Interstitial cystitis treatment
Because the source of the inflammation in interstitial cystitis is unknown, there is no single treatment that works best in every patient. Among the treatments used to alleviate the signs and symptoms of interstitial cystitis are:
- Oral medications or medications injected straight into your bladder
- Procedures that alter your bladder to alleviate symptoms, such as extending it with water or gas (bladder distention) or surgery.
- Nerve stimulation, which is a technique that uses modest electrical pulses to ease pelvic pain and, in some situations, to reduce urine frequency.
Treating other forms of noninfectious cystitis
If you're allergic to particular chemicals in products like bubble bath or spermicides, eliminating them may help relieve symptoms and prevent future bouts of cystitis.
Cystitis that develops as a side effect of chemotherapy or radiation therapy is treated with pain medicines and fluids to flush out bladder irritants.
HOME REMEDIES FOR CYSTITIS
Cystitis can be excruciatingly painful, but there are things you can take to alleviate your discomfort:
- Make use of a heating pad: A heating pad put on your lower belly can help to relieve and possibly reduce bladder strain or pain.
- Keep hydrated: Keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Coffee, alcohol, caffeine-containing soft drinks, citrus juices, and spicy meals should be avoided until your infection has cleared. These products can irritate the bladder and intensify the need to urinate frequently or urgently.
- Sit in a sitz bath: To ease pain or discomfort, soak in a warm bath for 15 to 20 minutes (sitz bath).
Work with your doctor to devise a strategy to decrease recurrences and the suffering that cystitis can bring if you have recurring bladder infections.
HOW CAN CYSTITIS BE PREVENTED?
Cranberry juice or proanthocyanidin-containing pills are frequently prescribed to help certain women lower their risk of recurring bladder infections. However, research in this area is contradictory. Some smaller trials found a minor benefit, but no meaningful effect was observed in bigger research.
If you're using the blood-thinning medicine warfarin, avoid cranberry juice as a home cure (Coumadin). Interactions between cranberry juice and warfarin may result in bleeding.
Although these preventive self-care practices have not been thoroughly researched, clinicians sometimes recommend the following for recurring bladder infections:
- Drink plenty of fluids, particularly water. Drinking plenty of fluids is critical if you're receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy, especially on treatment days.
- Urinate rather frequently. If you have the urge to urinate, don't put it off.
- After a bowel movement, wipe from front to back. This prevents bacteria from spreading from the anal area to the vagina and urethra.
- Shower instead of taking a bath. Showering rather than bathing may help prevent infections if you are prone to them.
- Wash the skin around the vagina and anus gently. Do this on a daily basis, but avoid using harsh soaps or washing too forcefully. The sensitive skin around these places is prone to irritation.
- After intercourse, empty your bladder as soon as feasible. To assist flush bacteria, drink a full glass of water.
- Deodorant sprays and feminine items should not be used in the vaginal area. These products have the potential to irritate the urethra and bladder.