Cystitis is an inflammation of the urinary bladder. Here we will give information on this condition and what you can do to gain relief.
It usually begins with urethritis (inflammation of the urethra?the connective vessel between the bladder and the exit of the body. Doctors often refer to either cystitis and urethritis as Urinary Tract Infection, or UTI.
Sometimes the infection (if left untreated) the infection can reach the kidney and the result is a very unpleasant and dangerous illness called pyelonephritis.
Cystitis Statistics
Cystitis is common that half of all adult women will experience at least one bought of painful urination, called dysuria.
Most of these cases will be a bacterial UTI. Of all women that get UTI, at least 90% will suffer it again.
How Women Get Cystitis
Almost all of the cases of Cystitis begin as ascending infections. That means the disease agents will enter the body through the urethra and then travel upward to the bladder.
As the female urethra is very short, only 25 to 50 mm in length, this is a short trip for bacteria to get to the bladder.
The guilty culprits in UTI are overwhelmingly E.Coli (plentiful in the anus) but also many strains of Staphylococcus.
Causes of Cystitis
Poor personal hygiene. Bacteria from the anus or vaginal come in contact with the urethra.
Recurrent UTI. Once infected, women usually suffer other occurrences.
Multiple sexual partners. Women with more than one partner will contract UTI more frequently than those with only one partner.
A very short urethra
Diabetes
Chronic dehydration
Vaginitis (bacterial infections of the vagina, whose secretions reach the urethra)
Symptoms of Cystitis
The first symptoms of cystitis in women are pain with urination, or dysuria, with an urgency to urinate. Frequent urination is also present.
Other symptoms include fever, pain in the lower back and legs, chills with trembling and sometimes nausea. The worse the symptoms are, the more the chance the infection has reached the kidneys..
Medications
Today?s treatment of cystitis includes the use of antibiotics, and some medications to alleviate the pain in urination. Some cases even require surgery.
The Mighty Cranberry
The aim is not to contract cystitis. To do this, you need to make the environment in the bladder hostile to the known invaders.
This is done mainly by drinking lots of water daily, and having a daily dose (or more) of unsweetened cranberry juice.
The natural composition of the cranberry makes the walls of the bladder very difficult for the bacteria to attach to, and thus they cannot grow.
When they are already there, the introduction of cranberry juice (having passed through the kidneys) disturbs the bacteria colonies and they tend to wash out with the urine.
Along with drinking cranberry juice, you can keep cystitis at bay by:
? drinking large amounts of fluid
? Urinating frequently, and especially after making love
? Care in the regular cleansing of the urethra and adjoining areas
? Wiping one way (from the vagina towards the anus) after urination and defecation.
Use the above tips to combat Cystitis. This article is for general advice so please make sure you seek medical advice on your condition.
