A Clearer Understanding Of Cystitis.

August 23, 2021 Reproductive Health

Overview

Inability to urinate, a burning sensation during urination, blood in the urine, and lower abdominal pain. If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor right away!

“So there you are, sitting on the toilet, and you feel an urge to pee but it won’t let up. You try to ignore the feeling and keep going but it just won’t stop. Sound familiar? People with cystitis sometimes will find themselves in the same situation (cystitis is caused by bacteria in your bladder). This article will not only describe what cystitis is but also give information on how to treat it.

Cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder. It can often be followed by a urinary tract infection or kidney stones. It is not a very common infection, but if you have it you can expect to be experiencing a lot of pain and needing lots of trips to the toilet.

Cystitis usually starts with possible lower abdominal or bladder pain and an urge to go (although there are other symptoms by which cystitis could start). The urine may then become very scant and cloudy with no pain or symptoms happening until after the urge has passed. Then you begin to feel pain in the bladder and need to go to the toilet. This may be accompanied by a feeling of fullness in the lower abdomen.

Cystitis may be one of the causes of painful menstruation, which is otherwise known as dysmenorrhea.

It’s quite difficult for doctors to diagnose cystitis as there are many different symptoms that can be confused with other things (particularly, urinary tract infections such as vesiculitis). Cystitis is usually looked for in people who have been having a lot of urine infections recently, or who may think they have a urine infection due to the symptoms described above. Once it has been diagnosed, treatment begins first with an antibiotic (if a urine culture has confirmed it is bacterial cystitis).

What Is Cystitis?

Cystitis is a medical condition characterized by inflammation of the bladder wall, typically caused by an infection. The most common microorganisms are “Escherichia coli, Enterococci, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, staphylococcus saprophyticus” and “Streptococcus agalactiae”. Cystitis develops when the bladder’s natural lining (mucosa) becomes inflamed or damaged due to either irritant effects on the tissue or because of increased sensitivity to pain. Cystitis is typically caused by a bacterial infection. However, some people may develop cystitis because of a non-infectious condition.

Symptoms That Indicate Cystitis.

Fever or chills.

Lower back pain.

Passing cloudy Urine.

Frequent urge to pee.

Blood in the urine.

Pain or burning when urinating.

Feeling full in the lower abdomen.

Urgent and strong urges.

Accidental Daytime wetting (in children).

Throbbing pain in and around the vagina.

How It Is Diagnosed

Urine tests.

Plain X-rays.

Ultrasound, which may show “tissue thickening” of the bladder wall or stones in the ureters.

Magnetic resonance imaging may show stones or cystitis.

How To Prevent Cystitis.

Drink plenty of water.

Wash your hands with soap and water before and after you use bath room

Don’t share personal items such as underwear, towel etc.

Wear clean underwear.

Keep your bladder empty. The more urine your bladder holds the less likely it is to become infected.

Maintain good menstrual Hygiene.

Avoid deodorants, powder and scented soaps as these can irritate your delicate tissues.

Try not to use perfumed disinfectants, creams and vaginal washes as many of the ingredients can be very irritating to sensitive areas.

Wipe from front to back after visiting the toilet (put your toilet paper in the tissue bin when you’ve finished) as this way any bacteria is less likely to be transferred.

Take a daily vitamin C tablet to help keep your immune system strong.

Avoid some hormonal contraceptive pill as it can cause bladder infections for some people. The progesterone in the pill causes a decrease in the acidity of the urine, which is where the bacteria thrive.

How To Treat Cystitis

There isn’t a cure for cystitis but there are some things that can help ease the symptoms. The aim of treatment is to prevent complications, such as bleeding into the pelvis, urinary tract infection, kidney infection, or kidney stones. It is also important that you get lots of rest so your body can heal itself. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water.
The above is just a guide to help you understand what cystitis is. If symptoms continue or become more severe, it’s best to visit your doctor.”

Drink plenty of water.

Take in as many fluids as possible so that you do not get dehydrated and drink lots of water. This will help flush out your bladder.

Are you drinking alcohol, caffeinated drinks such as coffee or tea? You need to stop. All of these things can make cystitis worse.

Eating certain foods may irritate the bladder, such as onions, chocolate, lactose (dairy products), caffeine and eggs.

You should also avoid strong smells such as smoking and also spicy foods. These may irritate the bladder even more, causing you more pain and discomfort.

Drink peppermint tea to soothe the bladder.

If the pain is still bothering you then take some paracetamol. Make sure it’s not an over-the counter version that contains ibuprofen or aspirin because these can irritate the bladder even more. Ibuprofen and aspirin are also not very good for you to be taking long term (like for months).

If you have a fever then take some paracetamol and also see your doctor.

Try to sleep as much as you can because this is a good time for your body to heal itself.

The Doctor will Adminster antibiotic. The usual antibiotics used for the treatment of cystitis are the sulfas (trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole), but can also be ampicillin or a mixture of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Usually fever, pain and blood in the urine will disappear within several days under antibiotic treatment.
Over the counter treatments are available at pharmacies. They include antibiotic suppositories (neosynephrine or others) which can be inserted into the vagina. Clotrimazol can also be taken for pain relief. It is important not to stop taking antibiotics until your doctor says you should.

Coconut oil helps manage the symptom. It’s antibacterial and anti fungal properties makes it one of the best natural remedies for treating urinary tract infections without any side effects. It also relieves pain and discomfort caused by a UTI. Here’s a recipe for a homemade remedy for using coconut oil: 1/2 cup of coconut oil with 15 drops of oregano essential oil and 10 drops of thyme (T-Cineole) essential oil in it. The combination of these two essential oils has really good effects on UTIs, and oregano even fights off viruses, so this mixture should help you get rid of the infection naturally.

In rare cases, surgery may be required.

When the pain is gone make sure you continue to drink plenty of water as it will help flush out your bladder and keep it healthy.

Try to get a good amount of sleep. Remember that it is important to stay in bed and rest until you feel better – as your body needs an opportunity to clear up the infection.