Posts Tagged ‘Burning’

What should I do if I have an attack of cystitis?

Almost all people who have recurring cystitis have nothing seriously wrong. People with more than three bouts a year may need to see a urologist.
Many people who suffer recurring bouts may simply do common things that make them more susceptible. Here are some steps you can take to help prevent cystitis:

- Drink as much fluid as you can to flush out the system, dilute the urine and reduce any stinging.
- For the first four hours try to drink a pint of water every hour even if the attack starts in the middle of the night.
- Then drink half a pint every two hours for the next eight hours.
- Drink bland fluids such as water, weak tea or fruit squash (avoid orange juice and carbonated drinks).
- Making the urine less acid will reduce any discomfort. Try a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda dissolved in a glass of water or preparations containing citrate.
- Women with high blood pressure or heart trouble should not take either bicarbonate of soda citrate without first consulting their doctor.
- Go to the lavatory as much as you need to, don’t try to ‘hold on’.
- Keep warm and place a well-covered hot water bottle over your tummy or between your thighs. A second one hot water bottle at your lower back may also help.
- Take one or two aspirin or paracetamol tablets for the pain.
- Avoid alcohol and sexual intercourse until you feel better.
- Rest as much as possible.
- Avoid vaginal deodorants and douches, perfumed soaps, bubble bath and talc, these may irritate the urethra. Showering rather than bathing may be helpful.
- Avoid tight trousers or underwear, especially if they’re made from artificial fibres. Choose cotton underwear with stockings and looser clothes such as skirts.
- Wipe from front to back.
- Anything that obstructs or blocks the urinary tract, such as a kidney stone, can lead to repeated attacks of cystitis. Certain tests can detect these conditions. Treating the underlying cause may solve the problem.
- Any damage to the lower back area can affect the nerves connecting to the bladder and make it impossible to empty it completely.
- Change immediately from wet clothes like after swimming.

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Types of Cystitis – an inflammatory condition of urinary bladder

Cystitis means inflammation of the bladder. It is usually caused by a urine infection. Women are eight times more likely to have cystitis than men, as their urethra (the tube from the bladder that passes out urine) is shorter and opens nearer the anus.
There are different types of Cystitis :

Bacterial Cystitis

- When bacteria enter the urinary tract and start to multiply, bacterial cystitis can occur.
- Bacteria may enter through sexual intercourse, but the female genital and urinary tract naturally have bacteria that can cause infection.
- There are two primary types of bacterial infections of the bladder: community-acquired bladder infections and hospital-acquired, or nosocomial infections.

Noninfectious Cystitis

- When the bladder becomes inflamed for reasons other than bacteria, and when this happens, a diagnosis of noninfectious cystitis can be made.
- Types of cystitis in this category include drug-induced cystitis, radiation cystitis, foreign-body cystitis and chemical cystitis.
- Drug-induced cystitis occurs when medications irritate your bladder as the drugs are broken down and exit your body.
- Foreign-body cystitis typically occurs in people who have catheters for a period of time, which can lead to bacterial infections or tissue irritation.
- Radiation to the pelvic area, your bladder may become inflamed or irritated, which is radiation cystitis.
- Hypersensitivity to products like bubble bath or feminine hygiene products can cause chemical cystitis.

Eosinophilic Cystitis

- It is a rare form of cystitis that is diagnosed via biopsy.
- The cause of EC is also unknown though it has been triggered in children by certain medications.

Hemorrhagic Cystitis

It can occur as a side effect of cyclophosphamide therapy, and is often prevented by administering mesna.

Cystitis in Women – a common disease of urinary bladder.

Urine is produced by each of your two kidneys. It drains into your bladder through tubes called ureters. When you pass urine, your bladder contracts, squeezing urine out of your body through a tube called the urethra.
Cystitis is inflammation of your bladder due to an infection or irritation. Usually cystitis only affects your bladder and is known as a lower urinary tract infection (UTI). If the infection goes higher, to your ureters or kidneys, this can be a more serious illness known as an upper urinary tract infection.

Symptoms of Cystitis

- A burning, stinging or aching pain when you pass urine.
- A need to pass water very frequently, often only a small amount each time.
- Bloody or cloudy urine (severe cystitis).
- Pain or tenderness in your lower back or lower abdomen (tummy).
These symptoms can also be due to a sexually transmitted infection (STI) such as chlamydia. If you think you may have an STI, visit your GP or a sexual health clinic.

Causes of Cystitis

- When women insert a tampon there is a slight risk of bacteria entering via the urethra.
- When a urinary catheter is changed there may be damage to the area.
- There is a higher incidence of cystitis among women who use the diaphragm for contraception, compared to sexually active women who don’t.
- The patient does not empty his/her bladder completely, creating an environment for bacteria to multiply in the bladder. This is fairly common among pregnant women, and also men whose prostates are enlarged.
- Sexually active women have a higher risk of bacteria entering via the urethra.
- Part of the urinary system may be blocked.
- Other bladder or kidney problems.
- Frequent and/or vigorous sex increases the chances of physical damage or bruising, which in turn makes the likelihood of cystitis developing higher.
- During the menopause women produce less mucus in the vaginal area. This mucus stops the bacteria from multiplying.
- During the menopause the lining of a woman’s urethra gets thinner as her levels of estrogen drop. The thinner the lining becomes, the higher the chances are of infection and damage.
- A woman’s urethra opening is much nearer the anus than a man’s.