Causes Of Cystitis And Urinary Tract Infections
Causes of cystitis
Cystitis can affect anyone, but women are at a much higher risk. The most common cause of cystitis is a bacterial infection, but it can also occur if the bladder gets damaged or irritated in another way.
Other causes of cystitis include:
- Friction from sexual intercourse
- Irritation from chemicals found in perfumed soap or bubble bath
- Damage from a catheter or bladder surgery
- Medical treatments such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy medications
Some people may be at increased risk of cystitis, including people who have diabetes, people nearing menopause, and people with a history of difficulty emptying their bladders.
Causes of urinary tract infections
Other causes include:
Stages Of Cystitis And Urinary Tract Infections
Stages of cystitis
While cystitis is more serious than bacteria in the urethra, it is still easy to treat when its caught early. If cystitis isn’t treated, the bacteria can spread to your kidneys. Kidney infections are rare but serious.
Stages of urinary tract infections
Urinary tract infections begin on the outside of the body at the urethra. Some bacteria stop there and do not travel further into the urinary tract. If bacteria do make it into the bladder, they can cause cystitis.
What Is Bladder Infection
Bladder infection is a type of urinary tract infection that affects the bladder of the concerned person. People are more prone to have this type of infection, especially females.
Burning of urine, leaking urine, stomach pain infections are common symptoms. Elderly women should get themselves checked regularly.
A bladder infection that is not so serious may disappear on its own. However, if the symptoms still persist, it is advisable to visit a doctor as early as possible.
A number of people try to use home remedies. Even though they prove to be beneficial for some, they may not work for everyone.
The medical term that is used for bladder infections is Cystitis. People who are affected by this suffer from inflammation of the bladder.
Moreover, if the infection spreads to the kidneys, the problem will worsen. When doctors identify a bladder infection, they usually suggest antibiotics for the patient.
Apart from bacterial infection, such inflammation may be caused because of reactions to certain drugs, using feminine hygiene spray, or even radiation therapy.
Sometimes, cystitis may occur in a patient as a symptom of some other illness. Treatment for this type of disease may also depend on the reason due to which It occurred in the first place.
Also Check: Using A Bladder To Unclog A Drain
How Are Urinary Tract Infections Diagnosed
Your doctor will use the following tests to diagnose a urinary tract infection:
- Urinalysis: This test will examine the urine for red blood cells, white blood cells and bacteria. The number of white and red blood cells found in your urine can actually indicate an infection.
- Urine culture: A urine culture is used to determine the type of bacteria in your urine. This is an important test because it helps determine the appropriate treatment.
If your infection does not respond to treatment or if you keep getting infections over and over again, your doctor may use the following tests to examine your urinary tract for disease or injury:
- Ultrasound: In this test, sound waves create an image of the internal organs. This test is done on top of your skin, is painless and doesnt typically need any preparation.
- Cystoscopy: This test uses a special instrument fitted with a lens and a light source to see inside the bladder from the urethra.
- CT scan: Another imaging test, a CT scan is a type of X-ray that takes cross sections of the body . This test is much more precise than typical X-rays.
Causes Of Utis And Bladder Infections In Men
Women are more likely to get urinary tract infections and bladder infections than men because they have a shorter urethra located closer to their rectum.
For them, sexual activity or even wearing a pair of underwear for too long can cause bacteria like E. coli to come in contact with the urinary tract.
Men can get UTIs too, but in their case, its usually due to genetics, prostate changes with age, or an abnormal immune response. STDs such as chlamydia are another frequent cause of UTIs in men.
Don’t Miss: Medication To Treat Bladder Infection
Bladder Infection Vs Other Utis
The symptoms of a bladder infection, which people may refer to as cystitis, are very similar to those of UTIs in other parts of the urinary tract. As a result, it may be difficult to tell which part of the urinary tract has an infection based on the symptoms alone.
An infection in the urethra may cause pain and burning when urinating and discharge from the urethra, but bladder pain is not a symptom.
An infection that has spread to the kidneys will cause the most severe symptoms. A person with a kidney infection may notice the same symptoms as those of a bladder infection, plus fever, chills, and back pain.
Treatment is usually the same for all types of UTI, except for kidney infections. Treating a kidney infection may require a person to stay in the hospital.
Kidney infections can cause serious health conditions, so anyone with these symptoms should seek treatment as early as possible.
UTIs occur when harmful bacteria enter the urinary tract and start spreading.
Anyone can get a urinary tract infection, but certain risk factors can elevate the chances. These include:
- Biological sex: Females have a
How Are Utis Treated
Treatments for UTIs often depend on the severity of the infection. Doctors often divide UTIs into simple and complicated infections.
Bladder infections usually fall into the simple category. Doctors can usually treat them with antibiotics over the course of three to five days. Common antibiotics used to treat bladder infections include trimethoprim, ciprofloxacin, and amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium.
If you have an infection, you should always take all of your antibiotics, even if you feel better. This keeps the infection from coming back.
Complicated UTIs are harder to treat. Kidney infections usually fall into this category. If you have a complicated UTI, you may require IV antibiotics and have to take antibiotics for a week or more.
Don’t Miss: Azo Bladder Control And Weight Management Reviews
When To See A Doctor
Although the body may sometimes fight off a UTI on its own, waiting for this to happen carries risks. UTIs can quickly spread, causing serious kidney infections.
A person should see a doctor for any symptoms of a UTI, particularly if they are pregnant or have an underlying health condition that affects their immune system.
A person with should go to the emergency room for immediate medical care. The symptoms of a kidney infection include:
Can Urinary Tract Infections Be Prevented
These steps may help reduce the chance of getting UTIs:
- Drink plenty of water every day.
- Drink cranberry juice. Large amounts of vitamin C limit the growth of some bacteria by acidifying the urine. Vitamin C supplements have the same effect.
- Urinate when you feel the need. Do not wait.
- Take showers instead of tub baths.
- Clean the genital area before and after sex, and urinate shortly after sex.
- Women should not use feminine hygiene sprays or scented douches.
- Cotton underwear and loose fitting clothes help keep the area around the urethra dry. Tight clothes and nylon underwear trap moisture. This can help bacteria grow.
- Repeated bouts of urinary tract infections can be treated with small doses of regular antibiotics.
Please consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns you may have about UTIs.
You May Like: Urgent Care For Bladder Infection
How To Feel Better
If your healthcare professional prescribes you antibiotics:
- Take antibiotics exactly as your healthcare professional tells you.
- Do not share your antibiotics with others.
- Do not save antibiotics for later. Talk to your healthcare professional about safely discarding leftover antibiotics.
Drink plenty of water or other fluids. Your healthcare professional might also recommend medicine to help lessen the pain or discomfort. Talk with your healthcare professional if you have any questions about your antibiotics.
Bladder Infection Is A Specific Type Of Urinary Tract Infection
Cystitis is inflammation of the bladder. Most cystitis is from bacterial infections involving the bladder and less commonly may be the result of yeast infections, viral infections, chemical irritants of the bladder, or for unknown reasons . Bladder infection is a type of urinary tract infection . This review will specifically address infectious cystitis.
The urine in the bladder is normally free of bacteria . However, bacteria may be present in the bladder but not cause inflammation or symptoms of an infection. This is called asymptomatic bacteriuria and is not cystitis.
Cystitis can be complicated or uncomplicated. Uncomplicated cystitis is a bladder infection in a healthy person with a structurally and functionally normal urinary tract. A complicated bladder infection is one that occurs in association with factors that increase the chance of developing a bacterial infection and decrease the chance of antibiotic therapy being effective. Such abnormalities include obstruction from stones, congenital blockages, urethral strictures, and prostate enlargement.
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
You May Like: Do Bladder Cancer Symptoms Come And Go
What Could Be Mistaken For A Uti
There are several conditions whose symptoms mimic UTIs. Sexually transmitted infections cause symptoms also common in UTIs, such as painful urination and discharge.
Vaginitis, caused by bacteria or yeast, can result in a burning sensation when urinating and similar discomfort that may mimic a UTI.
Often mistaken for a UTI, interstitial cystitis , or painful bladder condition, is a chronic condition affecting the bladder that does not improve with antibiotic treatment. Symptoms of IC include increased urgency and more frequent urination as well as pain in the pelvic area.
Other conditions to rule out are overactive bladder, pregnancy, prostatitis, diabetes, cancer, and kidney stones.
What Is The Prognosis For A Person With A Urinary Tract Infection
Urinary tract infections typically respond very well to treatment. A UTI can be uncomfortable before you start treatment, but once your healthcare provider identifies the type of bacteria and prescribes the right antibiotic medication, your symptoms should improve quickly. Its important to keep taking your medication for the entire amount of time your healthcare provider prescribed. If you have frequent UTIs or if your symptoms arent improving, your provider may test to see if its an antibiotic-resistant infection. These are more complicated infections to treat and may require intravenous antibiotics or alternative treatments.
Read Also: How To Live Without A Bladder
How To Treat Bladder Infections And Utis
How your healthcare provider treats a UTI depends on where it’s located, what caused it, how severe the infection is, and whether there are other complicating factors, like pregnancy.
An uncomplicated bladder infection can sometimes clear up on its own. But given that it can turn into a more severe illness, your healthcare provider might give you a prescription for oral antibiotics to kill off the bacteria, according to the NIDDK.
If you have a complicated bladder infection, you may need to rely on specific antibiotics and take them for up to 14 days to clear the infection.
Either way, you should start to feel better within a couple of days of taking medicine, but be sure to finish the entire course of antibiotics. Otherwise, resistant bacteria could grow and create a new infection that’s hard to cure.
Treating UTIs in your upper urinary tract, including kidney infections, tends to be more involved than others. You may need to take antibiotics by mouth and intravenously, meaning through a vein in your arm, at the hospital.
“Not all antibiotics you can take by mouth are strong enough to get into the kidney tissue. Sometimes, a kidney infection requires intravenous antibiotics to clear,” Karyn Eilber, MD, a urologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and founder and chief executive officer of Glissant, told Health.
What Is A Bladder Infection
A bladder infection is a type of urinary tract infection, but not all UTIs are bladder infections. Bladder infections are the most common type of UTIs. A bladder infection may also be called cystitis and it is usually caused by bacteria.
Symptoms of a UTI can differ depending on what part of the urinary tract is infected. A bladder infection usually causes symptoms such as:
- Burning when urinating
- The feeling that you need to pee frequently, but when you go to the toilet very little urine comes out
- Pain in the pelvic area just above the pubic bone.
Bladder infections are usually considered simple UTIs and treatment is usually with antibiotics for three to five days. Symptoms usually resolve in a couple of days.
Recommended Reading: What Should I Do If I Have A Bladder Infection
What About Kidney Stones Are They Involved Here Somehow
Sort of. A kidney stone isnt an infection, but a collection of salt and minerals that hardens and turns into a stone. While some stones may be small others can be much larger. They may stay in the kidney, or begin to move into the ureter, the tube that connects the kidney and the bladder. When this happens, kidney stones can become extremely painful.
Kidney stones can be tricky, since they may have many of the same symptoms as a UTI or a kidney infection pain when urinating, needing to urinate often, and cloudy or strong smelling urine, blood in the urine, fever, nausea or vomiting. And while stones often pass on their own, larger stones sometimes need to be broken up, or removed.
Sometimes, kidney stones can lead to a urinary tract infection or a kidney infection, so its important to get them checked out by your doctor. And, since the symptoms are so similar, getting a checkup is probably a good idea anyway just to rule out the possibility of an infection, and to make sure the stone is moving along as it should.
Cystitis Or Uti Whats The Difference
Is it cystitis or UTI? Unless youre medically trained this may not be the first question you ask yourself when rushing back to the toilet for another painful experience. We all come across complicated sounding medical terms from time to time, but do we really know what they mean?
Having a better idea of what cystitis and UTIs are can help explain why you may have those painful symptoms and why different types of self-care may be useful in relieving symptoms or even preventing them reoccurring. It may also help you decide when its time to get help.
So, here are some of the basics on UTIs and cystitis plus a few other terms you may come across along the way.
You May Like: Urinary Bladder Problems In Females
Which Infections Are Worse
NIDDK . A kidney infection is usually caused by a bladder or urethra infection where the bacteria multiply and travel upward toward the kidneys.
Kidney infections can be extremely serious and painful, sometimes leading to hospitalization to receive intravenous antibiotics. If left untreated, kidney infections due to UTIs can cause infections in the bloodstream. This can be life-threatening.
Uti Vs Bladder Infection
Have you started to have increased urgency to use the bathroom and at the same time not be able to go? On top of that, when you do finally go, does your urine come out with a burning sensation? Then you could have a bladder infection or urinary tract infection. But what is the difference, and how can you know?
This article will help you to understand the difference between the two. It will also highlight some reasons why you might be at a greater risk.
The expert urologists at Urology of Greater Atlanta can help you to diagnose and treat any urinary problems successfully. If you have any concerns, please call or book online. Our offices are found throughout Metro Atlanta, including Sandy Springs, GA.
You May Like: Medicine To Help Empty Bladder
When To See A Doctor For Uti Symptoms
See a doctor or visit an urgent care center if any of the symptoms of a UTI are experienced and are not going away. Go to an emergency room if experiencing signs of a kidney infection: high fever, chills, shaking, flank pain, or severe nausea and vomiting.
A doctor diagnoses a UTI based on the symptoms and a physical exam. In many cases, thats all thats needed to get a prescription for some type of antibiotic. In some cases, however, a doctor may need to take a urine test and urine culture to discover the bacteria responsible before deciding on the appropriate antibiotic. If a doctor discovers that you are having recurrent infections or a complicated infection, lab testing and imaging may be needed. In addition, the doctor may need to look at the inside of the bladder using a cystoscope.
What Connections Exist Between A Uti And An Overactive Bladder
- Two medical diseases that induce discomfort in the urinary tract are UTI and an overactive bladder.
- Strong, frequent urination urges are a feature of both UTI and hyperactive bladder.
- Both disorders have an impact on the bladder.
- Urine sample analysis in the lab can be used to diagnose both UTI and overactive bladder.
- They can be treated with drugs.
How can you determine the difference between an Overactive bladder and a UTI right now? You should be aware of the following symptoms, causes, and remedies.
Read Also: What To Do If My Dog Has A Bladder Infection
What Should I Do If I Think I Have A Bladder Infection Or Uti
Because UTIs are bacterial infections, you need a prescription for antibiotics. But, when youre in pain and running to the bathroom every few minutes, the thought of driving to a clinic and sitting in a waiting room can be overwhelming.
Thankfully, Virtuwell can treat your UTI online and without a urine sampleall from the comfort of your home. Research shows that a urine culture isnt necessary to treat common bladder infections. Just answer a few questions about your symptoms and medical history and a certified nurse practitioner will review your answers, provide a personalized treatment plan and send a prescription to your pharmacy.