What Is Cystitis?
Cystitis is an inflammation of your bladder. You'll know you have it from constant trips to the bathroom to pee, which often burns and never quite gives you relief.
Typically, cystitis is more annoying than serious, and if it's from a bacterial infection, it can be treated with antibiotics. But bacteria can travel from the bladder to the kidneys and cause more severe problems, so you should treat it right away.
Cystitis may either be acute (uncomplicated) or complicated. Acute cystitis is your usual bladder infection. "Acute" means the infection comes on suddenly. Complicated cystitis happens when the antibiotics don't work or you have additional health issues that make it harder to treat your cystitis.
Cystitis vs. UTI
Cystitis is an infection of the bladder. A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection anywhere in the urinary tract, including the bladder, urethra, and kidneys. The urethra is the tube that takes pee from your bladder out of your body.
A UTI is the most common cause of cystitis. When you have one, bacteria in your bladder cause it to swell and get irritated, which leads to symptoms like the urge to pee more often than normal.
UTIs are much more common in women than men because their urethras are shorter and closer to their rectums, which makes it easier for bacteria to spread from the rectum to the urinary tract.
Symptoms for both UTIs and cystitis are similar, so it can be difficult to tell the conditions apart. One difference is that if the infection has spread beyond the bladder to the kidneys, you may get fever, back pain, and nausea, in addition to symptoms like pain and burning when urinating.
Cystitis Causes
Usually, bacteria such as E. coli are to blame. They normally live on your skin and in your intestines, and they’re not a problem. But if they get into your urethra, bacteria can end up in your bladder and cause issues.
It’s not common, but you can also get cystitis from:
Chemicals in personal care products, such as bubble baths, soaps, and spermicides
Chemotherapy drugs
Damage from bladder surgery or a catheter, a tube that helps empty pee from your bladder
Radiation to treat cancer around your pelvis
Some people have a condition called interstitial cystitis, where the bladder is constantly swollen but there’s no detectable infection. Doctors aren’t sure what causes it, and it’s much harder to treat than regular cystitis.
Cystitis and menopause
UTIs and cystitis are more common in women who've been through menopause than those who haven't. The reason is the loss of of the female hormone estrogen when you stop having your period. Estrogen helps your urethra muscles stay strong and raises the level of healthy bacteria in your vagina and urethra. Low estrogen after menopause means that there's less healthy bacteria in your urethra and vagina to fight off the unhealthy bacteria like E. coli. Low estrogen also thins out the walls of your vagina and urethra and makes them drier, which increases the risk of unhealthy bacteria getting in.
Cystitis Symptoms
Here are some things you might notice if you have cystitis:
It burns, stings, or hurts when you pee.
The urge to pee is constant.
You feel sick (achy and tired, with a low fever).
You need to pee often, but only small amounts come out.
There’s pain or pressure in your lower belly.
Your pee is dark, cloudy, or has a strong smell.
It hurts when you have sex.
You have cramping in your back or belly.
It also can affect your mental state. Some people dealing with cystitis may feel depressed or anxious.
Severe cystitis symptoms
Call your doctor if you have:
Symptoms that last more than several hours
Symptoms that come back after your finish taking antibiotics
Get help right away if you have these signs of a kidney infection:
High fever
Pain in your side or back
Shaking and chills
Throwing up
Cystitis in children
Children who have cystitis or bladder infection will have similar symptoms as adults, including:
Pain and burning when peeing
Frequent urge to pee even if not passing very much each time
Lower belly pain
Smelly urine
Fever
In young children, wetting themselves during the day — if they normally don’t — can also be a sign. Bed-wetting at night isn’t usually related to cystitis. Children with cystitis may also feel weak and have trouble keeping food down.
Signs of cystitis in young children and babies should be taken very seriously. It can be an indication of urinary reflux. That’s when urine comes back to the body instead of leaving it while peeing.
Cystitis is more common in girls than boys for the same reason it's more common in women than men — their urethras are shorter and closer to their rectums.
Cystitis Risk Factors
These things can raise the chances of cystitis for both men and women:
A recent urinary tract infection (UTI)
Radiation or chemotherapy
Using a catheter
Having diabetes, kidney stones, or HIV
An injury to the spine
Something that affects the flow of pee
An enlarged prostate can raise the risk in men.
Cystitis in women
Some things can make women and people with female anatomy more likely to have cystitis:
- Being sexually active
- Being pregnant
- Using tampons
- Using diaphragms with spermicide in them
- Being past menopause
Basically, anything that increases the risk of harmful bacteria entering the urethra increases the chance of getting cystitis or a UTI. Approximately 40% of women have had acute cystitis or a UTI versus 12% of men.
Cystitis Diagnosis
Your doctor will do a physical exam and ask about your symptoms. You may then get:
A urine analysis to check for bacteria, blood, or pus in your pee
A urine culture to find out which type bacteria you have
Often, the cause is a bladder infection and that’s all the testing you need. But if you belong to one of the following groups, you may get more advanced tests to find the cause of cystitis:
Children
Men (Since they tend not to get cystitis, it could be a sign of something else.)
People who have kidney damage
Women who get three or more bladder infections in a year
Your doctor may use:
Cystoscopy. Your doctor inserts a cystoscope — a thin tube with a camera — into your urethra to look for problems or to get a tissue sample for more testing (biopsy).
Imaging. An ultrasound, CT scan, and MRI can show tumors, kidney stones, and other issues.
Intravenous urogram (IVU). This is an X-ray that uses contrast dye to take images of the kidneys, ureters (tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder), and the bladder.
Voiding cystourethrography. Your doctor puts a dye into your bladder to see if any urine flows backward from the bladder toward the kidneys.
Retrograde urethrography. This test uses contrast dye to find problems in the urethra.
Cystitis Treatment
Treatment will depend on the cause. Most of the time, cystitis is due to bacteria. Your doctor will likely give you antibiotics. You usually start to feel better in a day or so, but be sure to take all the medicine as directed. The length of time you need to take them depends on your overall health, how often you get infections, and the type of bacteria.
Women usually need to take antibiotics for 3 days.
Men usually need to take them for 7 to 14 days.
If you're pregnant or have another health problem like diabetes, you may need to take antibiotics for 7 to 14 days.
If you’re a woman past menopause, your doctor may suggest a vaginal cream that has estrogen in it in addition to antibiotics.
If you have cystitis triggered by soaps, bubble baths, and the like, it’s best to avoid those products. If you’re getting chemo or radiation, your doctor can give you pain medicine and discuss how to take in more fluids to flush out your bladder. Cystitis brought on by chemicals and radiation can be hard to treat. You’ll need to work with your doctor to come up with a treatment that works for you.
If you have interstitial cystitis, you may have to have a combination of treatments.
Interstitial Cystitis
Because the cause isn’t known, your doctor may recommend a series of phases to see what brings relief. The first phase is lifestyle changes:
Avoid spicy foods and foods high in potassium.
Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol.
Work with your doctor on “bladder training,” meaning you change your peeing habits so you don’t have to go as often.
The second phase includes medication and other treatments. Your doctor might suggest:
Medicine that relaxes your bladder and eases some symptoms.
Bladder stretching or hydrodistension. This is a procedure where your doctor fills your bladder with fluid. You’ll get medicine to numb the area during the procedure, but you may have some pain for up to two days afterward. You could notice improvement in your condition in about two weeks.
If these treatments don’t help your symptoms, your doctor may talk to you about other treatments, including surgery.
Cystitis Home Remedies
You can do a few things to help ease the symptoms of cystitis, no matter what’s causing it:
Use heating pads or hot water bottles. Put these on your belly to ease bladder pain.
Take sitz baths. This is a warm water bath where that you sit in a tub. Put only enough water in the tub so that it comes up to your hips.
Drink plenty of fluids. It’s important to stay hydrated. Stick to water and steer clear of alcohol, coffee, and other drinks with caffeine. Also watch out for spicy food as it can trigger an attack of cystitis in some people.
Try over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Pain relievers like ibuprofen or naproxen sodium may help with pain.
Wear cotton underwear and loose-fitting clothes. Cotton doesn’t hold on to moisture when you sweat, which can cut down on the growth of bacteria around your groin. And looser clothes won’t put pressure on your belly.
Cystitis Complications
Cystitis can sometimes lead to other health issues, especially when bacteria get into your kidneys. This can cause a serious type of infection called sepsis.
Conditions linked to interstitial cystitis include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), vulvodynia, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, panic attacks, and pelvic floor dysfunction. It also can make blood show up in your pee.
Treatment for complicated cystitis is also antibiotics, but you may have to try different types.
Cystitis Prevention
There’s no sure way to prevent cystitis, but some doctors suggest that you:
Avoid bubble bath, soaps, and powders that have perfumes in them. And don’t use deodorants or sprays on your vagina.
Don’t hold it in. Pee when you feel the urge.
Drink plenty of liquids, especially water, to help remove harmful bacteria from your body.
Pee after having sex.
Wipe your bottom front to back after you go to the bathroom.
Change your birth control if you use spermicide and a diaphragm.
Stay away from tight-fitting clothes. Wear loose cotton underwear and pants.
Takeaways
Cystitis is another word for bladder infection. The most common bladder infection is the urinary tract infection or UTI. Symptoms include pain and burning when you pee, cloudy urine, and a urge to go the bathroom very often even if nothing comes out. Treatment is usually a course of antibiotics.
Cystitis FAQs
Can cystitis cause protein in urine?
Yes, but usually you'd have other symptoms of cystitis or a UTI along with protein in the urine. Protein in the urine can often be a sign of a kidney problem, especially if you have no symptoms of cystitis.
Will amoxicillin treat cystitis?
Studies have shown that the antibiotic amoxicillin is not as effective for treating cystitis as other antibiotics. It can be tried if other types of antibiotics have not worked.
Can kidney stones cause cystitis?
Studies have found a strong connection between kidney stones and UTIs. When patients had their kidney stones removed, their UTIs usually cleared up and didn't return. People with kidney stones do have an increased risk of getting UTIs. Both conditions have similar symptoms and affect the same parts of the urinary tract.
What is the fastest way to get rid of cystitis?
Take antibiotics. Your infection could clear in as little as three days if you have female anatomy.
