It is a common understanding for many people that infection cause cystitis, either from bacteria, fungus, or even virus. Urinary tract infection (UTI) can be divided into two parts, which are:
- Infection in the upper urinary tract such as kidney infection, in which the symptoms are often severe
- Infection in the lower urinary tract such as bladder infection, or as commonly known as cystitis
It is more common for cystitis to occur in women than men because women have a shorter urethra, and its position is closer to the anus. Statistics show that most bladder infection cases derive from local bacteria found in feces. (Why it is called local bacteria? Because it is bacteria that commonly found in such part of the body. Such local bacteria perform preventive measures over its part of the body by blocking other pathogens out, preventing diseases or infection from occurring in its area. However, it may cause illness or infection to other parts of the body apart from its own still. Bacteria that often causes severe symptoms are mostly from E.coli and P.mirabilis.
Causes of cystitis are mostly from auxiliary factors, either:
- The use of toilet paper by wiping from behind to the front that may lead feces in contact with the vagina, which further directs the pathogen from anus to the frontal area as well.
- Insufficient water intake that leads to non-urinating, causing an increase of bacteria in the bladder that stays for days instead of only 2-3 hours as it supposes to be.
- Suppress of urination having the same result with no. 2.
- Post sexual activity habit – lack of cleaning habit after intercourse may lead to the growth of pathogen
- Patients with a suppressed immune system, such as diabetes, have higher risks of UTIs.
- Use of vaginal douching that may lead to a decrease of local bacteria, which lessen its capacity to prevent harmful pathogen out. (Don’t forget that local bacteria prevent other pathogens from causing disease or infection in its area.)
- Menopause – after menopause, the vagina would dry up, making it more vulnerable to infection.
Therefore, it is highly recommended to avoid or prevent no. 1-6 from occurring to prevent bladder infection.
The common symptoms of cystitis could be noticed easily by yourself. For example:
- A strong, persistent urge to urinate with a burning sensation when urinating
- Pelvic pain
- Urine that appears cloudy with a strong smell, or has a sign of blood in the urine
- Strong-smelling urine
- Have unexplained chill and fever because some pathogens in the bladder may release its toxin out.
Therefore, if you notice any of the above symptoms, it is recommended to get urine tests for preliminary diagnoses. If the result comes out with higher white blood cells and high bacteria, the doctor may have you do swab culture to check the type of pathogen and its response to the medicine. This method will help in getting a correct diagnosis with higher accuracy, providing excellent support for the treatment.
Note: Do not try self-medication as misuse of medicine might make pathogen resistant to medication.
Nevertheless, we can prevent cystitis by ourselves be avoiding the abovementioned causes of no. 1-6. If the infection already occurs, it is crucial to take any necessary measures in stopping the infection from spreading to the upper part of the kidney as it may cause shock symptoms that lead to death.
