Cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder. Cystitis is one of the most common inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract. Mostly women suffer from cystitis. This is due to certain anatomical features of the female body – in women, the urethra is short and wide, and through it the infection enters the bladder much more easily than in men.
Cystitis can affect women of any age. The development of the disease is especially likely under the following circumstances:
- with hypothermia of the body, and, especially, with hypothermia of the pelvic area. It is enough for an ordinary woman to sit on a cold stone for 15–20 minutes, and the appearance of cystitis in her (and not only it) can be guaranteed;
- with a long sitting position. For example, you work at a computer and do not get up from your very comfortable chair for 4-6 hours;
- with frequent and prolonged constipation.
If you eat very spicy food, a lot of spices, like overcooked food and do not drink enough liquid after eating, then the risk of developing a number of urological diseases (cystitis and urethritis, and eventually pyelonephritis) increases.
The occurrence of cystitis is also facilitated by:
- transferred urological, gynecological or venereal inflammatory diseases (urethritis, gonorrhea, adenexitis, endometritis, etc.), especially if you did not pay enough attention to your health, did not recover or tried to be treated on your own.
- chronic foci of infection in the body (carious teeth, any chronic inflammatory diseases).
Any other condition that contributes to the suppression of the immune system of your body (for example, overtraining in athletes, regular sleep deprivation, workaholism, inadequate and irregular nutrition, chronic stress, etc.).
What else contributes to the occurrence of cystitis?
First of all, this is not observing the rules of hygiene, including hygiene of sexual life:
- when partners go directly from anal to vaginal intercourse;
- when a woman wipes herself incorrectly after a bowel movement (a woman needs to wipe herself only from front to back);
- when a woman does not often change tampons or pads during her period.
- when wearing tight and tight clothes, tights, underwear for a long period of time;
- in case of non-compliance with the urination regimen. A woman is required to urinate at least 5 times every day. The infection easily enters the bladder if the interval between urination is very long;
Men get cystitis much less often than women and, as a rule, only with chronic inflammation of neighboring organs (prostate, intestines, urethra, testicle and epididymis).
What are the manifestations of cystitis?
The disease begins acutely. Its main manifestation is frequent and painful urination. Sometimes patients have to urinate after 15-20 minutes. During urination, and sometimes outside of it, there are pains in the suprapubic region. To start urination, you will need to make some effort, and at the end of it, a few drops of blood may appear. Urine may become cloudy.
In severe cases of the disease, the temperature rises, nausea, vomiting appear, urine becomes opaque, with a milky tinge.
What will the urologist do when you contact him?
With cystitis, the urologist traditionally performs only one examination (besides the usual blood and urine tests) – cystoscopy. With all this, the bladder is filled with a special liquid and a cystoscope is inserted into it – a special optical device that allows you to “see” the state of the bladder from the inside. This procedure for cystitis is unpleasant, but painless, especially if the doctor uses painkillers.
Treatment consists in bed rest of the sick person, drinking plenty of water and excluding fried, spicy, spicy, pickled foods from the diet. A course of antibiotic therapy is carried out, sometimes physiotherapy is prescribed.
Dear ladies, do not try to cure cystitis on your own! Most likely, you will take 2-3 tablets of some antibiotic that a neighbor used to treat a cat for dysentery, and you will hope that the clinical manifestations of cystitis will subside. You will perk up, kiss your neighbor and all her animals and consider yourself healthy. But you did not cure the disease, but only forced it to proceed in a latent form. It will certainly make itself felt as soon as you catch a cold or get the flu again, and then it will be much more difficult to cure it.
How to avoid the appearance of cystitis?
Prevention of cystitis for women is primarily in the exclusion and reduction of the factors that cause the occurrence of cystitis, as well as in the observance of the rules of hygiene, which were mentioned earlier. Do not wear too tight tight underwear, try to eat less spicy and spicy foods, alcohol, try to urinate after sexual intercourse. Dress warmly, try not to freeze for a long time. If you have a sedentary job, break every hour and a half and just stand or walk for 5 minutes. If you are constipated, then eat more vegetables, fruits and coarse fibrous foods, take laxatives, etc. If you happen to eat something very spicy, a lot of fried, pickled or sour, drink this food with a sufficient amount of water. Do not treat yourself – doctors do not bite.