Troublesome symptoms such as a constant need to urinate or pain or burning when passing water are often the result of a bladder infection. In this health tip you’ll find out how to prevent the problem.
Women in particular are familiar with the unpleasant symptoms of cystitis. Because women have a shorter urethra, they are affected more frequently than men, who are more likely to get infections in their old age.
Cystitis becomes noticeable through the symptoms of having difficulty urinating or frequently needing to urinate. In some cases, this is caused by bacteria. If they are able to multiply excessively in the urethra, the tissue reacts by becoming inflamed. In winter, the risk is increased because cold weather weakens the immune system.
Cystitis is usually harmless and goes away on its own after a few days. People with a weak immune system or kidney disease and pregnant women should be particularly careful. Those people have an increased risk of a more complicated urinary tract infection (UTI) with a subsequent renal pelvic inflammation (pyelitis).
In addition, if you have ever had bacterial cystitis in the past, you have a higher risk of getting it again.
Don’t give bacteria a chance
There are simple measures that you can take to prevent cystitis:
- Drink plenty of fluids. When you drink enough fluids, bacteria are flushed out regularly and cannot easily multiply.
- When you urinate, you should empty your bladder completely, as otherwise any germs in the urine remaining in your body can easily multiply. This is particularly important after sexual intercourse, when the urethra is often irritated.
- After going to the toilet, women should wipe from the front to the back to prevent germs from the anus entering the urethra.
Intimate care should always be gentle and careful. Perfumed intimate cleansers or sprays are best avoided, as they can affect vaginal flora and the mucous membranes of the vagina and urethra, and make it easier for bacteria to enter the bladder.
Particularly during the colder seasons, it is advisable to keep your lower abdomen warm. If you get hypothermia, the blood vessels in the skin and mucous membranes contract, making it harder for immune cells to reach these areas and easier for germs to multiply.
Useful or useless?
Many people who are prone to UTIs swear by aids or products such as hot-water bottles, kidney and bladder teas, or cranberry juice. But what actually works? Dr Silke Schmitt Oggier, Medical Director of santé24, explains in this video what can help when it comes to cystitis.
Dr Silke Schmitt Oggier, Medical Director of the santé24 online practice, rates common home remedies for cystitis on a scale of 1 to 10.
