Cystitis  

Medical specialist	Internal medicine specialist
Symptom	Pain during urination, burning sensation during urination, frequent urination, lower abdominal pain, dark urine, blood in the urine
risk factor	Kidney stones, bladder stones, urinary tract infections, enlarged prostate, urinary incontinence, frequent use of feminine hygiene soap, cleaning the intimate area from the anus to the genitals
How to diagnose	The complete interview, physical examination, complete blood count, urine test, urine culture, cystoscopy, ultrasound
Treatment	Drink plenty of water, compress warm water, don’t hold back urination
Drug	Analgesic drugs, antibiotics
Complications	Kidney infection, acute kidney failure, kidney abscess, sepsis
When to see a doctor?	High fever, chills, bloody urine, low back pain, nausea and vomiting

Understanding

Cystitis or cystitis is a common urinary tract infection (UTI), especially in women.

This condition causes inflammation of the bladder which is usually caused by infection. Usually, the infection is not serious, although it often disturbs the patient’s comfort.

Cystitis with mild symptoms can generally heal on its own without having to take certain medications.

However, in some cases, cystitis often recurs, requiring long-term treatment. The following is a complete explanation of what cystitis is.

Reason

The cause of cystitis can be triggered by infection or non-infection. Bacterial cystitis—also called a bladder infection—is most often caused by  E. coli bacteria.

Normally,  E. coli bacteria are in the digestive tract. However,  E. coli will cause disease if it enters the urinary tract.

Meanwhile, non-infectious cystitis is usually caused by damage or irritation in the bladder. Some other causes of non-infectious cystitis are:

• Sexual intercourse
• Wiping after urinating (BAK) in the wrong way, namely from the back (anus) to the front (vagina)
• History of using a urinary catheter
• Using a diaphragm as contraception (KB)

Women are more likely to experience cystitis because the anus is closer to the urethra.

Women also have a shorter urethra than men, which makes them more prone to infection.

Risk Factors

Here are some risk factors that cause cystitis, including:

• Have a disease that blocks the flow of urine, such as  kidney stones, bladder stones, urinary tract infection, or an enlarged prostate
• Experiencing urinary incontinence in elderly patients or after a spinal injury
• Often use feminine cleansing soap
• Using tampons
• Pregnant mother
• Post-menopausal women
• Cleaning the intimate area from the anus to the genitals
• Using a urinary catheter in the long term
• Undergoing radiotherapy or chemotherapy in the pelvic area
• Chemotherapy drugs
• The weakened immune system, as in  HIV patients

Symptom

Common symptoms of cystitis that sufferers often complain about include:

• Pain and a burning or stinging sensation when urinating (BAK)
• More frequent BAK and more urgent than usual
• Your urine is darker, cloudy, or has a strong smell
• Pain in the lower abdomen
• Feeling unwell, sick, and tired
• There is a little blood in the urine
• Pain during intercourse
• In children, additional symptoms may appear in the form of fever over 38 degrees, weakness, irritability, decreased appetite and vomiting

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) and cystitis can usually be made by a doctor based on symptoms. Supporting examinations, namely urine sample tests, can be done to ensure the presence of bacteria.

Treatment

In mild cases, cystitis usually doesn’t need treatment. If symptoms last more than 4 days, you should seek medical help.

The doctor will give antibiotics to treat the infection. The use of antibiotics must be under the supervision and according to the doctor’s recommendations.

You will usually experience improvement in your symptoms after 1–2 days after taking antibiotics.

The additional drug paracetamol or ibuprofen can also reduce the symptoms of fever and not feeling well. Some things that can help include:

• Drink lots of water
• Avoid sexual intercourse
• Compress the lower abdomen with hot or warm water

Prevention

If you frequently get bladder infections, such as cystitis, remember habits that are likely to trigger recurrent infections.

Some of these things can become habits that should be stopped to prevent cystitis:

• Avoid using perfumed soaps or powders in the genital area
• Avoid soaking
• Do BAK to completion
• Avoid holding back urination (BAK)
• Meet the need of fluids every day
• Wiping the genital area from the front (vagina) to the back (anus)
• Empty the bladder immediately after sexual intercourse
• Avoid using the diaphragm as birth control
• Use cotton underwear
• Avoid wearing pants that are too tight

Complications

Cystitis will cause complications if not treated properly. The following are symptoms of complications that will be experienced:

• Sepsis
• Acute kidney failure
• Kidney infection
• Kidney abscess

When to See a Doctor?

Immediately see a doctor if the symptoms of cystitis do not subside within 3 days, especially if accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Bloody urine
• Fever and chills
• Severe back pain
• Nausea and vomiting