It is literally a burning problem: bladder infection can cause severe pain and burning when urinating. Frequent urge to urinate and cloudy urine are also typical symptoms. Why women are affected more often, which home remedies help and whether cystitis is contagious: You can find out all here.
The Cystitis – also known as lower urinary tract infection or cystitis – is one of the most common infectious diseases. Every second woman gets sick at least once in her life, in the pregnancy Bladder infections occur particularly often. With cystitis, the symptoms are limited to the lower urinary tract in contrast to the inflammation of the kidney pelvis (pyelonephritis), in which the infection extends to the upper urinary tract.
The answer to why bladder infections are so much less common in men than in girls and women is in the anatomical design: The female urethra is much shorter than the male, so that bacteria – the most common cause of cystitis – can get into the bladder faster and ignite the mucous membrane there.
In addition, the woman's urethra and intestinal exit are relatively close together. So coli bacteria from the intestine easily get lost in the urethra. In over 75 percent of cases, bladder infections are caused by bacteria of the type Escherichia coli – abbreviated E. coli – triggered. The transmission of the pathogens from the intestine into the bladder is one of the most common reasons for infection.
But other bacterial species, such as Klebsielli, Proteus mirabilis or Staphylococci, are also among the usual suspects. In rare cases, fungi or viruses can also be responsible for the cystitis.
Despite the favorable anatomical circumstances in women, too Men get cystitis. More detailed information on Cystitis in men can be found here.
What to do if you have a bladder infection? Tips and home remedies
Most urinary tract infections are uncomplicated and get under control relatively quickly with the right treatment. However, at the first signs of a urinary tract infection there is a need for action to prevent a complicated course. If the general condition deteriorates and fever occurs, a visit to the doctor and usually treatment are included Antibiotics inevitable. In addition to drug treatment, there are a few Tips and home remediesthat can promote recovery from cystitis.
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Treat urinary tract infections naturally and tolerably.
Herbal help – applicable at the first sign of cystitis.
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Drink a lot: Suitable drinks are herbal teas or water.
Leave a lot of water: The toilet should not be delayed too long, otherwise bacteria can concentrate in the urinary tract. Herbal, aquaretic (diuretic) preparations can support excretion. In addition to a possibly necessary antibiotic treatment in the case of cystitis, these herbal medicines for flushing the urinary tract have proven their worth.
Heat supply: Coldness reduces blood circulation, also in the genital area, while heat mobilizes the immune system. The best thing is still the good old hot water bottle or a hot bath. In addition, put on warm clothes (e.g. cotton underwear) and always keep your feet warm.
Rest and relaxation: This gives the body the opportunity to refuel its defenses.
Hygiene: Wash the genital area thoroughly so that bacteria do not get into the bladder again. Do not use intimate sprays as these can impair the natural protective function of the vagina. It is better to use gentle, pH-neutral washing lotions.
No sex: Until the bladder infection is over, it is advisable to wait with the intercourse.
What to do with cystitis?
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Uncomplicated and complicated urinary tract infection
Most acute urinary tract infections in women are considered uncomplicated classified in treatment herbal active ingredients proven. Cystitis is considered uncomplicated if there are no functional or anatomical abnormalities in the urinary tract and there are no risk factors for a severe course such as previous illnesses (e.g. diabetes or autoimmune diseases) or pregnancy.
The main signs of cystitis
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At Men on the other hand, urinary tract infections are usually complicated and should be clarified by the doctor, since the testicles may be affected or the prostate may be at risk.
Important: Severe complaints, Pain in the back, kidney or flank area, Fever or blood in the urine indicate a complicated and severe course of a urinary tract infection (such as a kidney infection) and should be clarified and treated by the doctor in women and men.
Burning sensation when urinating: typical symptoms of cystitis
If you have already had cystitis, identifying a bladder infection is relatively easy. If you got it for the first time: The following symptoms speak for a bladder infection:
- Burning and painful urination (dysuria)
- increased urge to urinate (pollakiuria): you need to use the toilet more often than usual if you only have small amounts of urine
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With just eight quick check questions, you can determine if you may have a bladder infection. Test now!
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- cramp-like pain in the area of the bladder (lower abdominal pain)
- Problems holding your urine
- cloudy, strongly smelling urine
Learn more about symptoms and possible complications of a urinary tract infection here.
Risk factors for bladder infections
Among other things, the following factors increase the risk of cystitis:
Sexual intercourse: Bacteria get into the bladder through the movement (also as Honeymoon cystitis known). Urinating after sex can reduce the risk because it flushes out the bacteria.
Use of contraceptives such as Diaphragm or spermicide. This changes the vaginal flora and favors infections.
previous asymptomatic bacteriuria (Germs are detected in the urine without causing any symptoms)
previous urinary tract infections
adolescence at the first cystitis
Occurrence of urinary tract infections in the family
Stress, lack of sleep, unhealthy eating or other factors that weaken the immune system
Urinary tract infections such as cystitis also occur frequently in otherwise healthy pregnant women, especially in the last trimester. Older menopausal women (especially in the postmenopause, i.e. a period of ten to 15 years after the last menstrual period) are at greater risk because the vaginal flora – a natural protective shield against infections – changes during this phase and a reduced colonization with Lactobacilli can promote an infection.
Diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, can also increase the risk of cystitis because diabetics have increased sugar levels in their urine, which promotes the growth of bacteria. A visit to the doctor makes it possible to rule out underlying diseases or to treat them in a targeted manner.
Caution, bacteria: is bladder infection contagious?
Cystitis arises when germs – usually E. coli bacteria from your own intestine – get into the urethra and from there into the bladder. This can be done in various ways, often via intercourse, when pathogens from the intestine are literally massaged into the vagina and urethra.
The shared use of toilets can also pose a certain risk. However, this is less a matter of germinating toilet seat than of objects that are usually touched before and after using the toilet, such as door handles. If bacteria get on your fingers from there and then into the vagina, for example when you insert a tampon, the germs can migrate into the urethra and cause bladder infection.
A direct infection on the way from a sick person to a healthy person, on the other hand, is rather unlikely. The Pass on cystitis within the familyUsing the toilet, for example, does not pose a special risk and therefore need not be feared.
"Classic cystitis is not contagious per se," explains Eliane Sarasin Ricklin, gynecologist and sexologist. Cystitis is also not sexually transmitted. In any case, "few women with cystitis would like to have sex because it causes pain".
Cystitis: You should know about these 13 myths!
Cystitis can become chronic
If you already have an acute bladder infection, the likelihood that it will catch up with you again in the same year is relatively high. In some cases there is even a chronic recurring (recurrent) cystitis. Statistics show that around 50 percent of patients develop a bladder infection again within a year.
In about 90 percent of cases, such a will recurrent cystitis triggered by the same pathogen. A possible reason may be that a previous inflammation has not been cured thoroughly. This is why the aftercare of an acute bladder infection and the thorough flushing out of all possible pathogens play a particularly important role.
Flushing therapy should also be continued beyond the duration of the acute symptoms. In addition to an increased fluid intake – for example in the form of teas – herbal medicinal products are suitable for this. Even if an antibiotic is used, it is advisable to flush the urinary tract – both as a companion and for a while – to flush out the pathogens.
With antibiotic treatment, you should also take the medication according to the instructions of the doctor and / or pharmacist. Stopping the antibiotic unauthorized too early, for example because of side effects or the symptoms have already subsided, can promote the re-inflammation of the bladder infection, since not all bacteria have been killed yet. The risk of resistance to antibiotics is also increasing: If people take antibiotics too often or use them incorrectly, these resistances can develop. In addition, 15 percent of the causative agents of cystitis are already resistant to antibiotics, which are considered standard therapy.
In addition to the insufficient healing of a previous urinary tract infection, there are other ways in which the pathogens can cause another bladder infection. In the article The various triggers of cystitis you can find out whether you have overlooked a possible source of the disease.
If an uncomplicated urinary tract infection does not occur more than three times a year, there are no further complications for the organs involved, such as the urinary tract or kidneys. If an infection keeps coming back, you should discuss this with your doctor and have further examinations carried out by the gynecologist / urologist to rule out organic causes.
Prophylaxis: Prevent the bladder infection
Regardless of whether there is an occasional or repeated cystitis: prevention is better than treating an existing urinary tract infection. Of course, this is not always possible. Because: Not every triggering factor is avoidable. But if you know your personal risk and possible prophylactic measures, you are better protected against cystitis. Like you one Prevent cystitis, read here. Our is suitable for a first assessment Self-testsensing typical symptoms of cystitis.
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