What is cystitis?
Cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder (the sac that stores urine) and is the most common type of urinary tract infection. It usually occurs when bacteria that normally live in the bowel travel up the short tube (urethra) that connects the bladder to the outside. Once inside the bladder, these bacteria quickly grow.
Cystitis is common in women of all ages. Around 30-50 per cent of women will have cystitis at some time in their lives. A woman is most likely to get cystitis when sexually active, while pregnant and after menopause. The infection cannot be passed to others during sex. Women get cystitis more often than men because women have a shorter urethra. The urethral, vaginal and anal openings are also very close, making it easy for bacteria to be spread from one to the other.
What are the symptoms?
- Stinging or burning when you pass urine.
- Passing only small amounts of urine.
- An urge to pass urine more often.
- Feeling that the bladder is still full after passing urine.
- Smelly, cloudy, dark or bloody urine.
- Pain low down in the abdomen.
- Feeling unwell with nausea and fever.
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