Cystitis is one of the most popular diseases among women. How to avoid inflammation of the bladder, which can occur due to banal hypothermia? And how to treat cystitis if it was not possible to protect yourself? Is it possible to treat cystitis at home? All answers are in our material.
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In this article, you will learn about:
Cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder. During the pathological process, for one reason or another (infectious agents, chemical and traumatic injuries), inflammation of the bladder mucosa occurs.
Types of cystitis
- Based on the type of pathogen: bacterial cystitis (chlamydia, ureaplasma, gonorrhea, other causative agents of sexually transmitted diseases, as well as staphylococci, streptococci, E. coli, and others) and non-bacterial cystitis (toxic, drug-induced, allergies);
- By the nature of the course of the disease: acute cystitis (occurring in the acute phase with the manifestation of typical symptoms) and chronic (occurring in a latent form or recurrent);
- Depending on the presence and type of organic (morphological) changes in the organ: ulcerative, catarrhal, cystic, etc.;
- Based on the localization of the pathological process: cystitis of the bladder mucosa, affecting the submucosal layer, affecting the muscle layer.
Causes of cystitis
✓ The main culprit of inflammation is hypothermia. If at the end of winter and at the beginning of spring you flaunt in thin tights and short skirts, you risk being exposed to a seasonal exacerbation of cystitis.
✓ Chronic gynecological diseases — the genitourinary organs are closely connected with us, and therefore often “sick collectively.”
✓ Non-compliance with the rules of hygiene of intimate life — the bacteria that get inside are not dangerous for the genitals, but can cause cystitis. By the way, the disease often starts with the onset of sexual life: if the girl’s vaginal microflora is disturbed, inflammation develops immediately after intercourse (there is even the term “honeymoon cystitis”).
✓ Climax. During this difficult period for the female body, a change in the hormonal background occurs, defenses decrease, which means that the road for inflammatory diseases is open.
✓ Violation of immunity that occurs against the background of certain diseases (diabetes mellitus, dysfunction of the thyroid gland, obesity), as well as against the background of severe physical and mental stress.
✓ Long-term use of certain medications, chronic constipation and a sedentary lifestyle.
Symptoms of cystitis
- Slight pain in the pubic region.
- Frequent urge to urinate, accompanied by pain, burning or itching.
- Urine is excreted in small portions, has a cloudy color, maybe even with an admixture of blood.
- Pain (cutting) at the end of urination, sometimes “dagger” (piercing) pain, radiating to the rectum.
- An admixture of blood in the urine (in some cases, blood is visible only on toilet paper).
- Discomfort or aching pain in the lower abdomen.
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How to treat cystitis
If you have symptoms of cystitis, contact your urologist. Self-medication can slightly reduce discomfort, but not completely eliminate the disease. Antispasmodics are recommended to reduce pain. And to fight infection and inflammation, uroantiseptic and antibacterial agents are selected.
You also need to stay in bed, drink more and stick to a diet. To treat cystitis, infusions of diuretic herbs (kidney tea, half-fallen, bearberry), cranberry juice, non-concentrated compotes and pure water without gas are prescribed.
- In recent years, drugs from the fluoroquinolone group, such as ciprofloxacin, and nitrofurans, have proven their effectiveness. Taking these antibiotics is possible only for the direct appointment of a specialist;
- If specific pathogens are identified according to the diagnostic results, appropriate antifungal, antimicrobial or antiviral drugs are prescribed;
- To eliminate severe pain, antispasmodics and analgesics are recommended;
- In the absence of allergies to medicinal herbs, it is allowed to take herbal teas based on lingonberries, horsetail, bearberry. Preference should be given to unpackaged products;
- To quickly remove toxins from the body, it is recommended to increase the daily volume of fluid intake.
Important advice from doctors about the treatment of cystitis
- Don’t self-medicate. Even if you know the drug that helped cure cystitis in the previous time, it is better to start the fight against the disease with a visit to your doctor.
- For effective treatment of cystitis, it is extremely important to understand the cause of its occurrence. It is often difficult to do this on your own — for example, not all women know that cystitis appears not only when you “caught everything there” — there is also viral cystitis, postcoital cystitis, which manifests itself after intercourse, and even psychogenic cystitis. Treatment and prevention for different species, as you understand, will be completely different.
- Remember that folk methods, baths and grandmother’s herbal infusions are not the first thing to be used for cystitis. They can be useful adjuncts, but the doctor should select first-line drugs.
- Cystitis is one of the infamous emerging diseases. If treated badly or incorrectly for the first time, cystitis tends to become chronic, with which many women suffer for years. To prevent this from happening, it is extremely important to complete the entire course of treatment and strictly follow the prescriptions of doctors.
How to help yourself at home with cystitis
Believing in the power of “Perun” is certainly great, but once again, we strongly recommend that you immediately go to the doctor, especially when it comes to the innermost (pause) — health!
We write about these methods purely for review.
The first and most important remedy that will alleviate an acute attack of cystitis is to drink plenty of fluids. Many believe that with cystitis you need to drink less water, then the pain and other manifestations will go away, but this is an erroneous opinion !!!
Here are some home remedies that can help reduce the intensity of pain and discomfort:
1. St. John’s wort. Pour 1 tbsp. a spoonful of St. John’s wort with a glass of boiling water, boil for 15 minutes. Let it brew for 40–60 minutes, strain. Drink 1/4 cup three times a day for a month.
2. Lingonberry. Pour 2 teaspoons of lingonberry leaves with a glass of boiling water. Boil on low heat for 15 minutes, cool and strain. Drink throughout the day in small sips. The course is 7–10 days.
If the case is more severe, and the pain is unbearable, urgently seek professional medical help. In no case should you take antibacterial drugs on your own, only prescribed by a doctor after confirming the diagnosis!
How to prevent cystitis
✓ Don’t sit in the cold, dress warmly and refrain from cold showers in winter and spring.
✓ During your period, change your pads or tampons every two hours, after washing your hands thoroughly before doing so.
✓ Try to stick to proper nutrition: minimize spicy, fatty, fried, spicy, salty, sour, pickled foods and alcohol.
✓ Drink at least 2 liters of fluid per day — it is it that provides the body with timely detoxification, including the fight against pathogenic microorganisms.
✓ Make sure you have normal and regular bowel movements and try to wash yourself every time (away from the genitals, not towards them).
✓Exercise or at least take a 10-minute daily walk (don’t forget warm clothes).
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