The Agony Of Cystitus

Cystitus is an infection most commonly of the (urethra) urinary tract. Women, primarily those who are sexually active, are more prone to this condition than men. The infection is usually caused by the e-coli bacteria. Yep that's right , tthe same bacteria that naturally resides in your lower intestinal tract. Ughhhh!!! The most common way the e-coli enters the urinary tract is through intercourse or because of poor personal hygiene. The earliest and most common symptoms are:

Painful urination

Frequent and urgency to urinate

Cloudy urine

Blood in the urine

If neglected the infection can find its way past the bladder and into the kidneys. Symptoms indicative of a more serious infection are:

Fever

Chills

Fatigue

Nausea and vomiting

Pain in the back below the rib cage on either side.

Any woman who has ever had this condition knows how agonizing it can be. Sitting for hours on the toilet because of the constant urge to urinate and only a trickle comes out along with the pain. Even at the first hint of a possible infection I have found the following remedies to be effective. I usually take some type of pain reliever and soak in a warm shallow bath with regular household uniodized salt dissolved in the water. While soaking be sure to splash the water over the urethra area. Be sure to drink cranberry juice and a lot of water to flush out your system. I recommend consulting an M.D. should symptoms last more than a day or if symptoms become more serious. I was always able to get an appointment the very same day since my OB-GYN knew I had a history of this condition. Sometimes he or his nurse practitioner would just call in an anit-biotic to the pharmacy

From my own experience once you have a urinary tract infection you can expect to have a recurrence. Also, it seems to run in families. I know that my grandmother and my daughter both have had the same problem as well as myself. But there are ways to help prevent a recurrence. If you are sexually active be sure to urinate after intercourse to flush out bacteria that may have entered the urethra. Be sure that once you urinate you wipe from front to back, not back to front. Do not use colored toilet paper. Blue is the worst. Wear panties that have a cotton crotch and be sure to wash your panties in very hot water. Strong detergents can even promote an infection, irritating the area making it more vulnerabel to infection. Powdered detergents are the worst so I always use liquid detergents. Anyways, it took me years and many conversations with other women to figure out why I kept getting these infections. Now it has been several years since I have had one.