Recurrent cystitis: annoying problem
Almost every woman has a bladder infection at one time or another. It only gets annoying when that urinary tract infection keeps cropping up. When do you officially speak of recurring bladder infections? And is treatment from a urologist necessary?
Although men can also get cystitis, it is more often women who suffer from it. In both men and women, the majority of bacteria that cause a urinary tract infection come from the rectum or the vagina. The urethra is shorter in women, which is why a urinary tract infection is more common in women. Some women even have them very regularly. Such a recurrent urinary tract infection is officially referred to as a recurrent bladder infection in the event of three or more infections in the last year or two bladder infections in the last six months.
Also read: 7 causes of recurring bladder infections
The symptoms of a recurring bladder infection
A bladder infection can come on from one day to the next and cause the following typical complaints:
- A burning sensation when urinating
- Frequent urination of small amounts
- Frequent false urge to urinate
- Pain in your lower back or abdomen
- Sometimes blood in the urine
The following symptoms can also occur in the elderly:
- Fever (sometimes even the only symptom)
- Lack of appetite
- lethargy
- Confusion
What can you do yourself?
You can do a lot yourself to reduce the risk of a bladder infection:
- Drink plenty of water: in this way the bacteria in the bladder are diluted and washed away regularly.
- A good toilet position can help to urinate better. If urine always remains in the bladder after urination, this increases the risk of urinary tract infections. It should not be necessary to strain while urinating. Take the time to urinate calmly. Make sure your feet can stand flat on the floor, if necessary use a footstool if the toilet is too high. Your knees are loosely apart, give your knees extra room by lowering your pants low enough. Your back is straight. At the end of the pee, you can tilt your pelvis forwards and backwards a few times to see if you have really peed empty.
- Make sure to wipe from front to back; from urethra opening to anus. This prevents you from bringing gut bacteria to the urethra.
- Don’t wait too long to urinate if you feel the urge.
- Pee after sex.
- Avoid constipation: drink plenty of water and eat a diet rich in fiber.
- Avoid using spermicidal lubricants.
- Clean your pubic area only with water, possibly with soap with a neutral acidity. Ordinary soap dries out the skin unnecessarily and disrupts the natural acidity. This hinders the functioning of the good bacteria that protect against urinary tract infections.
When to see the urologist?
If you suffer from recurring bladder infections – also called recurrent cystitis – it is important to find out what causes them to come back. That is why it may be wise to ask your GP for a referral to a urologist. Recurrent bladder infections can have various causes. For example, does it have to do with not urinating properly? Do you have bladder stones, diabetes or an autoimmune disease? Are you in the menopause, as a result of which your mucous membranes in the bladder have become thinner and drier? Is there antibiotic resistance? Do you have problems with your intestines? A urologist can tailor the treatment exactly to your personal situation, possibly with the help of a pelvic physiotherapist, gynaecologist or dietician.
Treating Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections
In addition to lifestyle advice and exercises, the urologist can prescribe medication. Think of local hormones or antibiotics. To make the bladder wall more resistant to bacteria, regular bladder irrigations with GAG molecules (GAG therapy) are also prescribed for recurring bladder infections. By flushing the bladder with the body’s own GAG molecules, the mucous membrane is repaired and bacteria are less likely to attach themselves and cause inflammation. If that does not work, a bladder flush with a liquid antibiotic can also be used.
