What Is Cystitis? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention
By Abigail LibersMedically Reviewed by Igor Kagan, MD
Reviewed:
Medically Reviewed
Cystitis is a condition that occurs when there is an inflammation of the bladder. It’s most often caused by a bacterial infection, and in this scenario, it’s referred to as a urinary tract infection (UTI).
In most cases, cystitis occurs when bacteria enter the bladder and cause an infection.Usually, your body naturally expels bacteria when you urinate, but sometimes it gets stuck to the wall of the urethra or bladder, or it grows so rapidly that some of it remains in the bladder.
Nonbacterial causes of cystitis (noninfectious cystitis) exist but are less common.
A simple UTI, or simple cystitis, can almost always be treated relatively easily with antibiotics.But some cystitis infections can be complex or complicated; for example, those that occur in men, or those that occur when someone has a catheter or a urinary structural abnormality.
Acute cystitis infections are those that begin suddenly. Some people get recurrent or chronic cystitis infections.
Signs and Symptoms of Cystitis
Signs and symptoms of cystitis may include:
- Cloudy urine
- Bloody urine
- Urine with a strong or foul odor
- Low fever
- Pain or burning sensation while urinating
- Cramps or pressure in the lower middle abdomen or back
- An urgent need to urinate, even right after you’ve emptied your bladder
Additional symptoms of cystitis may include:
- Urinating frequently in small amounts
- Discomfort in the pelvic area
- Unusual daytime accidents in potty-trained children
Learn More About Signs and Symptoms of a Urinary Tract Infection
Causes and Risk Factors of Cystitis
Cystitis is most commonly caused by E. coli bacteria, but a variety of other organisms cause cystitis (for example, Proteus and Klebsiella).
Sexual intercourse is a common means of bacterial cystitis infection, particularly in women.This is because intercourse can push bacteria into the urethra.
Causes of noninfectious cystitis include:
- Interstitial Cystitis This chronic bladder inflammation, which is also called painful bladder syndrome, is most commonly diagnosed in women.
- Drugs Medications, in particular the chemotherapy drugs cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide, can cause cystitis.
- Radiation Radiation treatment of the pelvic area can cause bladder inflammation.
- Foreign Bodies Prolonged use of a catheter can make you more prone to bacterial infections and tissue damage, both of which can lead to inflammation.
- Chemicals If you’re sensitive to the chemicals in products such as bubble bath, feminine hygiene sprays, or spermicidal jellies, you may experience an allergic-type reaction in your bladder, which can cause inflammation.
- Other Conditions Diabetes, kidney stones, an enlarged prostate, or spinal cord injuries may lead to cystitis.
Risk Factors
Women are more likely than men to develop cystitis, because they have a shorter urethra that’s closer to the anus, making it easier for bacteria to travel to the bladder. In addition, there are a number of other risk factors for cystitis. These include:
- Hormonal changes during pregnancy
- Menopause (also due to hormone changes)
- Use of a diaphragm for birth control
- Enlarged prostate in men, narrowed urethra, or any condition that blocks the flow of urine
- Blockage of the bladder or urethra
- Bowel incontinence
- Being older, especially if you live in a nursing home
- Trouble fully emptying your bladder
- Having a procedure that involves the urinary tract
- Not moving for a prolonged period of time
A weakened immune system due to conditions like diabetes, HIV, and cancer treatment also increases the risk of bacterial and viral bladder infections.
Learn More About Causes of Urinary Tract Infections: Common Risk Factors, Genetics, and More
How Is Cystitis Diagnosed?
To diagnose cystitis, your doctor will likely ask about your symptoms and medical history.They may also check your vital signs and perform a physical examination. In addition, your doctor may order a urine analysis to see if there’s bacteria, blood, or pus in your urine.
If you have recurrent infections, your doctor may refer you to a urologist who may perform or order:
- Cystoscopy to look at your urinary tract and check for signs of disease. A thin tube with a camera attached is inserted into your urethra to do so.
- Imaging to see rare causes of inflammation such as a tumor or structural abnormality. Tests may include an X-ray or ultrasound.
Prognosis of Cystitis
Cystitis usually clears up after treatment with antibiotics without causing any complications. But it may be uncomfortable until it’s resolved.
Duration of Cystitis
If it’s your first episode of cystitis, your symptoms will most likely improve quickly after you begin to take a course of antibiotics, possibly within just a day or so.
Still, you’ll need to keep taking the antibiotics until you’ve completed the prescription as directed by your medical provider, to make sure you don’t get an infection that is more resistant to treatment.This can take 3 to 14 days, depending on the antibiotics and type of infection.
Treatment and Medication Options for Cystitis
Your doctor will most likely recommend antibiotics to treat a bacterial bladder infection.There are other treatments for other forms of cystitis.
Medication Options
In addition to antibiotics, your doctor may prescribe medications such as phenazopyridine (Pyridium) to relieve to discomfort caused by cystitis.
If you’re a woman who has repeat bladder infections, your doctor may recommend taking a single dose of an antibiotic after having sex, or taking a single, daily dose of an antibiotic to prevent infections.
If you’re postmenopausal and you get cystitis often, your doctor may prescribe a vaginal estrogen cream.
Interstitial cystitis may be treated with medications that are taken orally or inserted directly into your bladder.
If your cystitis developed as a complication of chemotherapy or radiation therapy, your doctor is likely to prescribe medications to help you manage the pain.
Alternative and Complementary Therapies
Complementary, alternative, and integrative therapies are sometimes used to support treatment and management of chronic recurrent cystitis. For example, complementary therapies for interstitial cystitis may include acupuncture and mind-body approaches to address symptoms.
Prevention of Cystitis
There are various self-care measures that are said to help women prevent cystitis.
While there isn’t conclusive research to prove that they are effective, the following tips are low-risk and may potentially be helpful:
- Urinate after sex to flush bacteria out of the urethra
- Avoid spermicides and diaphragms as contraceptives
- Wash your genitals regularly and gently with soap and water
- Don’t use special feminine hygiene products
- Always wipe from front to back
- Drink lots of fluids
- Keep your immune system strong by getting enough sleep and avoiding stress
Complications of Cystitis
Left untreated, cystitis may lead to the following complications:
- Kidney Infection Older adults and children are most vulnerable to kidney damage, because their symptoms may be overlooked.
- Bloody Urine Overt or visible blood in the urine is more common when cystitis is caused by radiation or chemotherapy.
Research and Statistics: Who Has Cystitis?
About one-third of women will have had a UTI by age 24 and one-half by age 32. Approximately 2.3 percent of pregnant women develop a UTI.
About 1 out of 10 women have cystitis at least once a year, and half of them have it again within one year.
Related Conditions and Causes of Cystitis
Cystitis may be a complication of a number of conditions.These include but are not limited to:
- Diabetes
- Kidney stones
- Enlarged prostate
- Spinal cord injuries
Resources We Love
The Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization that specializes in clinical practice, education, and research. Its website offers information about the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment of cystitis.
MedlinePlus is a service of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the world’s largest medical library, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It offers information about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cystitis.
Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking
- Cystitis. Mayo Clinic. August 16, 2022.
- Cystitis — Acute. MedlinePlus. August 13, 2020.
- Sabih A, Leslie SW. Complicated Urinary Tract Infections. StatPearls. November 28, 2022.
- Jia X, Crouss T, Rana N, Whitmore KE. Complementary and Alternative Medicine for the Management of Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome: a Recent Update. Current Bladder Dysfunction Reports. September 2020.
- Acute Cystitis: Preventing Cystitis. InformedHealth.org. October 24, 2019.
- Li R, Leslie SW. Cystitis. StatPearls. November 28, 2022.
- Acute Cystitis: Overview. InformedHealth.org. October 24, 2019.
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