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Johns Hopkins Symptoms and Remedies

Johns Hopkins Medicine

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Bladder Infection

What is it?

Bladder infection, also known as cystitis, occurs when bacteria, generally from outside the body, enter the urinary tract and infect the urethra and the bladder. It is most common in women.

What Causes It?

  • About 80 percent of urinary tract infections are caused by bacteria that normally inhabit the anal area with no ill effect; however, if these bacteria enter the urinary tract, infection may ensue. The relatively short urethra of women, as compared to that of men, provides less of a barrier to bacteria.
  • Use of a urinary catheter may introduce bacteria to the bladder.
  • Sexual activity may bruise the urethra in women, promoting infection.
  • Obstruction of urine flow by a bladder tumor or, in men, an enlarged prostate may lead to bladder infection.
  • Women with recurrent disease may be genetically predisposed.

Prevention

  • Obtain prompt treatment of bacterial infections elsewhere in the body, especially kidney infections.
  • The use of spermicides and diaphragms may predispose women to urinary tract infections by altering vaginal bacteria, which may spread to the urethra.
  • Urinate when you feel the urge (retaining a full bladder promotes infection).
  • Women with serious or recurrent bladder infections associated with intercourse should ask their doctor about taking preventive antibacterial medications.
  • Research has not shown douching, the direction of wiping after toilet use, or urination after intercourse to have any clear association with urinary tract infections.

Diagnosis

  • Diagnosis is based upon a culture of a urine sample for bacteria.

How to Treat It

  • Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to fight the infection. Take them for the full term prescribed.
  • You may also be given antispasmodics and analgesics to relieve the pain.
  • Drink cranberry juice to increase the acidity of the urine, as some medicines are more effective with acidic urine.

When to Call a Doctor

  • Call your doctor if you experience symptoms of a bladder infection, especially if they are accompanied by a high fever or if symptoms recur or persist despite treatment.
  • Call your doctor if you develop pain in the lower back, which may indicate a kidney infection. Bacteria from the bladder infection may have migrated to the kidney.