Article: Cystitis

Cystitis is the inflammation of the bladder. The condition primarily affects women, but can affect either sex and all age groups.

Types

There are several types of cystitis:

• bacterial cystitis, the most common type, which is most often caused by coliform bacteria being transferred from the bowel through the urethra into the bladder
• interstitial cystitis, which is rare, difficult to diagnose, and does not involve foreign organisms
• hemorrhagic cystitis

Bacterial cystitis: prevention and treatment

Drinking cranberry juice is widely recommended to treat or prevent cystitis. There is some evidence that it is effective in prevention[1], but no good evidence for treatment[2]. Although the mechanism is not well-understood, apparently a metabolite of cranberry juice inhibits the adherence of certain pathogens to the epithelium of the urinary bladder. The element found in cranberry juice is the sugar d-mannose, a white, non-sweet, powder. This substance, when mixed with a glass of water and drunk, is more effective as a treatment since most cranberry juices contain sucrose (table sugar) which serves as food for the bacteria. D-mannose, on the other hand, supposedly serves to make the bladder wall too slippery for the bacteria to hold on to and they are expelled with the urine.

An antibiotic is the initial treatment for bacterial cystitis (see also in urinary tract infection). Drinking lots of water will usually result in the removal of the bacteria from the bladder, and the cystitis will clear after a week or so. Natural remedies and some drugs which counteract the acidity of urine, such as Cystopurin (potassium citrate), can help to relieve symptoms, but will not clear up the infection. The old remedy was barley water.

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