What happens?
Cystitis happens when germs (bacteria) grow in your bladder.This causes inflammation.
Both men and women can get cystitis. But cystitis is rare in men. This information is
about cystitis in women and what to do about frequent infections.
Normally, urine contains no bacteria. But sometimes bacteria from around your back
passage can spread to your urethra (the tube that carries urine from your bladder to
outside your body). From here, the bacteria can travel to your bladder and cause an
infection.
You’re more likely to get cystitis after sex. Other things that increase your chances of
getting cystitis include:
• Using a vaginal spermicide cream or gel
• Having diabetes
• Having a tube to drain urine from your bladder (this is called a catheter)
• Being elderly
• Reaching the menopause
• Being pregnant.
Some women get cystitis again and again. If it happens more than three times a year,
doctors call this recurrent cystitis.