Cystitis and urinary tract infections

Cystitis is a type of urinary tract infection that causes pain on passing urine, which has been described as being like 'passing broken glass'. With Dr Morton's Prescription for cystitis^© you can:

• diagnose yourself at home with a test kit
• start treating the infection straight away
• ease the pain with sodium or potassium citrate sachets

With Dr Morton's - the medical helpline^© you can email or phone a real doctor at any time for more information, reassurance or advice

What is cystitis?

Cystitis means bladder inflammation, and can be caused a bacterial infection. A urine dipstick test will reliably distuiguish between an infection, which might respond to antibiotics, or a type of inflammation that can't be treated with antibiotics, like intersitial cystitis. There are other types of cystitis, like honeymoon cystitis, which is the soreness of the urethra and bladder that often occurs when women first start having sex. It can occur after the menopause too when the vagina and urethra are affected by the lack of oestrogen.

Cystitis symptoms

• pain during urination
• feeling you urgently need to pass urine all the time
• pink, bloody, dark or cloudy urine
• pain or cramps in the lower abdomen
• fever and feeling generally unwell
• pain in the back just below the ribs either side of the spine (this could mean the infection has reached the kidneys)

When you should contact a doctor

Contact a doctor if you have high fever or back pain associated with your cystitis symptoms. This could mean the infection has spread to your kidneys. You should also contact a doctor if your symptoms are severe or if they recur within six months.

Women who are pregnant have a higher risk of urine infection. Different antibiotics are used during pregnancy.

Other conditions can give similar symptoms such as:

• chlamydia and gonorrhoea
• thrush
• painful bladder syndrome or PBS - a longer-term condition causing intermittent cystitis-like symptoms
• interstitial cystitis - more severe form of recurrent pelvic discomfort coupled with intense need to urinate. It feels like infection but is not. Antibiotics don't help. The cause is unknown. You may need referral to a gynaecologist or urologist.

Cystitis treatment

Order Dr Morton's Prescription^© for cystitis to:

• ease the pain with our special potassium and sodium citrate sachets
• test yourself with the urine dipstick included to get an immediate diagnosis
• treat a positive diagnosis with an effective antibiotic for urine infections

You should not take antibiotics for cystitis unless your test is positive. Taking antibiotics when not needed can cause antibiotic resistance. It can also increase your risk of getting thrush.

This page was last updated on 8th August 2016.

Related topics

• chlamydia
• thrush
• urinary tract infections in men
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• festival cystitis
• cystitis after sex - symptoms and cures