cystitis is the medical term for inflammation of the urinary bladder. Most cases are due to an infection although other factors such as autoimmune disorders, chemical and mechanical trauma may also cause cystitis. Bacterial infection, often associated with an infection of the urethra (urethritis), is the most common cause of cystitis. Both these conditions are broadly referred to as a urinary tract infection (UTI). Cystitis has many risk factors.
What are the risk factors of cystitis?
In women, urinary tract infections (often involving the bladder) are common due to a shorter urethra. With men, a bladder infection is less likely to occur because of a longer urethra and bactericidal prostatic fluids unless there is underlying condition like benign prostatic hyperplasia, following kidney or bladder stones or other causes of bladder neck obstruction.
There are other risk factors that may also be responsible for an ascending infection of the urinary tract. Some susceptible individuals have certain receptors present on the endothelial lining of the urethra to which certain strains of bacteria can attach to. This prevents it from being washed out during urination and facilitates the infectious process. Sexual intercourse often leads to minute tears on the urethra that compromises the integrity of this part of the urinary tract.
Many fungal and viral cases may be seen in immunocompromised patients, as is seen with HIV infection or long standing uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes), and sexually transmitted infections. Candida and other fungal urinary tract infections may also be a result of long term antibiotic use.
Bladder infections may arise without any of the multitude of predisposing factors being present but this is more likely to occur in acute infectious cystitis. Chronic infectious cases are almost always associated with underlying genitourinary pathology.
Other risk factors include :
•Pregnancy
•Inadequate personal hygiene
•Dehydration
•Diaphragm for birth control
