The most common
cause of cystitis is when bacteria, that usually live in the anus, enter the urethra and travel into the bladder. This can happen during sexual intercourse, when inserting tampons or by wiping back to front when you go to the toilet (instead of front to back). Women who use the contraceptive diaphragm (a soft dome made of latex or silicone) may also be at risk of
cystitis.
A bacterial infection can be caused by not emptying the bladder fully. This is especially common in pregnant women because of the pressure on the pelvic area.
In menopausal women, the lining of the urethra and the bladder become thinned due to a lack of the female sex hormones and so are more likely to become infected and damaged. Women also produce less mucus after the menopause and without the mucus bacteria are more likely to multiply.
Cystitis can also be caused by damage, or bruising in the area around the urethra in both men and women. It is often caused by vigorous or frequent sex, and so sometimes known as
'honeymoon cystitis'.
Men who have an enlarged prostate gland are more at risk of getting
cystitis, this is because the prostate prevents the bladder from completely emptying. When you have a blockage somewhere in your urinary system, the bladder is not completely emptied. The small drop that is always left behind may contain bacteria (a cause of cystitis).
Other causes are wearing tight clothing, chemical irritants - for example, in perfumed soap or talcum powder, other bladder, or kidney, problems, such as a kidney infection, or
prostatitis, or diabetes.
