Bladder Infection: Symptoms, Complications, and Treatment

Contents

In this article, we will take a look at:

• What is bladder infection?
• How does bladder infection occur?
• Who is prone to bladder infection?
• Symptoms of bladder infection
• Diagnosis of bladder infection
• Complications of bladder infection
• Treatment for bladder infection

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What is Bladder Infection?

Bladder infection or cystitis is inflammation and disease within the urinary bladder. Bacteria are the most common causal organism for the bladder infection. In some cases, infection by viruses and fungi like yeast may also lead to this medical condition. Bladder infection is the most prevalent type of urinary tract infection.

Bladder infection is of three types- uncomplicated, complicated, and asymptomatic bacteriuria.

Uncomplicated bladder infection

An uncomplicated bladder infection occurs in an otherwise healthy person having a functionally and structurally standard urinary tract.

Complicated bladder infection

A complicated bladder infection occurs in a patient who is already suffering from complications in urinary tract like obstruction from stones, urethral strictures, congenital blockages, and presence of an enlarged prostate. In this case, treatment with antibiotics becomes less effective in controlling the disease.

Asymptomatic Bacteriuria

Usually, bacterial growth does not take place within the bladder. However, in rare cases, bacteria enter the bladder and start multiplying there without causing any inflammation. Since infection does not occur here, this type is known as asymptomatic bacteriuria.

How does Bladder Infection Occur?

Bladder infection mostly occurs due to a disease of the bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli). Sometimes, certain viruses and fungi like yeast may also cause this infection. E. coli are common bacteria that are present in the intestine of human beings. Sometimes, they travel to the urinary bladder through the urethra and starts multiplying there. In normal condition, the body removes them at the time of urination. However, if they attach themselves to the wall of the bladder and quickly form a colony, the urinary system cannot remove them effectively and this results in an infection.

Who is Prone to Bladder Infection?

The risk for bladder infection increases manifold if you are:

A woman, as you possess a short urethra, making it easier for the bacteria to travel from your gut to the bladder. Your rectum is also closer to the urethra than a man’s so that the bacteria can cover the distance during stool discharge.

• Pregnant
• Advanced of age
• Do not drink enough water or fluids
• Have undergone a surgical procedure in the urinary system
• Have a catheter for the discharge of urine
• Have a medical issue of urine retention
• Have a narrowed urethra
• Have an enlarged prostate
• Have bowel incontinence
• Have a weakened immune system
• Are diabetic

Have a nervous system condition like multiple sclerosis

What are the Symptoms of Bladder Infection? How is Bladder Infection Diagnosed?

Here are the symptoms of bladder infection:

• Pain while passing urine
• Cloudy or presence of blood in urine
• Urine having a pungent odour
• Frequent urination
• Cramps or painful contraction in the lower abdomen and lower back region

Diagnosis

When you visit a doctor with the symptoms mentioned above, he will ask you to go for a thorough urine test or urinalysis. If the test result shows the presence of white blood cells, red blood cells, pus, bacteria, or nitrites in urine, then the urologist might suspect some abnormalities in your urinary system. He will prescribe a detailed urine culture test.

The urine culture test helps to diagnose the nature and group of bacteria causing the infection in your bladder. It also helps in determining the antibiotics which would help to curb the bladder infection. In most of the cases, these two tests aid in the detection of the bladder infection. However, if the patient complains of persistent pain even after the treatment through antibiotics, then the urologist might advise further tests like an ultrasound investigation.

What are the Complications of a Bladder Infection?

If the bladder infection gets diagnosed at an early stage, urologists can control it with antibiotics. However, if the detection occurs at a later stage it may give rise to certain complications, which may include:

• Chronic kidney infection (pyelonephritis) or permanent kidney damage due to the spread of bladder infection to the kidney
• Excruciating pain in the lower abdomen, lower back, and mid-back
• If a pregnant woman develops a bladder infection, there is a high risk of delivering a pre-term baby or a low birth-weight baby.

What is the Treatment for Bladder Infection?

In most of the cases, a Urologist prescribes oral antibiotics to treat a bladder infection. The antibiotics of the group fluoroquinolones and phenazopyridine are effective in controlling the bacterial growth in bladder infections. If the patient suffers from pain, and burning sensation while urinating, the doctor can advise pain-relieving medicines to offer relief from the condition.