Read all about Bladder infection
On this page you can read everything about bladder infection. If you want to find out what your symptoms mean, or what a doctor would think of. Do the symptomcheck
What is a bladder infection
A bladder infection is the most common example of a urinary tract infection. Usually a bladder infection is caused by bacteria which cause inflammation of the bladder. Bladder infection is a lot more common in women than in men, because of the female anatomy. Antibiotics is usually is very effective with a bladder infection.
What are symptoms of a bladder infection
- Lower abdominal pain
- Lower back pain
- Painful and/or burning sensation when urinating
- More frequent urges to urinate
- Smaller amounts of urine and/or false urges
- When the infection is left untreated:
- Fever
Is a bladder infection serious and should I see a doctor
A bladder infection usually isn’t serious and can often be treated successfully. It is very important to treat the infection early on, because an infection rising to the kidneys can be quite serious. Know when you need to contact a doctor.
Contact a doctor:
- Always to assess the infection and implement treatment
- Itching in the groin area
- Irregular discharge
- Pregnancy
- Blood in the urine
- When the complaints persist, despite treatment
- Fever
- No urination for over 12 hours
- Severe abdominal pain
- Cold chills
- Drink a lot of water
- Don’t postpone urinating, go when you have the urge
- Try to empty the bladder completely
- Urinate immediately after sex
- Drink cranberry juice
Immediately contact a doctor:
What can I do about a bladder infection myself
How does a bladder infection affect my body
With a bladder infection bacteria enter the bladder through the urethra. This causes irritation in the bladder and that causes symptoms such as lower abdominal pain and the urge to urinate. Because women have a shorter urethra than men, urinary tract infections are much more frequent in women than in men.
To avoid a urinary tract infection, it’s important to make sure the urine doesn’t stay in the bladder for too long. This means drinking 2 liters or half a gallon of water each day, to not postpone urination and to make sure you completely empty your bladder. The longer urine stays in the bladder, the longer bacteria get the chance to multiply and cause inflammation and symptoms.
A bladder infection is almost always caused by bacteria, so it’s very suitable for treatment with antibiotics. A doctor can test the urine for bacteria and then prescribe medication to treat the infection.