Cystitis what a nuisance!

Cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder and lower urinary tract caused by an infection of bacterial origin (in 80% of cases it is caused by the bacterium escherichia coli).
It is a disorder that mostly affects women (it is estimated that 30% of women have at least one episode of cystitis each year) and manifests itself with severe burning during urination, a continuous and urgent need to go to the toilet and cloudy, foul-smelling urine.
Cystitis may resolve after a single episode, or if neglected or inadequately treated, it may recur and become chronic.
Relapsing cystitis is an annoying and disabling disorder and can be a source of discomfort for those affected.

Why does cystitis become recurrent? 
The main risk factors for recurrent cystitis are: 

• Poorly treated cystitis: inadequate therapy can only temporarily alleviate the disorder but not eradicate the problem.
• Misuse of antibiotics causing multi-resistant bacteria: it is very important to consult your doctor and not to take 'do-it-yourself' antibiotics. Incorrect use of antibiotics may not completely eliminate the pathogen or may cause antibiotic-resistant bacteria to develop;
• Menopause: the drop in oestrogen makes the bladder more vulnerable to continuous infections;
• A weakened immune system, the presence of diabetes or other diseases make the body more susceptible to recurrent infections;
• Altered intestinal microbiota: intestinal dysbiosis predisposes Escherichia coli from the colon (where it normally resides) to the urinary tract causing infection.