Cystitis is an inflammation of the lower urinary tract caused by a bacterial attack, whose typical symptom, at least in the beginning, is a frequent urge to urinate. A disorder that affects both men and women, although it mainly disturbs women.
Thanks to the contribution of Dr. Massimo Lazzeri, an Urologist at Humanitas, we can answer some questions about this common disorder.
Does holding urine in, increase the risk of cystitis?
“We should not press the bladder to avoid emptying it when prompted. You will not be able to empty the entire contents of the bladder if you hold the urine and reach the limit of its flexibility. When you finally urinate, you will run the risk of leaving a residue inside the organ, which is a predisposing factor to “infection“.
Does hydration prevent cystitis?
“Drinking water properly according to your loss of fluids and sweat, and according to the time of year i.e drinking a little more water in the summer and a little less in the winter, is certainly a preventive factor against cystitis. Good hydration consists of at least 1.5 liters of water per day. It is important not to exceed, as in the case of individuals who drink 3 or 4 liters per day, as this causes an overload on bladder function”.
Can cystitis be caused by stress?
“The most common cystitis is the acute bacterial cystitis, caused by a pathogenic agent, but there is also the cystitis caused by our immune system“. Highly stressful situations or situations attributable to a particular hormonal moment of a woman, although they do not cause cystitis, can determine a risk factor for this infection in the presence of a context that would be well administered by our immune system, but that in a given situation has a pathological result, which is cystitis”.
