Thursday, October 31, 2024
Cystitis is a urinary tract infection (UTI). It affects the tube that carries urine out of your body, called the urethra. Sometimes, it can also affect your bladder (1).
The term "UTI" refers to different urinary infections. It specifically means an infection in any part of the urinary tract. This includes the kidneys and urethra.
Women tend to get cystitis or UTIs more often than men. Cystitis can get better by itself, but other treatments, like antibiotics, are sometimes needed.
Familiar symptoms usually include the urge to urinate (wee) more, discoloured or smelly urine (wee), and tummy pain when you go to the loo.
As women approach their 40s, they can enter peri-menopause (the transitional stage before menopause) or menopause itself. Both peri-menopause and menopause cause a drop in oestrogen.
This makes the lining of the urethra and bladder thinner, making them more vulnerable to bacteria.
This is also known as "Urogenital Atrophy" and can lead to a higher risk of a UTI or cystitis.
Your usual GP should discuss a vaginal oestrogen cream or pessary to prevent recurrent cystitis or UTIs if you are approaching or have already been through menopause (1).
You can also request treatment from our independent online doctor, who may start you on a course and allow you to follow up with your usual GP after a few weeks.
NHS guidelines consider a person to have recurrent cystitis or UTIs if they have had three or more infections over the past year or more than two in six months.
If this feels relevant to you, read more.
Yes, it can for some women. As oestrogen levels drop during peri-menopause and menopause, the variety of protective bacteria in this area also decreases.
This flora imbalance makes a woman more likely to get cystitis or a UTI. You can prevent cystitis and UTIs in several ways. There are also specific methods to help if they are linked to peri-menopause or menopause in your 40s.
There are several ways to prevent cystitis or a UTI, including;
Specifically for peri-menopausal or menopausal women, if you have already tried the self-care advice listed above, there is a chance your cystitis is linked to your oestrogen levels declining.
Vaginal oestrogens are a type of Hormonal Replacement Therapy, or HRT, which can also help to prevent cystitis and UTIs during peri-menopause or menopause.
Oestrogen helps by boosting the production of antimicrobial substances in bladder and vaginal cells. This can improve immunity and lower the risk of infections.
Using vaginal oestrogen to restore the balance of natural good bacteria may significantly reduce your risk of having cystitis or a UTI (4).
Your GP may offer a urine test, some self-care advice, or a prescription for antibiotics. As most infections resolve themselves, sometimes you may be advised to wait 48 hours before starting antibiotics to give the symptoms a chance to go away on their own (1).
If you require antibiotics, learn more about how Oxford Online Pharmacy can support you.
However, if you have tried several courses of antibiotics in the past, you may want to try a course of vaginal oestrogen to see if this reduces the number of times you get cystitis or a UTI.
If you've been to your GP and had courses of antibiotics in the past, but you haven't had any treatments yet to rule out the menopausal link. They might offer you a vaginal oestrogen preparation to prevent UTIs or cystitis (5).
The good news is that vaginal oestrogens are available on a private prescription through Oxford Online Pharmacy. They are available in cream, gel, or pessary form.
Examples of brands include Vagifem, Estriol cream and Blissel. To learn more about vaginal oestrogens and understand the different types, see our specialist vaginal oestrogen article.
After trying a vaginal oestrogen preparation, if you are continuing to have more than 2 UTI infections over 6 months, or three or more per year, you should see your GP for follow-up.
It is advised you ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you think you have cystitis and:
These symptoms could mean you have a kidney infection, which can be serious if not treated as it can lead to sepsis (1).