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Cystitis

Cystitis means ‘inflammation of the bladder’. It causes:

• an urgent and frequent need to urinate, and
• pain, or stinging, when passing urine.

Cystitis is usually the result of an infection in the bladder, but it can also be caused by irritation or damage. Cystitis caused by a bladder infection is sometimes called ‘bacterial cystitis’.

The symptoms of cystitis include:

• Pain, burning, or stinging sensations when passing urine
• Needing to urinate frequently and urgently, but only passing small amounts of urine
• Urine that is dark, cloudy, or strong smelling
• Urine that contains traces of blood (haematuria)
• Pain directly above the pubic bone, or in the lower back or abdomen
• Feeling unwell, weak or feverish