If you’ve experienced painful urination, chances are you have a bladder infection or cystitis. This condition is commonly known as a urinary tract infection, but there can also be bladder infections not caused by UTIs.
The bladder is part of the urinary tract, and sometimes bacteria can get into the urinary tract to cause a bladder infection. Once bacteria infects the urethra, they can travel to the bladder. Sometimes this can happen during sex.
Other risk factors include menopause, diabetes, bowel incontinence, pregnancy, older age, being immobile for long periods of time, and issues with urinating. Women are prone to bladder infections because of issues with anatomy.
Symptoms include discolored urine, urine with a gross odor, sometimes a fever, pain in the lower abdomen and a feeling of needing to urinate often even when you know it’s unnecessary.
Treat cystitis with antibiotics, and drink lot's of water.