Infection of the bladder is the most common type of infection we come across. Women are more exposed than men, since their urethras are significantly shorter than men's, and therefore bacteria can faster invade bladder.
Coldness, pregnancy, sexual intercourse and especially unprotected anal intercourse, alcohol consumption and weakened immune defence system increases the risk, but also people with diabetes and users of catheters have an increased risk of bladder infection.
During a bladder infection there is a constant urge for urinating. Discharging of urine may sting and the urine may be very malodorous. In some cases it may cause fever. In other cases it will only result in few and weak symptoms.
For the most part infection of the bladder is caused by coli bacteria from the intestine that have found their way to the bladder and are reproducing here. It can however, also be caused by other micro organisms. Men with an enlarged prostate gland have difficulty emptying the bladder completely. This leads to bacteria reproducing in the urine which remains in the bladder.
Complications may arise as a result of an untreated bladder infection. In this case bacteria may spread to the muscles in the bladder wall, this may lead to difficulty preventing urination and emptying the bladder completely. Furthermore, research indicates that infection of the bladder in some cases may be caused by oral sex, since the mucous membrane of the mouth may infect with different kinds of bacteria and viruses.
The infection can spread to the kidneys through the ureters where it can cause kidney disease. Frequent and prolonged bladder infections can lead to scarring where the bacteria easier can avoid contact with various medicaments.
