Bladder infections are caused by bacteria. They occur 10 times more frequently in women than in men, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, and more than 50 percent of women will experience a bladder infection at least once in their lives. Symptoms can include painful and frequent urination, cloudy and foul smelling urine, blood in the urine, fever and chills. Bladder infections, also called cystitis, require medical treatment with antibiotics.
Short Length of the Urethra
A woman's urinary anatomy causes susceptibility to the development of bladder infections, according to Dr. Andrew Weil. The female urethra is short, measuring approximately 1.5 inches. Bacteria can easily travel upward from the opening of the urethra and infect the bladder. The close proximity of the urethra to the anus, which harbors infection-causing bacteria, is another cause, according to the Merck Manual.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy causes an increased susceptibility to bladder infections. Women are more likely to develop cystitis because the enlarged uterus can put pressure on the bladder and interfere with emptying, according to the Merck Manual. Pregnancy increase the risk that a bladder infection will become a full-blown kidney infection. Early labor and other serious complications of pregnancy can result.
Sexual Intercourse
Bladder infections are not sexually transmitted diseases. Sexual intercourse can cause a bladder infection because the motion involved causes bacteria to move up the urethra into the bladder, explains the Merck Manual Online Medical Library. Frequent or traumatic sexual intercourse increases the risk, notes Dr. Andrew Weil. In premenopausal women, 80 percent of bladder infections happen within 24 hours of sexual intercourse. Bladder infections are very rare in celibate women.
Menopause
Menopause results in a decrease in estrogen production can thin the tissues of the vagina and vulva around the urethra. Called atrophic vaginitis and atrophic urethritis, these changes can predispose a woman to repeated bladder infections. Other causes of bladder infections during menopause include a prolapsed uterus or bladder, more common in women that have had many children, that obstruct complete emptying of the bladder.
References
- Merck Manual Online Medical Library: Bladder Infection (Cystitis)
- University of Maryland Medical Center: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/urinary-tract-000169.htm
- Dr. Andrew Weil.: Bladder Infections
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Urinary tract infection - Risk Factors
- National Institutes of Health MedlinePlus: Cystitis
