Embarrassing Illnesses

It is not always possible to prevent cystitis, but there are some steps that you can take to avoid the condition.

• Do not use perfumed bubble bath, soap, or talcum powder around your genitals.
• Have a shower, rather than a bath to avoid exposing your genitals to the chemicals in your cleaning products for too long.
• Always empty your bladder fully when you go to the toilet.
• Do not wait to go if you need to urinate - holding on can place extra stress on your bladder and could make it more susceptible to infections.
• Wear cotton underwear and avoid wearing tight jeans and trousers.
• Always wipe from front to back, not back to front, when you go to the toilet.
• Some people find certain types of food and drink make their cystitis worse - for example, coffee, fruit juice, or spicy foods. If there is anything that triggers your cystitis, you may wish to avoid it.

Cranberry products

Although cranberry products are not effective at treating cystitis, they may help to prevent recurrent attacks. High-strength capsules, which contain 200mg of cranberry extract, are available in shops (but not on the NHS).

Cranberry capsules may be more effective than drinking cranberry juice, as you need to drink a lot of juice for it to benefit you, and not everyone likes the taste. Cranberry capsules are not recommended if you are taking warfarin (blood-thinning medication).

Cystitis and sex

Below are some prevention tips that you may find useful if your cystitis is triggered by having sex:

• make sure that you wash your genital area and your hands before and after sex,
• use a lubricant when having sex to avoid damaging your genital area,
• if you use a diaphragm for contraception, you may wish to change to another method of contraception, and
• after having sex, make sure that you empty your bladder as soon as possible to get rid of any germs.

There is currently no evidence that oestrogen products, used to treat women after the menopause, are effective at preventing cystitis.

People who wear catheters need special advice about how to change them without damaging the area. Ask the healthcare professional who is treating you to show you how to do this.