Common Risk Factors And Causes Of Cystitis

Use Of Certain Hygiene Products

The use of certain hygiene products can cause an individual to be at a higher risk of developing cystitis than others. Usually, the urinary tract is completely sterile. However, this changes when allergens and other irritants are introduced to the genitourinary region. Many individuals enjoy using hygiene products like a bubble bath with added powdered crystals, certain liquids, and perfumes to create foam in their bathwater. Those products, spermicidal jellies, feminine sprays, tampons, diaphragms, vaginal douches, and sanitary napkins can irritate the urethra and vagina. This irritation can promote bacterial passage and colonization in the individual's urinary tract. Bath oils, vaginal lotions, vaginal creams, and certain soaps that are used on the skin around the urethra and vagina can stimulate changes in the vaginal flora that cause the development of cystitis. The vaginal lactobacilli are helpful flora in the vagina that prevents regional colonization of pathogens. Some females naturally lack enough lactobacilli, but more commonly, hygiene products cause the impairment of the function of this microbiota. This impairment puts the female at a higher risk of developing infections and cystitis.

Learn more about what can trigger cystitis now.