It is one of the most frequent pathologies of the urinary tract and mainly affects the female sex.
Is cystitis dangerous?
Cystitis is very annoying but rarely dangerous. The milder cases resolve spontaneously within a few days; however, some people tend to have frequent relapses that need specific treatment. The only pathological complication of cystitis is kidney infection, fortunately very rare. After the first diagnoses, some women choose to treat cystitis themselves.
When to contact the doctor?
The intervention of the doctor is essential especially when:
- Blood and / or pus appear in the urine
- For pregnant women
- For children
- For the men.
Causes of cystitis
The causes of cystitis proper are not always well defined.
The pathological mechanism is based on the ascent of bacteria (cutaneous or more commonly faecal) in the urethra up to the bladder (an event favored by the use of the catheter, poor hygiene, etc.).
The decisive treatment consists of antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drugs. There is also an alternative form of cystitis, other than the common one, known as interstitial cystitis.
Interstitial Cystitis
The interstitial is a form of cystitis that is not evident (without clinical signs) and resistant to drugs; it mainly affects middle-aged women and must be treated differently from bacterial cystitis.
The etiological cause is almost always unknown and many suspect that it may be:
- Irritation due to food
- Psychosomatic reaction.
- Maintain the state of hydration and increase daily urination, both in frequency and in volume;
- Consume foods that could promote remission of cystitis; a fairly well-known product is American cranberry juice (crambery);
- According to some, the reduction of urinary pH (See deepening: Acidifying Urine).
In case of interstitial cystitis, the most important precautions to be respected are:
Follow a varied and balanced diet;
Carry out an exclusion diet, with the support of a food diary in which to record dietary and behavioral changes.
Balanced Diet for Cystitis
The diet for interstitial cystitis (however also valid for the bacterial one), must possess all the characteristics of nutritional balance. These aspects can be summarized as follows:
- Calories that allow you to maintain weight or, in the case of severe overweight, to lose weight slowly. "Slowness" in weight loss means a weight loss of 3kg or less per month. This can be achieved by reducing the diet by 650-700kcal per day;
- Divide the foods of the day into 5 meals: a satisfying breakfast, at least two snacks, a structured lunch and a light dinner;
Eliminate junk foods, unhealthy foods and processed / preserved products in jars: sweet, savory, fast-food, fried, pre-cooked snacks, in oil, pickled, smoked, salty, sausages, fatty meat cuts (ribs, coppa, bacon etc), canned meat and fish, ready-made sauces, sweets, candies etc; - Replace all refined foods with the unprocessed equivalent. For example, instead of a portion of semolina pasta with meat sauce, prefer a soup in whole wheat broth and a small meat-based dish;
- Consume all foods belonging to the basic food groups with a frequency of consumption equal to or comparable to the following:
- fruit two or three times a day;
- vegetables two or three times a day (at least once raw);
- milk once a day, plain yogurt once or twice a day;
- cereals or legumes for first courses once a day *, bread only when needed (for example a piece to clean the plate);
- a teaspoon of raw oil on each plate;
- meat twice a week *;
- fish two or three times a week *;
- three eggs per week;
- cheese as a dish once or twice a week * (grated on pasta even every day, one or two teaspoons).
* The frequency of consumption of these foods considers the use of a large portion which, if necessary, can also be divided into two smaller ones to be divided on the same day.
- Consume a serving of cranberries or, if not available, their juice in a jar. Some argue that (thanks to some molecules they contain) they can help fight bacterial cystitis; however scientific research has not yet confirmed this hypothesis;
- Eliminate added sugar, sweeteners and salt;
- Replace any form of seasoning fat with cold-pressed oils (for example extra virgin olive oil);
- In some cases, it is useful to eliminate certain stinging spices and the stock cube;
- Eliminate alcohol and excess coffee, as well as all packaged drinks (cola, orange soda, etc.), preferring some natural herbal tea;
- Drink at least one glass of water per meal (one glass contains 150ml); there are 5 meals in all, for a total of 600ml / day. On average, about 0.8-1.0ml of water per calorie will be supplied with food. Assuming a 1,900kcal diet, about 1,500-1,900ml is reached, for a total of 2,100-2,500ml (a more than sufficient intake);
- Check for any gluten and lactose intolerances; if necessary, eliminate them from the diet. Gluten is typical of some cereals (and derivatives) such as: wheat, spelled, spelled, rye, oats, barley and sorghum. Lactose is typical of unseasoned milk and derivatives. Celiac disease is often linked to other forms of inflammatory or autoimmune distress; l "intolerance to lactose, on the other hand, causes an intestinal imbalance that can radiate pain or discomfort in other areas (for example, from the abdomen to the pelvis);
- With your doctor's help, try to rule out or replace certain medications or supplements that may irritate your bladder.
This list is mainly based on conjectures or experiences which, at the moment, have no statistical value.
However, for disclosure correctness, we will report them below, underlining that they do not necessarily constitute a cure for interstitial cystitis:
Diary and Interstitial Cystitis
As anticipated, in the search for the triggering factor of interstitial cystitis it can be very useful to fill in a food diary.
The compilation must not be limited to noting only the foods consumed, but must also take into consideration: sports, work, any particular or stressful situations and the time of onset of symptoms.
The most correct system would be to start the diet for cystitis with a so-called "elementary" therapy, gradually adding, one at a time, all the foods and drinks (allowing 7 days to pass between one and the other). In this way it is possible to identify the product responsible for the symptoms.
Another system is the reverse. In the presence of symptoms, starting from a customary diet, all "prohibited" foods will be progressively excluded (one at a time, with 7 days between one and the other).
The food diary of the diet for cystitis can be used both on a personal level and as a consultative tool for the general practitioner or urologist.
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