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What to do in acute cystitis?
Last reviewed: 08.07.2025

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Attacks of acute inflammation of the bladder cause severe pain, disrupting the patient's ability to work. One of the features of cystitis is that without timely treatment it quickly turns into a chronic form, which is dangerous due to serious complications.
Doctors recommend seeking medical help at the first symptoms. To eliminate pain during urination and in the lower abdomen, analgesic drugs are used: Spazmalgon, Analgin, Nimesil. Combined drugs that have analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects can be used.
Rectal and vaginal suppositories, which act on the inflammation site and effectively relieve painful symptoms, show high efficiency. To combat infection, broad-spectrum antibacterial and antimicrobial agents are needed: Furadonin, Nolitsin, Monural. Proper nutrition, physiotherapy procedures and bed rest during acute inflammation are also recommended.
Etiotropic therapy for acute cystitis
One of the effective methods of treating acute cystitis is etiotropic therapy. It is an antimicrobial and antibacterial treatment with special drugs that eliminate the cause of inflammation - bacteria. In combination with other methods, etiotropy promotes a speedy recovery.
Medicines are prescribed after bacteriological examination of urine and determination of pathogenic flora. Antibiotics, antidotes, hyperimmune serums, probiotics, sulfonamides and other agents can be used for treatment.
Basic principles of etiotropic therapy:
- Isolation and identification of the pathogen.
- Determination of antibiotic susceptibility.
- Adequate selection of drugs, their dosage and duration of use.
Patients are required to be prescribed uroantiseptics, such as: Monural, Furadonin, Nitroxoline. Also used in treatment are antispasmodics and analgesics, which minimize pain and have an anti-inflammatory effect: Nurofen, No-shpa, Baralgin. If the disease occurs in a hemorrhagic form, then etiotropy includes hemostatics to quickly stop bleeding. Etiotropic therapy lasts from several days to 1-2 weeks.
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How long does acute cystitis take to treat?
The duration of treatment for acute inflammation of the bladder depends entirely on the stage at which the disease was diagnosed and the treatment prescribed. With timely diagnosis and complex therapy, acute cystitis can be cured in 7-10 days. In order for the therapy to be as comfortable as possible, patients are issued a sick leave. In particularly severe cases, hospitalization and inpatient treatment are possible.
An important stage of treatment is drug therapy. As a rule, it consists of antibacterial agents, the action of which is aimed at destroying pathogenic flora. First of all, broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed. If necessary, antifungal or antiviral drugs are added. Drug therapy also includes uroseptics and vitamin preparations that facilitate urination, stimulate the urinary system and strengthen local immunity.
To speed up the recovery process, it is very important to drink large amounts of liquid and follow a therapeutic diet. Spicy, salty, fatty and sweet foods are prohibited. The emphasis in nutrition should be on diuretics and foods rich in useful micro and macroelements. Also, do not forget about hygiene. The doctor may prescribe special solutions or herbal decoctions/infusions for sitz baths, douching or washing.
Physiotherapy treatment
Another method used in the treatment of bladder inflammation is physiotherapy. Its action is aimed at reducing pathological processes and alleviating painful symptoms.
Let's consider the most effective treatment methods:
- Anti-inflammatory – aimed at restoring the outflow of fluid from the bladder and eliminating pain.
- Magnetophoresis – using a magnetic field, a medicinal product is introduced into the mucous membrane of the bladder.
- Electrophoresis – electric current stimulates the ions of the medicine and delivers them to the diseased organ. The procedure relaxes muscle tissue, soothes, fights inflammation, stimulates metabolic processes and accelerates the regeneration of damaged tissues.
- Inductothermy – electric current is aimed at heating the tissues of the bladder. Due to this, blood supply and functioning of the urinary tract improves, and blood vessels expand.
- Ultrasound of various frequencies – improves blood circulation, increases local immunity. Has a detrimental effect on pathogenic microorganisms, has an anti-inflammatory effect.
- Muscle relaxants – enhance the therapeutic effect of medications, eliminate infectious lesions, and speed up the recovery process.
- Heat therapy – heat applications of melted paraffin and ozokerite are applied to the area of the diseased organ. This reduces muscle spasms and relieves acute pain attacks.
- Infrared radiation - relaxes muscles by increasing blood flow and raising temperature.
- Analgesics – relieve pain and inflammation, facilitate the process of urination.
- Diadynamic therapy – electrodes are placed above the pubis or in the lumbar region. The current coming through them creates a vibration effect, reducing pain.
- Diuretics – aimed at removing pathogenic flora from the inflamed organ.
- Mineral waters – for internal use, use chloride, sulfate or low-mineral waters at a temperature of 24-30 °C, 300 ml 3-4 times a day. Waters are used for mineral sitz baths. As a rule, these are sodium chloride and iodine-bromine baths in combination with drinking radon water.
- Amplipulse therapy is aimed at increasing the tone of the bladder and relaxing the sphincter.
Physiotherapeutic treatment has a number of contraindications that should be taken into account before it is carried out: a tendency to bleeding, inflammatory purulent processes, fever, tumors, and intolerance to current.
Surgical treatment
If conservative therapy of bladder inflammation is ineffective and necrosis of the affected tissues occurs, then surgical treatment is indicated. According to medical statistics, about 6% of people diagnosed with cystitis need surgery.
Let's consider the main surgical treatment methods:
- Transurethral resection of the bladder neck
This is an endoscopic operation, which is the introduction of a surgical instrument into the urethra. TUR is performed by replacing muscle fibers in the bladder neck area with connective tissue. Scar tissue is removed using a coagulating loop, which helps to avoid bleeding. This method is highly accurate and minimally traumatic.
- Urethral transposition
It is performed in women with an abnormal location of the outlet of the urethra. The patient suffers from regular infectious lesions of the genitourinary system. The operation consists of plastic surgery and transposition of the urethra to the correct position.
- Removal of polyps
Polyps are neoplasms on the surface of the bladder. As a rule, they do not manifest themselves, but in some cases they lead to frequent inflammatory processes and painful urination. Polyps are removed if they are large and actively growing, block the lumen of the ureters, and bleed. The operation is performed under general anesthesia using a cystoscope.
- Epicystostomy
If acute cystitis takes a necrotic form, when the walls of the bladder die off, then the organ is opened. A special tube, epicystostomy, is installed to drain urine and eliminate inflammatory changes.
A radial surgical method used in cases of progressive organ shrinkage due to pathological processes. During resection, the removed bladder is replaced with a section of the large or small intestine.