Cystitis in pregnancy: risks and treatment

If you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, you may find it interesting that your gynecologist regularly asks you for urine tests. What is the reason?In fact, there are many reasons why you need to do this research, one of which is cystitis during pregnancy.

Cystitis is one of the most common urinary tract infections (UTIs) during pregnancy.

Spanish Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (SEGO) warn After anemia in pregnancy, urinary tract infection is the second major complication that women should pay attention to at this stage. Urinary tract infections may affect 5% to 10% of pregnancies, but statistics put it as high as 20%.

Still, gynecologists advise against letting your guard down. This means avoiding at all costs bladder infections such as acute cystitis that go unnoticed and endanger the health of both mother and baby.

What complications can cystitis cause and how are they treated? Read on and find out everything in this article.

Why is cystitis so common during pregnancy?

There are several reasons why pregnant women are more likely to develop UTIs such as cystitis. Among these reasons we have:

1. Physiological changes: When the uterus grows, the pressure on the bladder increases. This makes it more difficult for all urine to pass, creating a favorable environment for bacterial growth in the urine retained in the urethra.
2. Hormonal changes: Hormones produced during pregnancy (progesterone and some prostaglandins) weaken the tone of the ureters and their ability to contract. This slows the flow of urine as it travels through the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder (ureters). In the case of estrogen, it favors the adhesion of bacteria to the urothelium.
3. Changes in urine pH: An increase in pH during pregnancy is another factor that affects appearance even more urinary tract infection. This is supported by medical publications such as the Merck Handbook and SEGO Official Journal.
4. coli infection: have study Published in Elsevier and journals scientific direct The report warns that 75% to 90% of urinary tract infections (including cystitis) in pregnant women are caused by this bacterial infection.

Other factors include pre-pregnancy diabetes, sexual activity, and inadequate urinary tract cleansing.

What consequences does it have?

Bladder infections are not dangerous for babies if detected and treated early, and most importantly their complications are avoided. It is estimated that 1% or 2% of pregnant women have acute cystitis of pregnancy.

Therefore, it is very important to have regular urine tests and be sure to refer them to your ob-gyn.

In general, you should have it once a month or more, but it all depends on your health and whether you already had cystitis before pregnancy.

Although it seems strange, but cystitis during pregnancy It can be asymptomatic and you don’t know you have it until you develop symptoms, such as:

• Sudden urgency or urgency to urinate.
• Burning or pain when you urinate.
• Difficulty urinating.
• Urine is smelly, cloudy, or bloody.
• Pain in the lower abdomen.
• fever.

If not treated properly, cystitis can become complicated and endanger mother and baby. Risks may be:

• premature delivery.
• Babies born with low birth weight.
• Anemia, high blood pressure, or kidney disease in the mother.
• Postpartum urinary tract infection.

How is cystitis during pregnancy treated?

usually, cystitis during pregnancy Treat with antibiotics. The treatment prescribed by your doctor must be continued until the end of the medication, even if you are feeling better and the symptoms of the UTI have disappeared.

Keep in mind that stopping treatment increases the risk of recurrence of the urological disorder.

In addition to medical follow-up, special attention must be paid to methods of preventing cystitis. Here are some tips to help you:

• Get into the habit of drinking plenty of water during pregnancy.
• Try to go to the bathroom often and don’t hold back the urge.
• Wear underwear made of natural, breathable fabrics such as cotton.
• Do not wear tight clothing.
• Clean your intimate area from front to back. This way you avoid contamination with feces.

Finally, tell your ob-gyn if you had cystitis before pregnancy and what else you can do to prevent it from recurring.