Posted on July 18, 2021

About honeymoon cystitis

Category:Wellness

Euphoria can accurately describe how most people feel on their honeymoon. As newlyweds, they always know that this is a new start to their life and that nothing can go wrong from then on; the optimism soars high above the ceiling and through the roof. There is however a noticeable blemish that comes with intercourse when couples seek to consummate a marriage as witnessed in a substantial number of couples during and soon after their honeymoon that is commonly known as “Honeymoon cystitis”.

Honeymoon cystitis can occur when a woman has sexual intercourse for the first time, or when a woman has sex after a long time without any sexual activity. During sexual intercourse, E. coli bacteria which lives on the skin around the anus can be transferred to the urethra. Sexual activity aids the movement of microorganisms (mostly bacteria) up the urinary tract where they cause the most havoc, later manifesting as symptoms of Urinary Tract Infection as bacteria colonise the urinary tract. Honeymoon cystitis remains more common among young women in their twenties although single women in their fifties are increasingly reporting the problem.

Forgetting the diction that surrounds “Honeymoon cystitis” and its very solid connection with sexual activity as a predisposing factor and seeking to address the bigger picture of reproductive health, there are many other ways how people would contract urinary tract infections but as a preamble let’s first ascertain some facts.

A urinary tract infection is an infection that affects part of the Urinary tract. When it affects the lower urinary tract, it is known as a bladder infection (Cystitis) and when it affects the upper urinary tract, it’s known as a kidney infection (Pyelonephritis).

Symptoms of lower urinary tract infection include pain with urination, and the feeling of the need to urinate despite having an empty bladder. Symptoms of a kidney infection include fever and flank pain usually in addition to symptoms of the lower urinary infection named above.

In the old and very young, symptoms are very vague and maybe non-specific. Studies show that about 150 million people develop a urinary tract infection in a given year. They are more common in women than in men. Up to 10% of women have a urinary tract infection in a given year, and half of women have had at least one infection at some point in their lifetime. The infections have been seen to be more frequent between ages 16 and 35 years.

The risk factors that may predispose individuals to urinary tract infections include:

• The female anatomy may explain why they are more common in women than in men
• Sexual intercourse,
• Diabetes,
• Obesity

The management of Urinary tract infections with antibiotics is popular in many societal settings but its drawbacks have been largely ignored, the absence of facilities to carry out urinalysis and culture of causative microorganisms in low-income countries has led to blind treatment. Blind treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics destroys both the good and bad bacteria and has invited the growth of yeast infections compounding the already existing health problems.

Nevertheless, remedies have been formulated over time to alleviate symptoms and limit occurrences of Urinary Tract Infections and are available over the counter at pharmacies. These may be safer to use in prevention but might not be used in place of antibiotics in more serious infections.

These formulations include:

• Lactic acid-containing washes, Formulations containing lactic acid which maintain the natural PH balance that protects and cares for the intimate female parts help in relieving itching irritations, burning sensation, dryness, vaginal discharge, and malodor experienced in women.
• Formulations containing citrates of magnesium, sodium, or potassium: These reduce the acidity of urine and hence alleviate stinging and painful experiences during urination.
• Cranberry supplements: The hypothesis behind the work of cranberry supplements has largely been that they help prevent the adhesion of strains from Escherichia coli (the most common species of bacteria in UTIs) to urethra walls rendering the bacteria ineffective. These have been seen to be ineffective in the treatment but have been of interest in the prevention of UTIs.

The instructions on the use of these formulations can be found on the product or one could ask the dispensing personnel. The safety of the above formulations in pregnancy and in breastfeeding mothers has not been established and it is therefore advisable that on sees their doctor before using them.

The other ways of preventing UTIs include;

• Limiting the use of birth control methods that predispose women to UTIs e.g. Diaphragm, un-lubricated condoms, or spermicidal jelly.
• Wearing cotton underwear to improve air circulation and absorbability
• Taking showers instead of baths for those prone to UTIs
• Keeping hydrated because the best defense the body has against UTIs is natural urination helps in the flushing out of bacteria

In severe or recurrent symptoms, visit your doctor who will help determine triggers and advise you on the best way to go about treatment.