Common Risk Factors And Causes Of Cystitis

Chemical Irritants

While not common, sometimes chemical irritants or certain medications are responsible for cystitis, including feminine hygiene sprays and spermicidal jelly. Some individuals are simply very sensitive to chemicals in certain products and develop an allergic-type reaction in the form of bladder inflammation. It's even possible for a bubble bath to cause cystitis. Some research indicates scented products are more likely to result in a reaction or infection than the unscented variety. While feminine care products, contraceptives, and bath products are most likely to cause cystitis in sensitive individuals, cystitis is also linked with certain foods and drinks like alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, tomatoes, spicy food, and acidic food.

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Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy in the general pelvic region can cause an individual to develop cystitis in the bladder from their treatment. Most individuals who experience cystitis have been treated with radiation therapy for urogenital and pelvic cancers, such as cervical cancer and prostate cancer. It can take anywhere between a few months to several years from the time of the radiation treatment for cystitis symptoms to manifest. Radiation therapy uses high energy beams to impair the DNA of cancerous cells so they will die or stop multiplying. While radiation therapy can be an effective treatment for malignancy, it can affect healthy cells in the general vicinity of the malignancy. Any of the cells that make up the bladder can become damaged as a result of radiation exposure. Most often, cystitis is triggered by damage to the cells lining the interior wall of the bladder, or the next layer of muscular connective tissue. When radiation beams cause damage to these cells, the body responds with an inflammatory response to mediate and attempt to repair the cellular damage. This response results in swelling of the tissues and other cystitis symptoms that can last many years following radiation therapy.

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