Can taking OptiBac Probiotics prevent or cure cystitis?
Cystitis is a bladder infection that causes inflammation in the bladder and urinary tract, making urination extremely painful. It mostly occurs in sexually active women; for some it is rare and for others it can happen several times a year. Symptoms include a frequent sensation of needing to pass urine even when little or no urine is present, blood in the urine, backache, lower abdominal pain, and nausea.
Methods of preventing cystitis include drinking plenty of water, taking cranberry supplements or juice, wiping correctly after going to the toilet, and always urinating as soon as possible after sexual intercourse. Short-term antibiotics are often prescribed for serious bouts of cystitis.
Although taking probiotics cannot cure cystitis straight away, much evidence suggests that maintaining a healthy balance of beneficial microflora such as Lactobacillus acidophilus in the intestinal & vaginal passages can reduce the risk of UTIs (Urinary Tract Infections). UTIs like cystitis are caused by pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli. Ensuring a good level of probiotics in the gut can diminish the ability of pathogenic bacteria to bind, multiply and colonise, therefore leading to less chance of developing cystitis. This is partly why high volumes of water intake is recommended as both a prevention and a remedy for cystitis; because water flushes pathogens out of the system.
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