Email us if you think you have Cystitis (a urine infection)

• Mild cases will often get better by themselves within a few days. Most Women do not necessarily need to see a GP if they have cystitis, as mild cases often get better without treatment.
• If you are a man, child or are pregnant and think you have a urine infection, you should always ask to speak to a nurse or GP about your problem.
• Some people experience episodes of cystitis frequently and may need regular or long-term treatment. There’s also a chance that cystitis could lead to a more serious kidney infection in some cases, so it’s important to seek medical advice if your symptoms do not improve.

• Not usually.
• We may ask you to hand in a sample of your urine to the laboratory to check for bacteria to confirm the diagnosis.
• Urine dips are no longer carried out unless there is a clinical need as they are unreliable as a means of testing whether or not you have a urine infection.

PLEASE DO NOT HAND IN A URINE SAMPLE UNLESS YOU GET ASKED TO DO SO.

• We are trying to discourage patients from coming in to the practice unless they need to do so due to Covid-19.
• We do not dip urines at the practice anymore as urine dips are unreliable for testing for infection.

When do I need to to speak to a nurse?

Severe symptoms

If you have severe symptoms such as blood, fever or severe pain and you need to speak to someone urgently please call us and ask to be put on the list to speak to the duty nurse.

Mild symptoms

If your symptoms are mild but:

• you get cystitis frequently
• you’re pregnant and have symptoms of cystitis
• you’re a man and have symptoms of cystitis
• your child has symptoms of cystitis
• your symptoms are not better after 2-3 days

You should fill in the form in the link below:

The form will reviewed by a nurse within 4 hours of receiving it and she will either text you or call you back to discuss your symptoms.

Form to fill in for Urine infections

How you can treat cystitis yourself

If you have been having mild symptoms for less than 3 days or you have had cystitis before and do not feel you need to see a GP, you may want to treat your symptoms at home or ask a pharmacist for advice.

Until you’re feeling better, it may help to:

• take paracetamol or ibuprofen
• drink plenty of water
• hold a hot water bottle on your tummy or between your thighs
• avoid having sex
• pee frequently
• wipe from front to back when you go to the toilet
• gently wash around your genitals with a skin-sensitive soap

Some people believe that cranberry drinks and products that reduce the acidity of their urine (such as sodium bicarbonate or potassium citrate) will help. But there’s a lack of evidence to suggest they’re effective.

FOR MORE INFORMATION FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cystitis/