What are the symptoms of BC?

The main symptoms include:

Pain or burning when urinating

Frequent need to pass small amounts of urine

Feeling of urgency to pass urine even when the bladder is empty

Cloudy/dark urine, which may have a strong aroma

What are the treatment options for BC?

BC is treated with antibiotics but if symptoms are mild, doctors will probably wait for the results of a urine test before prescribing them. A three-day course of antibiotics is the usual treatment for each cystitis flare. Cystitis flares may still occur after antibiotics are taken. If a flare does occur it’s usually caused by a germ which is resistant to the antibiotic, so your doctor might prescribe you with a change of antibiotic.

In some cases, BC may recur as a consequence of abnormal breakdown and production of a sugar called mannose, which enables bacteria to cling to the walls of the urinary tract more easily. In these cases, your doctor may prescribe supplements which can help counteract this deficiency, and can significantly reduce the risk of recurrent UTIs.

It has been suggested that drinking plenty of fluids can help "flush out" germs or drinking cranberry juice can help reduce the chance of getting BC, but the evidence to support this is limited.