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The most common type of urinary tract infection (UTI), which is characterised by the inflammation and pain of the bladder. Symptoms for this condition include a swollen bladder, pungent and dark urine, abdominal pain, and painful urination.

You can get cystitis when harmless bacteria that normally live in the bowel or skin finds a way into the urine through the urethra (tube from where the urine is excreted). This can happen due to:

• Having sex
• Inserting a tampon
• Wiping your bottom back to front
• Inserting a catheter
• Using a diaphragm for contraception

Cystitis is more common in women as their urethra is shorter and closer to their anus, so it easier for the bacteria to get into the bladder.