How to Prevent Bladder Infections

How to Prevent Bladder Infections

Bladder Infection, also known as acute cystitis, is one of the most uncomfortable medical conditions one could possibly have. And even though women get it more frequently than men, both sexes are susceptible. 

Since the internet is chock-full of advice on what measures to take when you have an inflamed bladder, this article will not be concerned with treatment. If you’re ill, please contact your general practitioner. What we will cover here, though, is how to avoid cystitis altogether, as prevention is always preferable to treatment. 

Bladder conditions are usually accompanied by fairly unpleasant symptoms like frequent, extremely painful urination and a strong urge to go to the bathroom followed by mere drops of urine, which may show traces of blood, or in some cases even puss or mucus. So what should you do to avoid all of this unpleasantness? 



Causes of Acute Cystitis

In order to find out how to prevent an illness, we should first get clear on why it arises in the first place and what conditions lead to its sudden appearance. Although we’re not going to go into detail on the causes of cystitis as we are not medical professionals, here are some of the key things you should know: 

since the bladder does not harbour any bacteria, urine produced by healthy humans is sterile; 

✔ whenever bacteria enter the urinary tract, they are promptly eliminated by the immune system; 

✔ if the immune system is compromised, bacteria present in the urinary tract begin to multiply, leading to acute cystitis down the road; 

✔ acute cystitis may also be reinforced by other medical conditions (although only in rare cases).

With that in mind, anyone who wants to avoid acute inflammation of the bladder must do the following – maintain a robust immune system and prevent bacteria from finding their way into the urinary tract. 

As anyone who has had this pesky condition in the past would tell you – acute cystitis usually occurs upon exposure to cold, such as getting cold feet, being exposed to chilly winds, sitting on a cold surface, swimming in a cool lake, sea, or pool water (which comes with two distinct risks, namely – a bacterial infection and catching a cold), etc. As your core body temperature goes down, the immune system becomes slightly inhibited, which leads to the inability to fight bacteria present in the urinary tract. 



Preventing Inflammation of the Bladder

If you want to reduce the risk of developing acute cystitis, make sure to heed the following advice:

✔ make sure to always drink a lot of water. It’s not only beneficial to your entire body, but may also help in getting rid of bacteria which cause inflammation of the bladder; 

when urinating or defecating, always wipe front to back (applicable to women). This way you can prevent the spread of bacteria to the urinary tract and the bladder; 

✔ after swimming in a lake, river, pool, or sea – try to pass at least a small amount of urine;  

✔ make sure to always shower or bathe after sexual intercourse;

✔ opt for wider underwear made from natural fibres (no thongs); 

✔ when the weather gets cold, dress properly to protect your feet and lower body. Avail yourself of warm underpants or shorts – a great option here would be merino wool underpants or shorts. 


Merino wool underwear

GREEN ROSE underpants and shorts – made from 100% natural fibres – are sufficiently warm to protect your lower body from the cold. Moreover, merino wool is quite thin. Underpants and shorts of this type can be worn together with any garment:    

✔ go well with skirts – merino wool underpants can easily replace thin tights which provide barely any thermal benefits;

✔ go well with thin suit pants and other thick overpants. Merino wool underpants and shorts are thin enough to be suitable for wearing beneath other types of pants without restricting movement. If worn as the first layer, merino wool will ensure optimal body temperature and help in preventing colds;  

merino wool undershorts are sufficiently thin and warm for wearing not only with long skirts but even under wedding dresses. Yes, you read that right – in cases where the wedding happens to take place on a fairly cold or windy day, white merino wool shorts are often worn by brides;

merino wool underpants and shorts are great options for hiking in nature, canoeing, and other outdoor activities in cool weather. Undergarments made from merino wool can protect you from catching a nasty cold and feeling the sting of cold surfaces, as well as ensure comfortable sleep in a tent.    



If you’re worried that merino wool undergarments might be too warm, causing excessive sweating and bringing on the misery of being outdoors in wet clothes, rest assured – it can absorb a great deal of moisture without feeling wet to the touch. This means that even if you do get sweaty, there is no danger of growing cold later in the day, as merino wool is sure to quickly evaporate the moisture and keep your body warm deep into the night. 

A few years ago, one of our horseback-riding clients told us that each session typically ends with taking care of the horse, rather than yourself – there’s simply no time to change out of your wet and sweaty clothes. For this reason, she bought a merino wool undershirt, which allowed her to feel perfectly dry after each ride, and rest assured that she will be warm and cosy even if a nasty draught happens to drift by.  

If you do find merino wool underwear to be too warm nonetheless, you can always go for even cosier, softer, and more pleasant underwear made from merino wool in combination with silk. 

As was mentioned above, inflammation of the bladder is an issue which affects both sexes. Therefore, men should not skimp on taking the necessary precautions, such as implementing the advice provided in this article, and wearing merino wool underpants whenever there’s a chance of catching a cold. 


This article on bladder inflammation was not written by a person who has a medical degree – rather, it’s an article containing advice on how to avoid acute cystitis based on women’s lived experiences and information provided by actual physicians. 

We would appreciate it if you could share your own true-and-tested means of avoiding inflammation of the bladder in the comment section.