You've been spending a lot of time groping your way to the bathroom. You need to go a lot . And when it does, it burrrnnnns. Bladder infections are caused by bacteria known as E. coli that take up residence in the vagina and consequently make their way to the urethra, the tube through which urine flows, says Elliot L. Cohen, M.D., assistant professor of clinical urology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of New York. In the vagina, the bacteria are no problem.
Trouble only starts when they enter the urinary tract.
These are bacteria normally present in all women. Bladder infections are really infections of the urine itself, according to Dr. Staskin, and the effect on the patient is usually relatively minor. In most cases, it's the bladder's equivalent of a bad sunburn. The answer depends on whom you talk to. Some within the medical community say yes, but most say no.