Bladder infection - Symptoms of cystitis

The symptoms of cystitis can vary between adults and children.

Cystitis in adults can cause:

• pain, burning or stinging when you urinate
• needing to urinate often and urgently but only passing small amounts of urine 
• urine that's dark, cloudy or strong smelling
• traces of blood in your urine (haematuria)
• pain low in your belly (directly above the pubic bone), or in the lower back or abdomen
• feeling unwell, weak or feverish

Symptoms of cystitis in children may include:

• weakness
• irritability 
• reduced appetite
• vomiting
• pain when urinating

Cystitis is usually treated easily. Read more about treating cystitis.

Find out about recognising the signs of serious illness in children.

Seeing your GP 

The symptoms of cystitis can also be caused by other conditions, so it's important to see your GP the first time you have any of these symptoms.

The symptoms caused by cystitis could also be caused by: 

• sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as gonorrhoea or chlamydia
• being infected with bacterium such as E. coli
• vaginal thrush, also known as candida (a yeast infection)
• inflammation of the urethra (urethritis)
• urethral syndrome (women only)
• inflammation of the prostate gland, also known as prostatitis (men only)