A fairly popular inflammatory disease of the urinary and reproductive systems is ureaplasmosis in women and men. An insidious feature of the disease is the ability to maintain latency for a long period, that is, to be sluggish, hidden. This allows bacteria to form significant colonies and infect all new internal organs.
Uraeplasmosis is a predominantly sexually transmitted infection caused by a protozoan bacteria called ureaplasma . For a long time, the pathogen was attributed to the class of mycoplasmas, but after establishing the fact of their ability to break down urea, they were separated into a separate species. The favorite habitat of pests is the urethra, cervix and prostate.
Reasons for development
Ureaplasmas urealiticum are microorganisms belonging to conditionally pathogenic forms. After entering the body, their growth is inhibited by the immune system, but if certain factors weaken the patient’s natural defenses, they begin to actively develop. Infection is possible in three ways:
- unprotected sexual contact with an infected partner;
- transmission of the virus from an infected mother to her child during natural childbirth;
- household way.
IMPORTANT! Domestic cases of infection are extremely rare, so most doctors reject this possibility, although clinical trials confirm that ureaplasmas are resistant to environmental factors and are able to live in open conditions for some time.
A small amount of a dangerous pathogen is present in the body of every girl who has an active sex life. But a small number of bacteria are unable to cause any signs of ureaplasmosis in women. Manifestations occur only after the growth of harmful microorganisms is activated. Also, the causes of ureaplasmosis in women include the presence of such inflammatory pathologies of the genitourinary system, such as:
- endometritis;
- urethritis;
- colpitis ;
- salpingitis;
- endocervicitis .
The diseases are divided into two forms: acute, which is determined from the first day of infection until the end of the second month, and chronic (from the third month), the occurrence of which is facilitated by the refusal of medical treatment or violation of the doctor’s prescriptions. The first signs of the disease begin to appear 3-5 weeks after the penetration of pests into the body, when the incubation period of these bacteria ends. As medical practice shows, ureaplasmosis is diagnosed in women several times more often than in men.
Manifestations of the disease
Symptoms of ureaplasmosis in women are similar to those of other infections of the genitourinary system. It:
- discomfort during urination;
- the appearance of vaginal discharge;
- bloody phenomena after intimate contact;
- pain in the groin and lower abdomen;
- problems with conceiving a baby.
The first alarming signs in girls may appear as early as two weeks after infection, but only if the lady’s immune defenses are impaired and the defenses cannot stop the growth of a large number of harmful microorganisms. If the immune system is strong, then the incubation period can stretch for several months. This condition is extremely dangerous, since the disease will still make itself felt, but already in a chronic, difficult to treat stage.
IMPORTANT! The absence of clear symptoms of the disease is not a reason to postpone treatment: even if the increase in bacterial colonies is slow, the girl is able to infect her sex partner.
Vaginal discharge in the early stages is slight, transparent, and does not have a strong odor. With the onset of the inflammatory process, the smell becomes rotten, repulsive, the volume of secretions increases, and the color changes to yellow-brown, purulent. Acute, sharp pain in the lower abdomen also occurs due to inflammation, most often in the uterine cavity or ovaries.
An increased urge to empty the bladder is the most striking sign of a urinary tract infection. In this case, the outflow of urine is difficult, accompanied by burning and pain. All these symptoms should serve as a reason for an immediate appeal to a gynecologist or venereologist, since ignoring the manifestations can lead to consequences.
IMPORTANT! It must be remembered that it is impossible to cope with an infectious disease by folk methods, therefore it is necessary to treat it with the help of potent drugs – antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Ureplasmosis during pregnancy
Pregnancy is a condition in which the immunity of girls weakens, so the pathologies of the genitourinary organs appear with a vengeance. If a lady plans to conceive, she definitely needs to conduct a complete examination of the body and cure all existing bacterial diseases. Otherwise, ureaplasmas can interfere with the healthy course of pregnancy, and it is strictly forbidden to be treated in the early stages, when all the organs and systems of the unborn baby are formed.
If pathogenic microorganisms are present even in minimal quantities, a sharp weakening of the immune defense will become an impetus for activation, and will certainly provoke the development of the disease in a pregnant woman.
Due to the fact that the use of antibiotics in the first trimester is prohibited, and in the future it is highly undesirable, the risk of having a child with congenital ureaplasmosis increases several times. A caesarean section can prevent infection, but this measure is not a guarantee of the health of the child.
Be sure to establish the presence or absence of ureaplasma should be patients who have problems with conception. It is the active growth and the inflammation of the reproductive organs caused by them that often prevent patients from feeling the joy of motherhood, and then affect the proper formation of the fetus.
Fighting methods
How to treat ureaplasmosis in women? Complex. After examining the patient and taking swabs for microflora from the mucous membranes of the vagina and cervical canal, the doctor prescribes nutrition and restrictions in sexual life. And after the tests, he selects medications.
The diet implies the rejection of pickles, spices and spices, alcoholic beverages, and restrictions – the rejection of sex or the use of barrier contraceptives (condoms). In the presence of the second half, examination and treatment is also prescribed for a man, regardless of the presence of signs of ureaplasma in him .
The basis of therapy is antibiotics of the tetracycline series – these are the most effective substances against these pests. The average course of admission is from seven to ten days, but only if this is the primary, acute stage. Most of the tablets are well tolerated by patients, with virtually no side effects.
In parallel with the use of potent drugs, it will be necessary to prescribe medications that increase the number of beneficial lactobacilli in the digestive tract. They will help to normalize the work of the intestines, strengthen the immune system, enhance the therapeutic effect of basic medicines.
The chronic form of the disease will require additional use of local funds. Usually these are rectal and vaginal suppositories, which have a direct effect on the focus of infection, as well as eliminate unpleasant symptoms.
Most Effective
- ” Genferon ” – antibacterial suppositories that have a destructive effect on pathogenic microorganisms, as well as increase local and general immunity. The average period of use of the medicine is 10 days (two suppositories in the morning and in the evening), with a chronic form, an extension of treatment is possible.
- ” Hexicon ” – antiseptic suppositories, not only actively destroying pests, but also safe for beneficial inhabitants of the vaginal microflora. The effect occurs after the first use, in rare cases, you can repeat the introduction of the candle after a week.
On the recommendation of the treating specialist or after consulting with him, therapy with folk methods can be supplemented. So, before using means of purposeful action, you can carry out home sitz baths with decoctions of medicinal herbs that have an antiseptic effect: chamomile, string, calendula, oak bark. The same infusions can be used orally to increase local immunity. But we must remember that such recipes can only complement the action of pharmaceutical products, but not replace them.
If the treatment of ureaplasmosis in women is not carried out or is carried out incorrectly, it easily passes into the chronic stage, which is quite difficult to cure. The danger of this condition is that other bacterial pathologies begin to join, and this threatens with serious complications. The most common are:
- inability to conceive and bear a child;
- cystitis – inflammation of the bladder;
- pyelonephritis – inflammation of the kidneys, which occurs when bacteria move up the urinary organs;
- menstrual irregularities (delays, prolonged and heavy periods, bleeding in the middle of the cycle, etc.);
- vaginosis – a violation of the microflora of the vagina;
- inflammation of the ovaries and fallopian tubes;
- andexitis is a bacterial lesion of the appendages of the cervical canal.
If any discomfort or discharge appears, the girl should immediately visit a gynecologist and pass the necessary tests. This will help to detect dangerous diseases in a timely manner and treat them at the earliest, least dangerous stages.