Cystitis (Cystitis) is a common disease of the urinary system associated with an inflammatory process in the mucous membrane of the bladder. It is interesting that every fourth woman has experienced symptoms of cystitis at least once in her life, and every tenth woman suffers from the chronic form of this disease. It is also worth comparing the incidence in women and men: only 0. 5% of men suffer from cystitis, which is mainly due to the different structure of the urethra and the difficulty of infection entering it.
Causes of the disease
Cystitis in women is usually caused by an aggressive opportunistic pathogen that enters the urinary tract, as well as rising sexually transmitted infections: chlamydia, ureaplasma (Ureaplasma), fungal infections of the genus Candida, etc. Short and wide urinary tracts are often susceptible to such infections. The occurrence of cystitis in women can also occur due to the movement of pathogens through the bloodstream. This way of development of the disease is called hematogenous.
Another option for infection is the entry of bacteria into the bladder with pathologies of the kidneys and ureters. Usually, such a development of events can be observed with pyelonephritis.
It is worth noting a less common, but still occurring variant of the development of the disease, which is provoked by abnormalities in the development of the urinary system. Also, a decrease in the ability of the bladder muscles to contract can cause cystitis.
Symptoms of infection can appear especially actively in the presence of predisposing factors. These include:
- Sedentary work. Being in a sitting position for more than three hours in a row stagnates urine, which leads to a possible infection of the bladder. Therefore, if your job involves sitting in one place for a long time, you should get up every hour and do a little warm-up every three hours.
- Constipation.
- The presence of sand and stones in the bladder.
- Tight underwear that can disrupt normal blood circulation in the pelvic organs.
- Frequent hypothermia of the body.
- Lower back injury, spinal cord injury.
- Early initiation of sexual activity.
- Metabolic disorders, hormonal changes in the body (for example, menopause or pregnancy). During hormonal fluctuations, the immune system of the body can be disturbed. Please remember: when carrying a child, the future mother is especially at risk in case of infection and development of cystitis. Therefore, you should carefully monitor your health during pregnancy and consult a doctor at the first signs of illness.
- Diabetes mellitus (Diabetes mellitus).
- Therapy with immunosuppressive drugs.
- Oncological diseases.
- Unbalanced and irregular nutrition: abuse of spicy and fried foods, alcohol.
- Improper hygiene procedures (especially improper washing from the anus to the vagina).
- The chance of infection of the bladder is high if the rules of personal hygiene are not observed enough (staying on the same pad or tampon for a long time during menstruation, not changing underwear on time, constant use of daily pads).
- Stress, chronic lack of sleep, which seriously affects the state of immunity.
- A general decrease in immunity caused by the presence of a chronic source of inflammation in the body (stomatitis, caries, rhinitis, tonsillitis). urethral sterility
Separately, it is worth highlighting such a form of inflammation of the bladder as interstitial cystitis, which is the result of serious disorders in the work of the immune system and is a severe chronic disease.
Symptoms and signs
Symptoms of cystitis are very characteristic and allow to make a correct diagnosis immediately. First of all, these are manifestations of frequent urination (the patient visits the toilet up to several times an hour) and pain at the end of the process of emptying the bladder. In addition, the most striking symptoms include:
- a feeling of fullness of the bladder even after urination;
- mixture of blood or pus in the urine;
- urine with cystitis in women acquires a sharper smell;
- cloudy urine and the presence of flakes in it;
- pain in the lower abdomen;
- when the infection spreads to the upper parts of the urinary system, pain in the kidneys and back is possible;
- it is quite rare, but there is still difficulty in holding urine
If you find these symptoms in yourself, you should consult a doctor for diagnosis and further treatment, because the advanced form of the disease is fraught with a number of complications.
Symptoms of cystitis give a woman not only physical but also psychological discomfort, leaving a mark on her personal and social life. Therefore, it is necessary to react to the appearance of the first signs of the disease as soon as possible and start therapy.
If the inflammation caused by the infection passes to the muscle layer of the bladder, the appearance of the above-mentioned interstitial form of cystitis is possible. In this case, reflux is included in the walls of the urinary organ, as well as in the ureters.
If untreated and the infection spreads vertically, kidney disease, pyelonephritis may develop.
Types of cystitis
It is necessary to distinguish the types of the disease, which differ in the manner of occurrence, course, morphological changes and the nature of spread.
All types of cystitis are divided into acute and chronic according to the nature of the course. We will consider both options for the course of the disease.
Acute cystitis
Against the background of the manifestation of the symptoms described above, acute cystitis gives a low-grade fever, a general disorder. The vessels of the bladder expand, which causes the walls of the organ to swell. At this time, point bleedings and hyperemia (Hyperemia) are observed. In the acute stage of the disease, the mucous membrane and submucosal membranes of the bladder are usually affected, and their epithelium is sometimes rejected, and a mixture of blood can be seen in the urine. In the hemorrhagic form of the disease, the color of urine can change from light pink to cloudy brown.
Chronic cystitis
When the disease enters the chronic phase, the inflammation expands and moves from the mucosa and submucosa to the muscle layer of the bladder. In this case, the color of the mucous membrane acquires a whitish or gray color. If the disease is not treated for a long time, the body has the appearance of sclerotic processes, so its volume may decrease.
In the chronic form, all the previously mentioned symptoms can be "blurred" and poorly expressed, which makes the diagnosis difficult. If chronic cystitis is suspected, it is necessary to pay attention to the anamnesis, urine macro and microscopy, cystoscopy and bacteriological examination data. A parallel gynecological examination is especially important in the detection of chronic cystitis, because there are often genital infections that cause the appearance of chronic forms of cystitis.
Acute and chronic cystitis: which doctor should I consult?
Standard tests for the diagnosis of cystitis in older women, adult women and girls are general urinalysis, urine culture to detect pathological flora (bacteriuria), Nechiporenko analysis. As additional measures, modern clinics often offer ultrasound examination of the bladder and kidneys, cystoscopy and STD examinations. In some cases, the doctor may prescribe a urine sample for analysis using a catheter instead of the standard method. This may be necessary to prevent vaginal discharge from entering the urine.
Treatment of acute cystitis is carried out on the basis of antibacterial drugs. Due to the fact that such drugs are excreted by the kidneys, it is very easy to achieve the desired concentration of the antibiotic in the bladder, so the effect of the treatment appears as soon as possible. When doing this, there are two important factors to consider:
After receiving the results of the urine culture, the doctor should prescribe antibiotics, which will determine the sensitivity of the pathogen to the selected drug.
Even after alleviating the condition, the prescribed course of antibiotics should be carried out to the end, which will avoid relapse and the transition of the disease to a chronic form.
Apply as auxiliary measures for the treatment of cystitis:
- drugs to relieve spasm of the bladder, general anti-inflammatory drugs;
- physiotherapy;
- ozone therapy;
- acupuncture.
For the treatment of the chronic form of cystitis, local administration of drugs that inhibit the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms can also be used. Tea tree essential oil gel can be used as an assistant. The gel is recommended to relieve vaginal discomfort, normalize the microflora and restore the vaginal mucosa after infectious and inflammatory diseases and after treatment with antibiotics.
Acute cystitis
It should be noted that the treatment of acute cystitis is always bed rest. Treating the inflammatory process in the bladder "on the run" without giving sick leave, especially in the cold season, means the risk of the disease turning into a chronic form. The disease is always accompanied by severe stress for the body, which requires rest and relaxation. At the same time, ignoring the disease and postponing a visit to the doctor can "result" in pyelonephritis, the treatment of which requires constant medical supervision.
Diet
To eliminate inflammation as soon as possible, it is recommended to drink plenty of fluids: the minimum amount of fluid you drink should be 1. 5 liters per day.
Nutrition for cystitis has a number of limitations. Exclusion of spicy and spicy foods will help recovery and prevent recurrence of the condition. It is necessary to completely exclude alcohol for the duration of treatment. This applies to all alcoholic beverages.
If you experience painful and frequent urination, blood impurities, flakes or pus in your urine, don't panic. Indeed, according to statistics, female cystitis is a very common phenomenon.
The main thing is not to delay and consult a doctor on time.
As a rule, this disease is determined when there are frequent painful urine emissions with small parts, blood impurities. Such processes are often accompanied by an increase in body temperature. Cystitis is dangerous in a chronic form or with the development of inflammation in the kidneys. Cystitis is often contagious.
Cystitis is widespread in women and men, but still, representatives of the fair sex suffer from this disease more due to the anatomical features of the female body. The female urethra is shorter and wider than the male urethra, which makes it easier for pathogens to enter the bladder. This explains the frequent cases of cystitis in women. Women of reproductive age are most susceptible to cystitis. There are many cases of recurrence of cystitis, which significantly worsens a woman's health and affects her life.
Spread of cystitis
Acute cystitis is one of the urological diseases. It is not unusual to find uncomplicated cystitis, in which microbes only affect the mucosa and do not affect the submucosal layer.
Based on scientific studies, it can be claimed that 26 to 36 million people suffer from acute cystitis every year in our country.
Girls suffer from cystitis almost three times more often than boys. The disease is sometimes diagnosed in newborns and children up to 1 year of age, and is more common in children from one to three years of age, especially in children aged 13-15 years. As a rule, cystitis often occurs in patients aged 4 to 12 years.
Chronic cystitis is one of the most common urological diseases. According to these studies, chronic cystitis can be observed in 11-21% of the population. A significant scatter of data is caused by a different approach to the definition of chronic cystitis. Some research authors write that the diagnosis of "chronic cystitis" should be considered when exacerbations occur 2 times or more per year.
cystitis in summer
There are very few women who do not feel the symptoms of cystitis when the pleasure of beautiful summer days is overshadowed by such an unpleasant disease. In addition, in the summer, especially when a woman goes far away from home and finds herself in an unusual environment, there are many reasons for the appearance of cystitis.
Cystitis often occurs in the summer season due to such factors:
- living in a new place during the vacation period, which causes problems with personal hygiene;
- hypothermia of the body caused by prolonged bathing in cold water;
- violation of the usual urinary pattern associated with movement, flight or being in a new place;
- drastic climate change that adversely affects human immunity.
In some cases, an additional risk factor for the development of cystitis is the increased activity of sexual activity against the background of the above conditions, which are unfavorable for the female body.
If your weekend or vacation is spoiled by the occurrence of such an unpleasant disease, you should make an appointment with a urologist as soon as possible. To clarify the diagnosis, it is necessary to undergo an ultrasound of the bladder and pass a urine test. Today, antibacterial drugs have an effective effect directly on the causative agent of cystitis and can accelerate the healing process, as well as prevent acute cystitis from turning into a chronic form.
Modern drugs, unlike the drugs of the previous generation, which affect the entire body of the patient, affect only the inflamed areas of the bladder and have a minimal effect on other human organs. The main concentration of drugs is maximally detected only in the urine and in the mucous membrane of the inflamed bladder. This allows you to minimize the toxic effect on other organs and focus all the burden on the treatment of cystitis.
Among the drugs used to treat this disease, it is necessary to mention the drug fosfomycin. Given the high selectivity of action with a minimal toxicological burden on the body, it has another useful quality - this drug does not cause phototoxicity later. This is the name of a side effect that can be caused by many drugs used to treat cystitis. The manifestation of phototoxicity is increased sensitivity to sunlight, even redness or burns under the influence of low-intensity ultraviolet rays. Phototoxicity appears due to the presence of substances with the properties of photosensitizers or photoreagents in the preparations. Such substances cause the appearance of a significant amount of free radicals in the skin, which cause the destruction of skin cells, inflammation and even burns.
Unlike other drugs for the treatment of cystitis, fosfomycin cannot cause phototoxicity, which means that it can be used without disrupting the planned beach vacation regime. The advantage can be called the maximum absence of side effects, which makes it possible to safely and very effectively treat cystitis in children and pregnant women.
cystitis during pregnancy
The fair sex is often interested in the question of how this disease affects pregnancy. Bladder inflammation causes anxiety in all patients, and in this case, for a woman with a weak immune system, this disease can be a serious test. Pregnant women who experience symptoms of bladder inflammation have to go through many difficulties. Cystitis during pregnancy is certainly dangerous, but unwanted consequences can be avoided by timely consulting a doctor. Self-medication or ignoring the disease can lead to a very serious complication, such as kidney infection. Bacteria can seriously damage them. Inflamed bladder mucosa can also have a negative effect on the fetus. There is a chance that the child will be born prematurely, with a lack of weight.
Child cystitis
It is generally believed that only adults are affected by cystitis, but this is not the case. In addition, there is no age limit for this type of disease. Adults, children and the elderly can also get sick. Both men and women and very young patients suffer from cystitis, but the treatment of cystitis in children has its own characteristics.
Very often, cystitis in children occurs due to hypothermia. Bacteria are the main causative agents, and fungal and viral infections are extremely rare.
Causes of cystitis
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the causative agent in 70-95% of patients suffering from acute cystitis, Staphylococcus saprophyticus in 5-20%, and Proteus mirabilis in the remaining patients. disease. ) and Klebsiella (Klebsiella spp).
As a rule, cystitis is caused by organisms of opportunistic flora. Research has confirmed that the causative agent of cystitis cannot necessarily be bacteria, it is quite possible to get sick with cystitis, the cause of which will be mycoplasma virus, chlamydia, trichomonas and other fungi.
The high prevalence of cystitis among women is related not only to the short length of the urethra, but also to its wide lumen and physiological location relative to other organs. The urethra in women is closer to the anus than the urethra in men. Due to such anatomical features of the female body, the body is poorly protected from pathogenic microbes that enter the urinary tract, then microbes can easily migrate to the bladder, which can cause cystitis.
Cystitis is less common in men. The most common causes of this disease in men are inflammation of the urethra, epididymis, seminal vesicles, and prostate gland. Penetration of the infection into the area of the urethra occurs due to catheterization. The risk of cystitis doubles after bladder catheterization in men with BPH, where frequent urinary retention is one of the symptoms. The likelihood of developing cystitis also increases after a catheter is applied to a pregnant woman or a newborn, which is based on a decrease in the tone of the urinary tract.
Symptoms of cystitis
In adults, cystitis usually causes frequent painful urination. The nature of the pain is described as a burning sensation. Urine changes, may have a strong odor, turbidity, and may contain blood. At this time, the health condition may deteriorate and constant pain in the lower back may be felt. Symptoms of cystitis in the elderly and children are usually not so obvious. They can be characterized by symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain and nausea.
Diagnosis of cystitis
When a disease is diagnosed, the urologist examines the results of the urinalysis, as well as the results of the ultrasound examination of the bladder. To determine the etiology of cystitis, they resort to bacterial urine cultures, and also take a swab from the urethra. In most cases, the cause of cystitis is bacteria of the opportunistic flora, that is, staphylococci, streptococci, E. coli, etc. can be. Often, cystitis occurs due to infection with sexually transmitted pathogens - ureaplasma and mycoplasma. Treatment of cystitis involves the effect of drugs on infectious agents that can cause the development of the disease.
Treatment of cystitis
A quick treatment for cystitis and even complete rehabilitation of the mucous membrane is possible if you do not delay the start of treatment, if you use sufficiently effective drugs immediately. The chances of getting rid of cystitis completely will increase with timely correct diagnosis and the use of drugs that affect the center of infection. Starting treatment at later stages or prescribing treatment that only relieves the symptoms of cystitis without affecting the pathogenic zone can turn acute cystitis into chronic.
The main task before the doctor who treats cystitis is to destroy the pathogenic microbes that penetrate the bladder and cause inflammation of the mucosa. The appointment of drugs for the process of antibiotic therapy of the disease occurs according to the following parameters: duration of the disease, severity of symptoms. In addition, during the selection of drugs, possible side effects, the method and speed of their elimination, absorption of the drug, the presence of additional diseases, etc.
To date, there are relatively affordable drugs for the treatment of cystitis that selectively affect the causative agent of the disease, a qualified doctor will recommend only such treatment. When taken, the drug is concentrated inside the bladder, which allows to increase its effectiveness. In addition, the use of modern antibiotics reduces the duration of treatment of cystitis, protects as much as possible from side effects and reduces the risk for the entire patient's body.
Useful tips for preventing cystitis
- try to avoid hypothermia;
- despite the conditions, carefully follow the rules of hygiene;
- when performing hygiene procedures, use neutral and soft products;
- change sanitary napkins on time during menstruation;
- visit the toilet on time, do not delay if necessary;
- drink more fluids;
- it is advisable to give up tight clothes, tk. it can worsen the blood circulation in the pelvic area;
- try to normalize bowel activity. If you have a tendency to constipation, it is recommended to increase the intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.
In this case, the symptoms and treatment of cystitis will not be a problem for you.