Cystitis (Cictitis) is a common disease of the urinary system associated with an inflammatory process in the lining of the bladder. It is worth noting that one in four women has faced the symptoms of cystitis at least once in their lifetime, while one in ten suffers from a 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 difference in the structure of the urinary canal and the difficulty of infection.
Causes of disease
Cystitis in women is usually due to an aggressive opportunistic pathogen entering the urethra, as well as ascending sexually transmitted infections: chlamydia, ureaplasma (Ureaplasma), fungal infections of the genus Candida, etc. The short and wide urinary tract is often vulnerable to such infections. The occurrence of cystitis in women can also occur due to the movement of pathogens through the bloodstream. This path of disease development is called hematogenous.
Another option for infection is the entry of bacteria into the bladder with pathologies of the kidneys and ureters. Typically, such a development of events can be seen with pyelonephritis.
A less common but still occurring variant of the disease development should be noted, brought on by abnormalities in the development of the urinary system. Also, a decrease in the contractility of the bladder muscles can lead to cystitis.
Signs of infection can appear especially actively in the presence of predisposing factors. These include:
- Sedentary work. Sitting for more than three hours in a row, the urine becomes stagnant, which leads to a possible bladder infection. So if your job involves a long session in one place, you need to 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 Organs pelvic organs.
- Frequent hypothermia of the body.
- Low back injury, spinal cord injury.
- Early onset of sexual activity.
- Metabolic disorders, hormonal changes in the body (eg menopause or pregnancy). During hormonal surges, the body's immune system can malfunction. Attention: when carrying a child, the expectant mother is at particular risk in case of infection and the development of cystitis. Therefore, during pregnancy, you should carefully monitor your own health and consult a doctor at the first sign of illness.
- Diabetes Mellitus (Diabetes Mellitus).
- Therapy with immunosuppressive drugs.
- Oncological Diseases.
- Imbalanced and irregular nutrition: abuse of spicy and fried foods, alcohol.
- Improper hygiene procedures (in particular, improper washing from the anus to the vagina).
- The chance of bladder infection is high with poor personal hygiene (prolonged use of the same pad or tampon during menstruation, premature change of underwear, constant use of daily pads).
- Stress, chronic lack of sleep, which has a serious impact on the state of immunity.
- A general decrease in immunity caused by the presence of a chronic focus of inflammation in the body (stomatitis (stomatitis), caries (caries), rhinitis (rhinitis), tonsillitis (tonsillitis). urethra
Separately, it is worth noting a form of bladder inflammation such as interstitial cystitis, which is a consequence of serious disorders in the functioning of the immune system and is a serious chronic disease.
Symptoms and signs
The symptoms of cystitis are very characteristic and allow you to immediately make the correct diagnosis. Firstly, they are frequent urination (the patient goes to the bathroom several times an hour) and the manifestation of pain at the end of the process of emptying the bladder. In addition, the most striking symptoms include:
- feeling of fullness of the bladder even after urination;
- a mixture of blood or pus in the urine;
- urine with cystitis in women acquires a more pungent odor;
- cloudy urine and presence of flakes;
- pain in the lower abdomen;
- when the infection spreads, including to the upper parts of the urinary system, pain in the kidneys and lower back is possible;
- quite rare, but there is still difficulty withholding urine
If you encounter these symptoms in yourself, consult a doctor for further diagnosis and treatment, as the advanced form of the disease is fraught with various complications.
The symptoms of cystitis cause the woman not only physical but also psychological discomfort, leaving a mark on her personal and social life. Therefore, it is necessary to react as quickly as possible to the appearance of the first signs of the disease and start therapy.
If the inflammation caused by the infection passes into the muscular layer of the bladder, an interstitial form of cystitis, mentioned above, is possible. In this case, urine is introduced into the walls of the organ, as well as its reflux into the ureters.
If left untreated and if the infection spreads vertically, kidney disease, pyelonephritis, can develop.
types of cystitis
It is necessary to distinguish between the types of the disease, differing in the method of occurrence, course, morphological changes and nature of dissemination.
All varieties of cystitis are divided according to the nature of the course into acute and chronic. 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 low-grade fever, general malaise. The blood vessels in the bladder expand, which leads to swelling of the walls of the organ. In this case, point hemorrhages and hyperemia (hyperemia) are observed. In the acute phase of the disease, the mucous and submucosal membranes of the bladder often suffer, and their epithelium is sometimes rejected, and a mixture of blood in the urine may appear. The color of urine in the hemorrhagic form of the disease can range 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 into the muscular layer of the bladder. In this case, the color of the mucosa acquires a whitish or grayish tone. If the disease is not treated for a long time, then there is the appearance of sclerotic processes in the organ, due to which its volume can be reduced.
In the chronic form, all the signs mentioned above may be "blurred" and indistinctly expressed, which makes the diagnosis difficult. If chronic cystitis is suspected, it is necessary to focus on data from anamnesis, urine macro and microscopy, cystoscopy and bacteriological examination. Particularly important in detecting chronic cystitis is a parallel gynecological examination, as it is often genital infections that cause the appearance of chronic forms of cystitis.
Acute and chronic cystitis: which doctor should I contact?
Standard tests for diagnosing cystitis in older women, mature women and girls are a general urinalysis, urine culture to detect pathological flora (bacteriuria), Nechiporenko analysis. As additional measures, modern clinics often offer bladder and kidney ultrasound, cystoscopy, and testing for STDs. In some cases, the doctor may prescribe a urine sample for analysis not by the standard method, but using a catheter. 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 reach the desired concentration of the antibiotic in the bladder, so that the effect of the treatment appears as quickly as possible. For this, two important factors must be taken into account:
The physician should prescribe antibiotics after receiving the urine culture results, which will determine the sensitivity of the pathogen to the selected drug.
Even after alleviating the condition, the prescribed course of antibiotics must be taken to the end, which will prevent relapse and transition of the disease to a chronic form.
As auxiliary measures for the treatment of cystitis, apply:
- medications to relieve bladder spasm, general anti-inflammatory medications;
- physiotherapy;
- ozone therapy;
- acupuncture.
For the treatment of the chronic form of cystitis, local administration of drugs that prevent the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms can also be used. As an aid, tea tree essential oil gel can be used. The gel is recommended to eliminate vaginal discomfort, normalize the microflora and restore the vaginal mucosa after infectious and inflammatory diseases and in the period after antibiotic treatment.
acute cystitis
It is worth mentioning that the treatment of acute cystitis is always bed rest. Treating the inflammatory process in the "runaway" bladder without medical leave, especially in the cold season, means risking a possible transition of the disease to a chronic form. Illness is always accompanied by severe stress to the body, which requires rest and rest. At the same time, ignoring the disease and putting off visiting the doctor can "result" in pyelonephritis, the treatment of which will require constant medical supervision.
Diet
To relieve inflammation as quickly as possible, it is recommended to drink plenty of fluid: the minimum amount of fluid you drink should be 1. 5 liters a day.
Nutrition for cystitis has several restrictions. The exclusion of spicy and spicy will contribute to the recovery and prevent the recurrence of the situation. For the period of treatment, it is necessary to completely exclude alcohol. This applies to all alcoholic beverages.
If you come across painful and frequent urination, blood impurities, flakes or pus in the urine, do not rush to panic. In fact, according to statistics, female cystitis is a very common occurrence.
The main thing is not to delay and consult a doctor in time.
As a rule, this disease is determined when there are frequent painful emissions of urine in small portions, with impurities in the blood. Such processes are often accompanied by an increase in body temperature. Cystitis is dangerous with a possible development to a chronic form or the development of inflammation in the kidneys. Most often, cystitis is infectious in nature.
Cystitis is widespread in both women and men, but still the fair sex is more likely to suffer from this disease due to the anatomical features of the female body. The female urethra is shorter and wider than the male urethra, making it easier for pathogens to enter the bladder. This explains the frequent cases of cystitis in women. Women of childbearing age are more susceptible to cystitis. There are many cases of recurrence of cystitis, which significantly worsens a woman's health, affects her life.
Prevalence of cystitis
The so-called acute cystitis is one of the most common urological diseases. It is not uncommon to find uncomplicated cystitis, during which microbes only affect the mucous membrane and do not affect the submucosal layer.
Based on scientific research, it can be argued that in our country 26-36 million people suffer from acute cystitis every year.
Girls suffer from cystitis almost three times more often than boys. The disease is sometimes diagnosed in newborns and children under the age of 1 year, being more common in children aged one to three years, and especially in 13-15 years. As a rule, cystitis usually occurs in patients aged 4 to 12 years.
Chronic cystitis is one of the most common urological diseases. Based on these studies, chronic cystitis can be seen in 11-21% of the population. Significant data dispersion is caused by a different approach to the definition of chronic cystitis. Some study authors write that the diagnosis of "chronic cystitis" should be considered when exacerbations occur 2 times a year or more.
cystitis in summer
There are very few women who have not felt the symptoms of cystitis themselves, when the pleasure of wonderful summer days has been overshadowed by such an unpleasant illness. Also, in summer, especially when a woman travels a long way from home and finds herself in an unusual environment, there are many reasons for cystitis to appear.
Most often, cystitis in the summer season occurs due to these factors:
- living in a new location during the vacation period, which causes personal hygiene problems;
- hypothermia of the body, which occurs as a result of prolonged bathing in cold water;
- violation of the usual urination regime, which is associated with moving, flying or being in a new place;
- drastic climate changes, which negatively affect human immunity.
An additional factor in the threat of developing cystitis in some cases is an increase in sexual activity, against the background of the above conditions, which are unfavorable for the female body.
In the event that your weekend or vacation is spoiled by the occurrence of such an unpleasant illness, it is necessary to make an appointment with a urologist as soon as possible. To clarify the diagnosis, you will need to undergo an ultrasound of the bladder, undergo a urinalysis. Antibacterial drugs today effectively act directly on the causative agent of cystitis and can accelerate the healing process, as well as prevent the development of acute cystitis into a chronic form.
Modern drugs, in contrast to the drugs of the past generation, which affected the patient's entire body, affect only the inflamed areas of the bladder, minimally affect other human organs. The main concentration of drugs is revealed to the maximum exclusively in the urine and in the bladder mucosa, which is inflamed. This allows minimizing the toxic effect on other organs and concentrating the entire burden on the treatment of cystitis.
Among the drugs used to treat this disease, it is worth mentioning the drug with fosfomycin. It, given its high selectivity of actions with a minimal toxicological load on the body, has another useful quality - this drug does not subsequently cause phototoxicity. This is the name of a side effect that can be caused by many medications used to treat cystitis. The manifestation of phototoxicity is an increased sensitivity to sunlight, the occurrence of redness or burns under the influence of low-intensity ultraviolet rays. Phototoxicity appears due to the presence in the preparations of substances that have photosensitizing or photoreactive properties. 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 is not capable of causing phototoxicity, which means that it can be used without disturbing the planned beach holiday regimen. The advantage can also be called the maximum absence of side effects, and this allows you to safely and effectively treat cystitis in children and pregnant women.
cystitis in pregnancy
The fair sex is often interested in the question of how this disease affects pregnancy. In all patients, inflammation of the bladder causes discomfort, and for a woman in this position, who has a weak immune system, this disease can become a serious test. Pregnant women who are faced with manifestations of bladder inflammation symptoms have to go through a lot of problems. Cystitis during pregnancy is undoubtedly dangerous, but with timely access to a doctor, undesirable consequences can be avoided. Self-medication or ignoring the disease can lead to a very serious complication, such as a kidney infection. Bacteria can seriously damage them. The mucous membrane of the bladder, which is inflamed, can also have a negative effect on the fetus. There is a chance of giving birth to a child prematurely, underweight.
infantile cystitis
It is generally accepted that only adults are affected by cystitis, but this is not so. Also, there are no age restrictions for this type of illness. 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.
Often, cystitis in children occurs due to hypothermia. Bacteria are the main causative agent and fungal and viral infections are extremely rare.
causes of cystitis
In 70-95% of patients suffering from acute cystitis, it was caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli), 5-20% observed Staphylococcus aureus (Staphylococcus saprophyticus), in the remaining patients, Proteus mirabilis acts as the causative agent of the disease. ) and Klebsiella (Klebsiella spp).
As a rule, cystitis is caused by organisms of opportunistic flora. Studies have confirmed that the causative agents of cystitis may not necessarily be bacteria, it is quite possible to get sick with cystitis, the cause of which will be the mycoplasma virus, chlamydia, Trichomonas and other fungi.
The high prevalence of cystitis among women is due not only to the short length of the urethra, but also to its wide lumen and physiological location in relation to other organs. The urethra in women, unlike the urethra in men, is closer to the anus. Due to these anatomical features of the female body, the body is poorly protected against pathogenic microbes that enter the urethra, so microbes can easily migrate to the bladder, which can cause cystitis.
In men, cystitis is less common. The causes of the manifestation of this disease in men are most often inflammation of the urethra, epididymis, seminal vesicles, prostate. It happens that the penetration of infection into the urethra area occurs due to catheterization. The risk of cystitis doubles after performing a bladder catheterization in men suffering from BPH, where frequent urinary retention is one of the symptoms. The likelihood of developing cystitis also increases after the introduction of a catheter in a woman who is pregnant or has just given birth, based on decreased urinary tract tone.
Symptoms of Cystitis
In adults, cystitis often causes frequent and painful urination. The nature of the pain is described as a burning sensation. Urine changes, may smell strongly, be cloudy and have impurities in the blood. At this time, the health status may worsen and constant pain in the lower back may be felt. In the elderly and children, the symptoms of cystitis are usually not as obvious. They can be characterized by symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, and nausea.
diagnosis of cystitis
When diagnosing an illness, the urologist looks at the results of a urinalysis as well as the results of an ultrasound of the bladder. To determine the etiology of cystitis, they turn to bacterial cultures of urine and also take a swab from the urethra. In most cases, bacteria of opportunistic flora, namely staphylococci, streptococci, E. coli, etc. , can be the causes of cystitis. Often, cystitis occurs due to infection with pathogens that can be sexually transmitted - ureaplasma and mycoplasma. The treatment of cystitis involves the effect of drugs on infectious agents that can provoke the development of the disease.
treatment of cystitis
A quick cure for cystitis and even complete rehabilitation of the mucous membrane is possible if you do not delay the start of treatment, but immediately use drugs of sufficient effectiveness. The chances of completely getting rid of cystitis will increase with timely correct diagnosis and the use of drugs that affect the center of the infection. Starting treatment at later stages or prescribing a treatment that only eliminates the symptoms of cystitis without affecting the pathogenic zone can turn acute cystitis into chronic.
The main task of the doctor treating cystitis is the destruction of pathogenic microbes that have penetrated into the bladder area and provoked inflammation of the mucosa. The determination of drugs for the antibiotic therapy process of the disease takes place according to the following parameters: the duration of the disease, the severity of the symptoms. Also, during the selection of drugs, possible side effects, the method and speed of their excretion, the absorption of the drug, the presence of additional diseases and much more are taken into account.
To date, there are relatively affordable drugs for the treatment of cystitis, which selectively affect the causative agent of the disease, a qualified doctor will advise exactly such treatment. When ingested, the drug is concentrated inside the bladder, which increases its effectiveness. In addition, the use of modern antibiotics shortens the duration of treatment for cystitis, protects against side effects as much as possible and reduces the risk to the patient's entire body.
Useful tips to prevent cystitis
- try to avoid hypothermia;
- despite the circumstances, carefully observe the rules of hygiene;
- when carrying out hygiene procedures, use neutral and gentle products;
- during menstruation, change the sanitary pad in a timely manner;
- visit the toilet in time, do not delay if there is a need;
- drink more fluids;
- it is advisable to ditch tight clothes, tk. can, by squeezing, worsen blood circulation in the pelvic region;
- try to normalize intestinal activity. If there is a tendency to constipation, it is advisable to increase the intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.
In that case, the symptoms and treatment of cystitis will not be a problem for you.