What is urethritis in women symptoms treatment. Ureteritis and urethritis: symptoms and treatment in women. Drugs for the treatment of urethritis

Due to the misconception that urethritis is more of a male problem than a female one, not much attention has been paid to the disease, which has led to its increased spread. The modern clinical picture is characterized by frequent cases of detection of urethritis in women, which requires certain measures to be taken. The disease does not lead to death, but it can seriously spoil life, and therefore it should be treated on time and correctly.

What is urethritis

Before clarifying how to treat urethritis in women, you should understand what it is. The disease is characterized by an inflammatory process in the walls of the urethra (urethra).

The rarity of such a problem in the female compared to the male is explained by the anatomical structure of the urinary system. The urethra is no more than 2 cm in length, and is also quite wide.

On the one hand, this allows pathogenic bacteria to enter and cause disease more easily, but in men, inflammation occurs more often, since their urethra is larger in size, which means more area for development.

Urethritis is almost always accompanied by at least one other disease of the genitourinary system. Most often, such an accompanying person is cystitis, the symptoms of which are very similar, but there is one cardinal difference.

With urethritis, pain occurs throughout the entire process of urination and continues after its completion. Cystitis causes pain only for a while. Moreover, the first is a complication of the second, but relatively simple.

Signs of urethritis in women

The disease is usually classified into its types and subspecies:

  • infectious:
    • specific (infection in the form of gonococci, fungi of the genus Candida, trichomonads, chlamydia, enters the female body through sexual intercourse with the infected);
    • nonspecific (inflammatory process of a purulent nature caused by streptococci, Escherichia coli or staphylococci);
    • viral (causative agents are genital warts or herpes viruses).
  • non-infectious.

The latter type can be caused by a number of specific factors, among which are:

  • complications after allergies;
  • trauma to the urethra (during catheterization, cystoscopy, etc.)
  • small kidney stones that pass through the canal, damaging its walls;
  • inflammation caused by malignant tumors;
  • diseases of the gynecological area;
  • early onset of sexual activity;
  • problems in the pelvic vessels.

Based on these reasons, we can summarize that you can get infected in two ways. The first is sexual, in which the infection is transmitted from one partner to another through sexual contact, the second is hematogenous, when the microorganism that causes the disease is already present in another part of the body and has moved through the blood into the urethra.

The development of the disease is influenced by generally accepted factors, including weakened immunity, hypothermia, violation of personal hygiene rules, chronic diseases, injuries, stress and hormonal failure.

How is urethritis manifested?

Like any disease, urethritis in women has symptoms by which it can be identified and even distinguished from other ailments. It is worth noting that there is some difficulty in diagnosing the disease, since in women it occurs with less severe symptoms or without it at all.

The incubation period of urethritis is characterized by a large difference in duration. It can take a few minutes or several months. During this time, the disease may be in a latent form, and even at its end, the symptoms may still not appear.

Thus, urethritis automatically turns into a chronic condition, which is not felt for a long time, but is sexually transmitted, and then can cause a number of complications that will take a long time to deal with.

If the disease makes itself felt, then it can manifest itself in the following ways:

  • itching sensation when urinating;
  • aching, pulling, uncomfortable feeling;
  • periodic pain in the pubic area;
  • whitish or purulent discharge from the urethra;
  • some stickiness in the urethra in the morning;
  • blood clots in the urine.


Symptoms can be seen both in a single order, and in a combination of several at once. Any changes in temperature, general condition of the body and well-being may not be observed. In the chronic form, discomfort and pain occurs only in the acute phase of the disease.

In addition, urethritis in women, the symptoms and treatment of which may be different, is also characterized by a specific manifestation. It depends on what the causative agent of the disease is.

With gonorrheal urethritis, 2-3 weeks after infection, a cutting pain is felt in the process of going to the toilet. There is also severe discomfort with prolonged abstinence.

Candidal urethritis is characterized by burning, pain and discomfort during urination. The development of symptoms falls approximately 21 days after infection. Also noticeable discharge, characterized by a pinkish tint of white thick mass.

At 3 weeks, trichomonas urethritis manifests itself with severe itching and burning in the urethra and in the external genital organs. Quite often, it may not appear at all or hide in a chronic form.

Also, after a few weeks, chlamydial urethritis may make itself felt. It is characterized by slight itching and pain when urinating, as well as various discharges, sometimes even with pus.

Do not ignore and urogenital tuberculosis. Only with this form of urethritis can low-grade fever, sweating and weakness be observed. It can be combined with tuberculosis of the kidneys, genitals and bladder.

Mycoplasma urethritis causes mild itching and mild urinary discomfort. Today, this form of the disease is the rarest case, and under certain circumstances it may even be the norm.

Types of treatment for urethritis in women

In order to get rid of the disease, measures should be taken in a timely manner. Many doctors note the fact that some women self-diagnose and prescribe a treatment course and most often make mistakes because of similar symptoms.

Only a specialist who conducts certain examinations for the accuracy of the determination can diagnose the disease and prescribe treatment. Treatment consists of several types, which must accompany each other for a speedy and complete recovery.

medicines

Drug treatment of urethritis in women requires drugs depending on the form of the disease. So, with trichomonas urethritis, metronidazole, ornidazole, benzydamine, etc. can be prescribed.

Gonorrheal urethritis does not tolerate antibiotics such as oletethrin, cefacor, erythromycin, rafimpicin and others. It is worth noting that the drug is prescribed only by a doctor in each individual case.

Nonspecific urethritis is treated with antibiotics, which are somewhat versatile (broad spectrum). Viral urethritis in women requires treatment with antiviral agents, which include acyclovir.

Each antibiotic has its own requirements for admission. These include dosage, how it is taken (oral, oral, rectal, vaginal), etc. Also, in individual cases, injections or infusions through a catheter may be prescribed.

Non-drug

Urethritis in women, the symptoms and treatment of which depend on the form, has one common universal remedy - proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. Such a course is not the main one, but it necessarily accompanies the medication.

The daily diet should lose fatty, spicy, sour foods, as well as foods high in salt. Particular attention should be paid to the mode, number and volume of servings. Do not forget that you need to drink at least 1.5 liters of liquid (water, natural juices, tea).

A healthy lifestyle involves the exclusion of hypothermia, personal hygiene, and protected sexual contact. If the disease is still present in the body, then sexual intimacy should be excluded until complete recovery.

Folk remedies

If urethritis is found in women, symptoms, treatment, drugs - all this is important, but traditional medicine should also not stand aside. First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to strengthening the immune system.

In parallel with this, you should drink herbal infusions in order to remove the infection from the body, heal the damage. Among the most useful are the following infusions:

  • from currant leaves (black);
  • from the grass of yellow Zelenchuk;
  • from parsley leaves.

Such funds are also necessary for preventive purposes, which will eliminate the development of problems and complications.

According to ICD-10, urethritis is designated by the common code N34. When classifying, numbers are added to it after the dot, for example N34.1 - for a non-specific type of disease. In addition, to indicate the cause of the inflammatory process (infectious agent), an additional coding in the range from B95 to B98 is used.

Since the anatomically male and female urinary systems are significantly different, urethral inflammation has features in both sexes. Below we consider urethritis in women - symptoms and treatment of the disease, its causes and varieties, differences from cystitis and methods of prevention. It is also necessary to know about the influence of the inflammatory process on pregnancy and its consequences in the absence of therapy.

This is the name of the inflammation of the walls of the urethra, which usually has an infectious origin. It is extremely rare that the disease develops for other reasons not related to tissue damage by pathogens (for example, allergic urethritis). The infectious-inflammatory process first proceeds in an acute form, accompanied by characteristic pronounced symptoms.

If adequate therapy is not carried out, the pathology passes into the chronic stage, other pelvic organs are affected. As treatment, first of all, systemic antibiotics are used for urethritis. Local preparations, herbal baths and restorative therapy are also shown. The disease is quite common, in women it is often combined with inflammation of the bladder due to ascending infection and anatomical features (the urethra is wide and short).

Classification and reasons

First of all, urethritis is divided into infectious and non-infectious. The former are much less common, the causes of irritation and inflammation of the urethral wall in this case are:

  • Mechanical injuries of the epithelium due to medical manipulations (catheterization, cytoscopy), intentional damage or release of stones in KSD.
  • Allergic diseases.
  • Tumors of the urethra, having a malignant nature.
  • Venous stasis in the pelvic organs.

Pathologies of infectious origin are diagnosed in most cases, subdivided into nonspecific and specific. Nonspecific urethritis develops as a result of damage to the urethra by opportunistic microflora (most often, these are strepto- and staphylococci, as well as E. coli). The causes of specific urethritis in women are gonococci, mycoplasmas, chlamydia, trichomonas and candida.

Infection occurs through sexual contact, when microorganisms enter the urethra from other parts of the urinary tract, or the infection is transferred from a distant focus of inflammation with blood and lymph flow (with tonsillitis, for example). Factors that contribute to the development of the inflammatory process are:

  • decreased immunity;
  • hypothermia;
  • non-compliance with hygiene requirements;
  • alcohol abuse;
  • hormonal changes during pregnancy, for example);
  • chronic inflammation of various localization;
  • injuries and diseases of the genital organs.

The cause of the development of the inflammatory process can also be a stressful state of the body.

Symptoms of urethritis in women

The disease manifests itself in different ways, depending on its nature and phase of the pathological process. In the acute stage, inflammation is more pronounced, and in the chronic stage it often proceeds in an erased form. In addition, the symptoms depend on the infectious agent. A distinctive feature of urethritis in women is less pronounced symptoms, compared with inflammation of the urethra in men. About half of diagnosed cases are almost asymptomatic. Common and most characteristic manifestations are:

  • pain during urination;
  • discharge of a different nature from the urethra;
  • the presence of blood in the urine.

These phenomena can occur in combination or separately, have varying degrees of severity. With nonspecific inflammation, there is usually no deterioration in the general condition: there is no fever, weakness, etc. With a specific variety, the symptoms of urethritis in women differ depending on the infectious agent that caused the inflammation and are described in detail below.

Gonorrheal

The most common route of infection is sexual intercourse, but household infection through hygiene items is also likely. The incubation period most often lasts from 3 days to a week, but can drag on for almost a month. Gonorrheal urethritis begins acutely:

  • copious purulent discharge appears;
  • urination is accompanied by cutting pains;
  • the spread of the infection leads to an increase in temperature.

It is very important to consult a doctor at this stage, since in 2 months the symptoms subside, the process becomes chronic and more difficult to cure.

Trichomonas

In a third of cases, inflammation of the urethra in women due to infection with Trichomonas is asymptomatic. In the rest, moderate whitish discharge appears, slightly foamy, as well as mild itching in the urethra. Before the appearance of these signs from the moment of infection, it takes from 5 to 15 days.

Chlamydial

With the timely treatment of this type of urethritis, there are certain difficulties, since most often it develops asymptomatically. The first 2-3 weeks there are no pathological signs at all, and then scanty discharge may appear. In this case, the infection affects not only the genitals, but also spreads to the conjunctiva and joints: in some cases, conjunctivitis and arthritis may occur.

candidamycotic

Most often, the pathology develops against the background of long-term use of antimicrobials or vulvovaginin, caused by yeast-like fungi. Discharge from the urethra is scarce, has a white-pink tint, urination is accompanied by implicit painful sensations.

Differences between urethritis and cystitis

Since the female urethra differs from the male one in greater width and shorter length, the infection quickly spreads upward and cystitis joins the urethritis. However, in the early stages there are features of the course of the inflammatory process that make it possible to distinguish one disease from another:

  • Characteristic cutting pains with cystitis occur at the very end of urination, while with damage to the urethra they accompany the whole process from the beginning.
  • Inflammation of the bladder leads to frequent urination, unlike urethritis.
  • With cystitis, the urine becomes cloudy, it has an intense specific smell, but discharge from the urethra is usually not observed.
  • Pain in the lower abdomen is more characteristic of bladder inflammation. It has a constant, pulling character.

In any case, if any symptoms appear, you should immediately contact a urologist. Only a doctor will be able to make an accurate diagnosis, determine the pathogen and prescribe adequate therapy.

Diagnosis of urethritis

A preliminary diagnosis is made on the basis of subjective complaints and examination. With the latter, hyperemia of the external opening of the urethra is often detected, palpation causes pain and discharge. However, such data is not enough to make an accurate diagnosis, so a woman is prescribed:

  • general blood and urine tests;
  • microscopy of secretions and bakposev;
  • examination of smears by PCR diagnostics.

Urethroscopy (instrumental examination) is also carried out, which allows you to examine the urethra and take a biopsy for research.

How to treat urethritis in women

A non-specific type of inflammation caused by intestinal stick, staphylo- or streptococci is treated by a urologist after identifying the pathogen. With specific treatment, it is carried out by a gynecologist and venereologist (STD), since not only the urethra is affected, but also the genitals. The approach to the treatment of urethritis should be comprehensive: the therapy is based on systemic antibiotics, supplemented with local antimicrobial agents, lavages, and immunostimulants. The duration depends on the form and nature of inflammation (for example, acute is treated faster) and the individual characteristics of the organism.

The best drugs for the treatment of urethritis in women

As already mentioned, the basis for the treatment of bacterial inflammation of the urethra is systemic antibiotics (orally or parenterally). Which drug is needed, the doctor decides based on the results of tests to identify the pathogen. Antibiotics are used for urethritis in men and women are the same:

  • Nonspecific urethritis is treated with broad-spectrum antimicrobial drugs. The drugs of choice include fluoroquinolones (, and others),. It also proved to be good for urethritis, since it is not contraindicated for pregnant women and a single dose is sufficient (in some cases, a double dose is indicated).
  • With gonorrhea, intramuscular or oral fluoroquinolones are also indicated - Ofloxacin and.
  • Trichomonas urethritis is treated with imidazole derivatives, which are especially active against the pathogen. Usually a course of Metronidazole is prescribed, you can also use or.
  • With inflammation caused by chlamydia, the drugs of choice are urethritis tablets Azithromycin and. Reserve -, Ofloxacin,.
  • If yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida are the cause of inflammation of the urethra, systemic fungicidal antibiotics are prescribed:, and others. Since candidal urethritis is usually accompanied by vaginal candidiasis, it is advisable to use vaginal suppositories in parallel with urethritis in women with nystatin.

Washing with antiseptic solutions can be prescribed as local therapy. To increase the body's defenses, multivitamin complexes and immunostimulating drugs are prescribed. Such a popular diuretic of plant origin as Kanefron for urethritis can also be used, but only in combination with antimicrobial drugs.

Urethritis during pregnancy

Inflammation of the urethra during childbearing is not uncommon. The main factor contributing to its development is usually a change in hormonal balance. The possibility of developing specific forms of pathology when infected through sexual contact is not excluded. Bacterial urethritis can lead to complications that threaten the health and life of the fetus, so with the most minor symptoms of the disease, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Infectious urethritis during pregnancy is also treated, primarily with antibiotics. However, the potential danger of antibiotic therapy is taken into account, so the least toxic drugs are prescribed. For the treatment of nonspecific inflammation, the optimal drugs are Monural, Amoxicillin and Furadonin. Fluoroquinolones should not be used categorically, as in the case of a specific form of the disease. Treatment of trichomonas urethritis during pregnancy begins only from the second trimester, since imidazoles are contraindicated in the early stages.

Treatment of urethritis in women with folk remedies

With the permission of your doctor, you can use some safe and quite effective alternative medicine recipes:

  • Infusion of a tablespoon of chopped parsley leaves in 0.5 liters of water. After insisting, strain, take 3 tablespoons with a two-hour interval.
  • Another effective folk way to treat urethritis at home in women is cornflower blue infusion. It is prepared from a teaspoon of raw materials (per a glass of boiling water), infused for an hour. After straining, you need to drink 30 ml of the resulting liquid before each meal.
  • Linden decoction is considered an effective remedy for pain. In 0.5 liters of water, pour 2 tbsp. tablespoons of raw materials, then boil for 10 minutes and strain after cooling. Take half a cup before bed.

We must not forget that antibiotics for urethritis are the basis of treatment, and any herbal medicine is possible only as a supplement.

Prevention

To prevent this disease, which is fraught with complications and significantly worsens the quality of life, it is necessary to observe personal hygiene, improve health, treat any infections in a timely manner and lead an orderly sex life.

Actually, urethritis symptoms and treatment in women and men differ from the manifestations and therapy of the inflammatory process in the ureters. For him in medicine there is a separate term - ureteritis.

Ureteritis is an inflammation of the ureters. In women, the symptoms appear in the same way as in men, because the structure of these tubes is the same in both sexes. The main symptom of ureteritis is pain.

It can be not only of different strength, but also of character:

  • aching;
  • stabbing;
  • dull or sharp;
  • constant or paroxysmal.

The irradiation of pain from inflammation of the thin long tubes between the kidneys and the bladder directly depends on the localization of the inflammatory process in them:

  • from the top third, in the area of ​​narrowing of the transition from the renal pelvis of the kidney to the beginning of the ureteral tube - to the womb;
  • from the middle, in the area of ​​​​transition to the small pelvis - in the groin;
  • from the lower third, in the mouth confluence into the bladder - into the genitals.

With inflammatory processes in the lower part of the ureters, various kinds of urination disorders can occur - difficulty, delay, increase,. This is due to the fact that this area has a common system of innervation with the bladder.

For your information. The special structure of the ureters, namely the presence of a muscular layer in them, additionally guarantees the movement of urine, normally, only in one direction, and does not allow it to get back into the kidneys.

Causes

Ureteritis can be caused by anatomical and structural abnormalities in the development of the ureter or be the result of an acquired change in its walls.

Inflammation of the ureters can be a clinical symptom of the following diseases or conditions:

  1. (when sand or stones pass through the ureter).
  2. Stricture- congenital or acquired, due to trauma, tumor or tuberculosis, narrowing of the lumen of the ureter.
  3. Vesicoureteral reflux, which in turn may be the result of such diseases or conditions:
  • prostate adenoma;
  • neurogenic dysfunction of the bladder;
  • shrinkage of the bladder;
  • stenosis (narrowing) of other lumens of the urinary system;
  • anomalies in the structure and development of the ureter;
  • trauma to the ureter during operations or manipulations.
  1. retroperitoneal fibrosis.
  2. Congenital neuromuscular dysplasia of the ureter.
  3. Ureterocele or cystic cysts of the lower third of the ureter.
  4. Benign and.
  5. Tuberculosis of the kidney.
  6. Accumulation of pus occurring in the stump of the ureter after removal of the entire kidney.

Diagnosis and therapy

Inflammation of the ureter in women treatment will depend on the specific cause that caused the inflammatory process.

For diagnostics, you need to do:

  • general and biochemical analyzes of urine and blood;
  • cystoscopy - endoscopic examination of the bladder;
  • diagnostic catheterization of the ureter - determination of the size and nature of the level of the obstacle, separate receipt of urinary fluid for subsequent analysis, performance of ureteropyelography;
  • X-ray examinations - urography: survey, excretory, retrograde.
  • MRI, CT, MSCT (multispiral computed tomography).

Only a doctor can decide how to treat the identified pathology, accompanied by inflammation of the ureters. Will conservative medical therapy be sufficient or will surgery be required?

Important. The cost of not clarifying the diagnosis and self-treatment with uroseptic drugs and antibiotics can be deplorable, and end with surgery, even in cases where this could have been avoided.

Urethritis

Urethritis is an acute or chronic urological disease of inflammatory etiology that affects a single hollow tube that serves to remove urine from the bladder into the external environment.

On a note. Unlike women, the urethra in men is also a reproductive organ. It is through it that the sperm is released outside.

The size of the female urethra, its small length and the ability to significant diametrical stretching, makes infection easy, so female urethritis is slightly more common than male.

Causes

The causes of urethritis in women are divided into two groups:

  • Infectious urethritis, which are caused by:
    1. specific bacterial flora - gonococci, chlamydia, candida, Trichomonas and / or gardnerella;
    2. nonspecific pathogens - Escherichia coli, Proteus, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus aureus.
  • Non-infectious urethritis may be due to:
    1. mechanical injury to the wall of the urethra during medical procedures;
    2. exacerbation of urolithiasis - the passage of a stone or sand, crystallization of urine;
    3. urethral stricture - narrowing of the urinary canal;
    4. allergic reaction.

Attention. Non-infectious urethritis in women, the causes of its occurrence become an activator of the accelerated reproduction of opportunistic microorganisms, primarily staphylococci. Therefore, untreated this form of the disease quickly leads to the development of secondary nonspecific bacterial urethritis.

Urethritis in women - symptoms, treatment - depend on the above types of pathology.

Manifestations

Signs of urethritis in women:

  • pain, cramps and burning sensation during urination, especially in its first phase;
  • itching during menstruation;
  • discharge from the urethra of different color shades, transparency and odors, which are more intense after waking up;
  • redness of the large and cyanosis of the small labia;
  • possible - intermittent urination, weakness or bifurcation of the jet, bloody discharge in the urine.

Important. Inflammation of the urethra in women, symptoms of specific forms that are sexually transmitted, for example, gonorrheal urethritis, often appear only a few months after intercourse with a carrier of gonococci. How quickly, after a few hours, weeks or months, a clinic of characteristic manifestations occurs depends on the general condition of the woman's body and predisposing factors.

Treatment

How to treat and how to cure urethritis in women? For this, first of all, it is necessary to establish the true cause of the inflammatory process.

To clarify the diagnosis, you need:

  • questioning and examination;
  • profile conclusion on the presence of infectious gynecological diseases;
  • analysis of a smear from the urethra - culture with the determination of sensitivity to antibiotics;
  • in the absence of secretions - analysis of the first portion of urine from a 3-glass sample;
  • general urine and blood tests;
  • Ultrasound of all parts of the urinary system.

Treatment of non-infectious urethritis

Inflammation of the urethra in women, surgical treatment is indicated in the presence of:

  • malformation of the urinary canal;
  • rupture of the urethra;
  • significant narrowing of its lumen.

Urethroplasty, both in men and women, can be performed not at once, but in several stages.

How to treat urethritis in women if it is caused by an allergy?

Recognition of the allergic nature of urethritis by smear analysis - the absence of pathogenic flora and the presence of a large number of eosinophils - is extremely important, since taking antibiotics can only worsen the patient's condition.

The medical instruction for the treatment of allergic urethritis is as follows:

  • identification of the allergen and exclusion of contact with it;
  • selection of an antihistamine drug, which is best administered by injection;
  • with a mild effect of antihistamines, hormonal drugs are additionally prescribed.

For your information. With a strong narrowing of the lumen of the urinary canal, due to allergic edema of the tissues surrounding it, sessions of therapeutic bougienage are performed. However, in such cases, after manipulations, not antibiotics are prescribed, but anti-inflammatory drugs of general action.

Treatment of infectious urethritis

Urethritis in women, the treatment of its infectious forms is carried out at home.

The basis of therapy is the selection and administration of a drug in one of the groups of antibacterial drugs:

  • sulfonamides,
  • fluoroquinolones;
  • cephalosporins;
  • tetracyclines,
  • macrolides.

The duration of antibiotic intake is selected individually and depends on the severity of the inflammatory process.

Treatment of urethritis in women will be ineffective if the following recommendations are not followed:

  • additional drug therapy is needed - taking diuretics, chemical uroantispetics, anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamin complexes, immunostimulants;
  • non-drug treatment is shown with the help of urological herbal preparations, as well as regular drinking of kidney tea, cranberry juice, bearberry leaf infusion;
  • in the chronic form of urethritis, instillation may be necessary - the introduction of drugs into the urethra;
  • it is important to strictly observe personal hygiene;
  • it is necessary to normalize the daily consumption of clean water to at least 2.5 liters;
  • for the duration of treatment, you must categorically refuse to take any alcoholic beverages, exclude salty and spicy foods from the diet, and also increase the consumption of dairy and vegetable products;
  • you should avoid hypothermia, do not visit the pool, bath or sauna;
  • It is necessary to reduce the level of physical activity for a while.

Important elements of the treatment of inflammation of the urinary canal is the complete rejection of sexual intercourse until the inflammatory process is eliminated. Sexual partners should also be warned about the possibility of infection, the need for examination and treatment. Otherwise, re-infection is possible and even a condom will not be able to protect a woman from it.

Attention! After the end of the course of treatment, it is imperative to do control tests. Only they are a reliable confirmation of the cure of infectious urethritis.

Urethritis during pregnancy

Urethritis and pregnancy are two conditions of a woman that can occur simultaneously. At the same time, inflammation of the urinary canal could develop before the onset of pregnancy, and proceed in a latent (latent) chronic form, or maybe an acquired disease already while waiting for the baby to be born.

On a note. Frequent cases of the development of urethritis in pregnant women are explained by the natural decrease in the immunity of a woman, which is necessary for bearing a fetus. But it is precisely the decrease in the protective properties of the body that allows opportunistic and pathogenic bacteria to actively multiply in the area of ​​the urinary canal and vagina.

Urethritis in pregnant women, the symptoms and causes of the pathology are the same as those in non-pregnant women.

Expectant mothers should be aware of the possible consequences that urethritis can give during pregnancy:

  • placental insufficiency, followed by: fetal hypoxia, its slow development or regression of pregnancy;
  • spontaneous miscarriage;
  • gestosis - late toxicosis.

In order to avoid the temptation of self-treatment by expectant mothers, we will not give specific names and even the names of groups of antibiotics that are used to treat inflammation of the urinary tract in pregnant women. Let them pick up and appoint an obstetrician-gynecologist or urologist.

Let's just say that until the 16th week, antibiotics are prescribed only for strict indications, and starting from the 17th week, you should not worry about the effect of antibiotics on the fetus. Modern drugs and their dosage will not cause abnormal development and will not affect the health of the unborn child.

After antibiotic therapy, urethritis during pregnancy is indicated to complete its treatment as soon as possible with the restoration of normal microflora. Vagilak tablets or Lactagel vaginal suppositories are suitable for this.

And in conclusion of the article, it should be clarified that periodic relapses of untreated chronic urethritis, "hiding" in women in the Bartholin glands or in the small glands of the vestibule, sooner or later will cause inflammatory diseases of the vagina, bladder, and possibly even ureters and kidneys.

Content

Previously, it was believed that men were more inclined to this disease, but urethritis in women is a common occurrence. Many women of different ages become victims of this disease for various reasons, but the main one is infection. Whatever the prerequisites for the appearance of urethritis, its treatment should be approached seriously and thoroughly.

Knowing the factors that provoke the appearance of urethritis in women will help to avoid the disease or understand its causes. Depending on the nature of the occurrence, the disease is divided into two varieties:

  • Infectious (specific pathogens - chlamydia, gardnerella, trichomonas, ureaplasma, mycoplasma; non-specific - streptococcus, staphylococcus and gonococcus, causing gonorrheal urethritis).
  • Illness due to other factors.

Both varieties are associated with a decrease in immune functions. The main factors affecting the development of urethritis are:

  • Severe hypothermia, regardless of whether the woman was exposed to it once or a slight cold constantly affected the genitourinary system. Therefore, adults have been teaching girls from childhood to “not sit in the cold” - the consequences can be terrible.
  • Sexual contacts. After the first experience with a man, some women report symptoms of the onset of the disease. This may be due to the impact of "alien" microflora on the body and provoke the development of infection.
  • Venereal diseases, sexually transmitted diseases. Be careful when intimacy with a new partner, use contraception to avoid infection.
  • Temporary decrease in immunity due to certain factors - pregnancy, childbirth, menstrual cycle, menopause. The hormonal background, which is unstable at these moments, can cause a violation of the immune system, as a result - the appearance of urethritis.
  • Gynecological problems of acute and chronic course, reducing local immunity.
  • Wrong nutrition. Excessively spicy, salty foods, drinking alcoholic beverages.
  • Medical procedures that may cause unwanted effects: a swab taken from the woman's urethra, passing a catheter into the urethra. These procedures are carried out to alleviate the course of urethritis, but may cause additional exacerbation.
  • Cystitis. Inflammation of the bladder can be both a consequence and a cause of urethritis.
  • Urolithiasis disease. Excess salts excreted from the body with urine injure the urinary passage, causing inflammation.
  • Radiation sickness.

In order not to harm your body, you should not try to determine the cause of urethritis on your own and self-medicate. Contact a professional uro-gynecologist who will carry out all the necessary diagnostic procedures. The genital organs of a woman are closely connected with the urinary system, and basically urethritis appears due to a violation of the microflora of the vagina, where suitable conditions are created for the development of pathogenic microorganisms.

Symptoms of inflammation of the urethra

The main signs of urethritis in all women are:

  • Painful, burning sensations during the entire process of urination, increased sensitivity of the urethra.
  • The presence of redness on the skin of the external genital organs, as well as the urethra.
  • Discharge of pus from the urethra. The color of pus varies from white to green, depending on the nature of the occurrence.
  • Feeling of constant itching in the vagina, which becomes worse before menstruation.
  • Constant pulling pains in the lower abdomen. Usually the nature of such sensations is not acute, the pain is weak.

Many cannot correctly distinguish between the symptomatic features of urethritis and cystitis. To avoid misdiagnosis, note that cystitis is characterized by burning pain, cutting at the end of urination, causing a constant urge to go to the toilet, and urethritis provokes a painful sensation during the entire process of passing urine through the inflamed urethra (pictured).

Symptoms may differ, because urethritis in women can be of different types - herpetic, candidal, purulent, allergic, tuberculosis, etc. The external manifestations of each type of urethritis and the treatment of the disease will be different.

How to treat urethritis in women - drugs

In the treatment of urethritis in women, a scheme is used that involves a comprehensive solution to the problem. Medicines are used as separate means and in the process of carrying out certain procedures. In the complex treatment of urethritis appoint:

  • Antibiotics are essential to help fight infection. Their reception is possible only after a series of tests that determine the sensitivity of the infection to certain antibiotic drugs. Taking a general antibiotic without first determining the pathogen, in some cases, you may not achieve the effect of treatment.
  • Special antiseptic sitz baths, which will additionally help neutralize the infection.
  • Physiotherapy, involving the use of electrophoresis on disease areas, heating applications.
  • Tampons treated with medicated ointments that are inserted into the vagina.
  • All kinds of means that stimulate, support the immune system - immunomodulators, immunostimulants. The vitamin complex will also help the body cope with urethritis.

Urethritis in women requires not only powerful drug therapy, but also the right lifestyle. A necessary condition for recovery is a diet that includes proper nutrition, the absence of salty, spicy foods. You should eat as many vegetables and fruits as possible, give up fried foods, drink at least a liter of water per day. During exacerbations of urethritis, it is recommended to drink milk.

People with a predisposition to urethritis should be attentive to the hygiene of the genital organs, limit the number of sexual intercourses, and not overdo it with sports. In case of a serious complication of urethritis - deformation of the urethra, leading to constant pain, the procedure of cauterization of the walls is performed to restore their properties.

After treatment of urethritis, if there is a positive result, it is necessary to undergo regular examinations, follow the preventive indications of doctors in order to prevent new inflammation.

Antibiotics

When the diagnosis is passed and the pathogen is determined, a course of antibiotics is prescribed for the treatment of urethritis. The very type of medicine depends on the microorganisms against which it has to fight. It can be ceftriaxone, tetracycline, ornidazole, metronidazole, doxycycline, azithromycin. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are an indispensable part of treatment.

They can be prescribed in the form of tablets, intravenous and intramuscular injections, suppositories, "installations" (when an antibiotic is injected through a catheter into the urethra). Also, doctors can prescribe combinations of several antibiotics - two, three, four. The latter is typical for severe cases of the course of the disease.

Candles

The use of suppositories is a common practice during the treatment of urethritis in a healthy woman and prevention. This local remedy acts directly on the problem itself. The drug helps to remove itching, burning, pain. Vaginal antibacterial, anti-inflammatory suppositories are also prescribed by doctors when a large dose of antibiotics is contraindicated.

Treatment of urethritis with folk remedies

Therapy with medicines has gone far ahead, but urethritis in women is often treated with folk remedies that have not become obsolete so far. Natural components contain microelements, vitamins, which contribute to the weakening of the symptoms of the disease, the improvement of the body. However, it is recommended to use folk remedies as an addition to the treatment of urethritis.

Here are some folk recipes that will help you cure this unpleasant disease:

  • Parsley tincture. Such a remedy must be taken every few hours, three tablespoons. To prepare the tincture, pour one tablespoon of raw materials with half a liter of water, leave to infuse all night. In the morning the tincture will be ready.

  • Two glasses of yellow zelenchuk tincture (daily rate) will help get rid of the problem. To prepare the tincture, pour a quarter liter of hot water over one tablespoon of the herb. In twelve hours it will be ready for use.
  • Blackcurrant leaves (3 tsp) should be poured with half a liter of boiling water and drunk as tea.
  • Flower tincture of cornflower. Use this remedy twice a day, two tablespoons before meals. The remedy is prepared as follows: the flowers of the plant are poured with a quarter liter of boiling water. After that, you have to wait a few hours.

By taking various tinctures, you bring the moment of recovery closer. They are easy to prepare at home.

Prevention at home

Take care of your health yourself: follow preventive procedures to avoid illness or its recurrence:

  • After anal intercourse or caresses of this area, you can not go to the vaginal.
  • Go to the toilet before and after sexual contact.
  • Do not forget about mandatory contraceptives.
  • Eat right.
  • Hygiene is the basis of the health of the genitourinary system.
  • Avoid stress.
  • Maintain immunity with periodic courses of vitamins.
  • Check the microflora of the vagina at the gynecologist to avoid dysbacteriosis, which can lead to the onset of the disease.

Remember that you can prevent urethritis in its early stages by taking good care of your body. Maintain a healthy lifestyle, avoid factors that provoke the development of the disease, and you will not encounter it.

Have you ever struggled with this disease? Tell us about your experience in the comments after the article.

Attention! The information provided in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials of the article do not call for self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and give recommendations for treatment, based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.

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Urethritis in women is an inflammatory process of the mucous membrane of the urethra, which brings discomfort, makes it incapacitating.

The treatment of the disease in women has features.

Is there any problem? Enter in the form "Symptom" or "Name of the disease" press Enter and you will find out all the treatment of this problem or disease.

The site provides background information. Adequate diagnosis and treatment of the disease is possible under the supervision of a conscientious physician. All drugs have contraindications. You need to consult a specialist, as well as a detailed study of the instructions! .

Symptoms and treatment

Specific Symptoms

Symptoms of urethritis in women are specific. The disease often coincides with hormonal changes in the body, which weakens the immune system.
The provoking factor will be:

  • Beginning of menstruation
  • climacteric symptoms,
  • Refusal of contraceptives taken for a long time.


Its onset is usually sudden.

Characteristic signs appear:

  • Frequent urge to urinate;
  • Cutting pain when urinating;
  • Sometimes spotting;
  • If there is an infection in the urine, an admixture of pus;
  • There is a burning sensation in the lower abdomen.

This is accompanied by a failure of the menstrual cycle.

Symptoms of the chronic form

The chronic form of the disease can often not make itself felt for a long time. Sometimes the patient feels pain when urinating. Sometimes discomfort accompanies sexual intercourse. Sometimes chronic urethritis can make itself felt after a long sitting in an uncomfortable position or even due to stress.

The most common cause is infection with gonorrhea or chlamydia. If treatment is not started in time, then after a while the woman's condition will stabilize, and the disease will take a latent course. It is worth the patient to catch a cold, overeat spicy or salty foods, drink too much alcohol, as urethritis will make itself felt.

Treatment of acute and chronic forms

Before starting treatment, the doctor conducts a thorough differential diagnosis. It is not particularly difficult to establish the presence of a disease, but the problem lies in clarifying whether it is an independent disease or a complication of some other one.

First, an examination is carried out in a gynecological chair with mirrors, then swabs are taken for laboratory tests.
They include

  • Analysis for latent infections,
  • DNA and RNA diagnostics.

Blood, urine, vaginal swabs are taken for examination. In doubtful cases, a biopsy is prescribed for cytological and histological examination. It is mandatory to conduct an ultrasound of the pelvis to detect pathology in the female genital area:

  • womb,
  • pipes,
  • ovaries,
  • Appendages.

If the underlying cause of the disease is not identified, then in the absence of the necessary treatment, it can become chronic.


For the treatment of the acute form of the disease are prescribed:
  • antibiotics,
  • anti-inflammatory drugs,
  • Antispasmodics,
  • Immunostimulants,
  • Antihistamines.

Physiotherapy is prescribed to speed up recovery. Recovery usually occurs within a week.

The chronic form requires a more careful approach. The doctor takes a smear on the microflora with sensitivity to antibiotics to determine which group of microorganisms caused the development of inflammation.

Diuretic drugs are then prescribed to avoid infection and urinary stasis. Diuretics help to effectively cleanse the urethral mucosa from inflamed cells.

The treatment is longer, usually it takes about 2 weeks or longer.

If chronic urethritis is started, lasts for many years, then recovery may be delayed.

Correction steps are aimed at:

  • Improvement of the internal parenchyma of the urethra,
  • pain relief,
  • Elimination of inflammatory phenomena.

After a course of antibiotics, normalization of the biocenosis is necessary. During antibiotic therapy, pathogenic microorganisms should die, conditionally pathogenic microorganisms that strengthen the immune system, which are pathogenic antagonists, and normal microflora should remain alive. Reception of antibacterial agents should occur under the strict supervision of a physician to avoid dysbacteriosis.

The goal of treatment is to restore full immunity. If urethritis is caused by an infection, it can spread through the bloodstream throughout the body. If the disease arose under the influence of adverse factors, then its course weakens the body.

You need to take:

  • vitamins,
  • Minerals,
  • regulating water-salt metabolism,
  • Fortifying agents.


The patient should regularly come for examination to a gynecologist or urologist, take tests, so that the specialist can see how effective the treatment prescribed by him is.

During this time, sexual intercourse should be avoided.

Often the symptoms disappear quickly if all the prescriptions prescribed by the doctor are observed. When chronic urethritis has already given complications, and adhesions of the urethra are observed, the urethra is washed with special solutions.

On the one hand, they clean the channel, free it from stagnation, and on the other hand, they cauterize the mucous membrane so that it can separate, giving it the opportunity to renew its cells. The method usually helps immediately, after a few days the patient feels relief.

Causes

The causes of urethritis will be both microbial or viral pathogens, and harmful factors. Urethritis in women develops under the influence of infectious agents, under the influence of physical, chemical or mechanical factors.

The reasons for the development of this disease can be:

  • Unsuccessful first sexual experience;
  • Hypothermia of the body;
  • Sexually transmitted infections;
  • Alcoholism;
  • addiction to spicy food;
  • immune deficiency;
  • Injuries;
  • Consequences of gynecological intervention;
  • urolithiasis;
  • Diseases of the female genital area, etc.

Immune protection after the disease is not formed. After treatment, you can get sick a second time.

Nonspecific and specific pathogens

This form is not very common.
It is caused by various pathogenic microorganisms:

  • Staphylococci;
  • streptococci;
  • Escherichia coli and others.

The various pathogens that are sexually transmitted include:

  • chlamydia,
  • Mycoplasmas,
  • Gonorrhea
  • Ureaplasma
  • Herpes.

It is important to determine the type of pathogen before starting drug treatment. This is easy to do in any diagnostic laboratory.

It is important to recognize which disease you are dealing with.

Cystitis gives similar symptoms.

The main difference here is that with urethritis the patient generally hurts to urinate, sometimes even so much that there is a spasm of the urinary tract, and she cannot squeeze out a drop from herself.

With cystitis, urination passes freely, and only when it is completed, the woman feels pain. Sometimes one disease accompanies another or becomes its consequence.

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Complications and prevention

If a woman does not go to the doctor in time, then urethritis is fraught with many serious complications:

  • pyelonephritis,
  • cervicitis,
  • Inflammation and infection of the organs of the female genital area,
  • ovarian cysts,
  • Adhesions of the urethra.

If you adhere to elementary preventive measures, then urethritis can be avoided:

  • Regular examination by a gynecologist;
  • Avoidance of casual connections;
  • The use of protective agents against infections during sexual intercourse;
  • Maintaining immunity;
  • Absence of colds;
  • Wearing only dry clothes;
  • Refusal of light underwear in winter;
  • Relief from heavy lifting;
  • Proper nutrition;
  • moderate alcohol consumption;
  • smoking cessation;
  • Reception of substances that contribute to the diuretic effect, apples, dried fruits, cranberries;
  • Nutrition with the predominant use of lactic acid products, vegetables and fruits, cereals;
  • Protection against nervous overvoltage, etc.