According to statistics, cystitis in women is much more common than in men, which is explained by physiological differences in the structure of the urethra. This disease is often accompanied by a number of unpleasant symptoms: pain and pain during urination, frequent urination, and pain in the lower abdomen.
Cystitis is a common disease of the urinary system. It is largely due to the peculiarities of the anatomical structure, so cystitis in women is much more common than in men.
What are the causes and early signs of cystitis in women? What are the main symptoms of female cystitis? What types of cystitis are isolated? What doctor treats cystitis and how is the disease treated at home? Is it possible to prevent the development of cystitis and what should be done for this?
Cystitis in women: is it necessary to make an appointment with a doctor?
Cystitis in women can be caused by various infectious diseases, helminthic invasions, bladder stones, the onset of menopause, disruption of the endocrine system, and taking certain medications. In addition, there is interstitial cystitis, the exact mechanism of which has not yet been elucidated.
It should also be noted that cystitis in women can be acute or chronic. The chronic form is characterized both by frequent relapses of the disease and by a slow and incessant manifestation of symptoms.
In order to prevent the disease from becoming a constant source of discomfort, it is necessary to make an appointment with a doctor at the first signs of the disease and undergo the necessary treatment. All you need to do for this is call the profiling clinic. The specialists who deal with this problem are urologists and gynecologists. Although, even a general practitioner can treat a simple form of the disease.
To diagnose cystitis in women, a urinalysis, a smear from the urethra and vagina, is usually performed. In the chronic form of the disease, it is also recommended to examine for the possible presence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Also, in some cases, additional examinations are necessary, for which you will need to make an appointment with a nephrologist, do an ultrasound of the small pelvis or cystoscopy.
The insidious thing about this disease is that the treatment of cystitis is usually quite easy, and the unpleasant symptoms quickly disappear. Therefore, many women prefer to self-medicate by buying advertised antibacterial drugs in pharmacies.
However, the lack of adequate therapy, its short duration and the wrong choice of drugs contribute to the transition of the disease into a chronic form, which, in turn, is difficult to treat. Therefore, you should not take risks and use the advice of friends in choosing drugs; it's best to call your doctor on the phone and make an appointment. It must be remembered that timely treatment will not only prevent chronic cystitis, but also save other organs from the spread of infection.
What symptoms of cystitis cause more discomfort?
Signs of acute cystitis in women always appear suddenly. These include:
- frequent and strong need to urinate;
- an increased content of leukocytes in the urine and a change in its smell;
- the presence of traces of blood in the urine;
- cutting pain in the lower abdomen;
- burning and pain when urinating;
- increased body temperature.
These symptoms develop very quickly. Approximately every quarter of an hour a woman has to go to the toilet, and the amount of urine at each visit is minimal. Also, spasm of the bladder muscles can lead to urinary incontinence.
Cystitis has a tendency to relapse. Most women seek help at least once a year.
In the chronic form of the disease, the symptoms are less pronounced. For example, discomfort when urinating manifests itself quite moderately. The frequency of going to the bathroom does not change either. In general, a person can lead a normal life and attend work (study).
Methods for the prevention and treatment of cystitis.
To find out about possible ways to prevent and treat cystitis in the fairer sex, it is necessary to determine the main causes of the disease. These include:
- structural features of the urethra in women (it is shorter and wider than in men);
- hormonal fluctuations (pregnancy, menopause), which disturb the balance of the microflora and weaken the strength of local immunity;
- infection of the urinary system (may occur due to insufficient personal hygiene, unprotected sexual intercourse);
- trauma (for example, when using a catheter to divert urine).
Cystitis can also occur as a concomitant disease with diabetes mellitus or urolithiasis. By the way, it is impossible to "earn" this disease from hypothermia. And similar symptoms signal the development of polyuria (cold diuresis).
For this reason, the first thing to do when faced with cystitis is to dial the phone number of the clinic and make an appointment with the doctor. Only an experienced, evidence-based specialist will determine the presence of an inflammatory process and prescribe the correct antibiotic therapy. It will relieve most of the unpleasant symptoms for the first few days.
Also, the treatment of cystitis involves taking painkillers and antipyretic drugs. Doctors recommend during therapy to observe a sufficient drinking regimen, which will speed up recovery (bacteria will be more quickly removed from the body with urine).
Experts never tire of warning that it is dangerous to self-medicate this disease. In fact, many diseases of the genitourinary system have symptoms similar to bacterial cystitis, which cannot be cured with an antimicrobial drug. As a result, you can lose valuable time and face a serious health threat.
The measures to prevent this disease are:
- personal hygiene (daily change of underwear, frequent change of sanitary pads, as well as regular showers);
- wear properly selected underwear made from natural materials;
- timely treatment of all existing diseases of the genitourinary system;
- Mandatory visits to the bathroom and shower after sexual intercourse.
If the attack caught you on the road or on vacation, before seeking medical help, you should try to avoid hypothermia, drink more fluids, limit the consumption of spicy and salty foods, as well as alcohol.
If you have chronic cystitis, then before a long trip you should visit your doctor and discuss with him a set of medications that you need to take with you on the road. And also carry (if possible) your phone number for emergency communication.