Cystitis (Cictitis) is a common disease of the urinary system associated with an inflammatory process in the mucosa of the bladder. It is noteworthy that one in four women faced the symptoms of cystitis at least once in her life, while every tenth 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 getting infected.
Causes of the disease
Cystitis in women usually occurs due to an aggressive opportunistic pathogen that enters 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 these types of infections. The appearance of cystitis in women can also occur due to the movement of pathogens through the bloodstream. This path 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 should be noted a less common, but still occurring variant of the development of the disease, provoked by anomalies 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 at a time stagnates urine, leading to possible bladder infection. Therefore, if your job involves sitting for a long time in one place, 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 disturb the normal blood circulation in the pelvic organs.
- Frequent hypothermia of the body.
- Lower back injury, spinal cord injury.
- Early onset of sexual activity.
- Metabolic disorders, hormonal changes in the body (for example, menopause or pregnancy). During hormone surges, the body's immune system can malfunction. Please note: When pregnant, the expectant mother is at particular risk in the event of infection and the development of cystitis. Therefore, during pregnancy, she should carefully monitor her own health and consult a doctor at the first sign of the disease.
- Diabetes mellitus (Diabetes mellitus).
- Immunosuppressive drug therapy.
- Oncological diseases.
- Unbalanced and irregular diet: abuse of spicy and fried foods, alcohol.
- Improper hygiene procedures (in particular, improper washing in the direction from the anus to the vagina).
- The possibility of bladder infection is high with insufficient personal hygiene (prolonged use of the same sanitary pad or tampon during menstruation, untimely change of underwear, constant use of daily sanitary 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). As a result, this can lead to a violation of infertility of the urethra
Separately, it is worth highlighting such a form of bladder inflammation 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
Symptoms of cystitis are very characteristic and allow you to immediately make the correct diagnosis. First of all, it concerns frequent urination (the patient goes to the toilet up to 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 urinating;
- an admixture of blood or pus in the urine;
- urine with cystitis in women acquires a more pungent odor;
- cloudy urine and the presence of scales in it;
- Pain in the lower abdomen;
- when the infection spreads, even to the upper parts of the urinary system, there may be pain in the kidneys and lower back;
- quite rare, but there is still difficulty holding urine
If you find these symptoms yourself, you should consult a doctor for further diagnosis and treatment, since the advanced form of the disease is fraught with a number of complications.
The symptoms of cystitis give a woman not only physical discomfort, but also psychological ones, leaving a mark on her personal and social life. Therefore, it is necessary to react as soon 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, the appearance of an interstitial form of cystitis, which has already been mentioned above, is possible. In this case, urine gets into the walls of the organ, as well as its reflux into the ureters.
If left untreated and the infection spreads vertically, kidney disease, pyelonephritis, can develop.
types of cystitis
It is necessary to distinguish between the types of the disease, which differ in the method of appearance, the course, morphological changes and the nature of the spread.
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 leads to low-grade fever, malaise. The blood vessels in the bladder expand, which leads to inflammation 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 submucous membranes of the bladder often suffer, and its epithelium is sometimes rejected, and an admixture of blood may appear in the urine. The color of urine in the hemorrhagic form of the disease can vary 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 muscular layer of the bladder. In this case, the color of the mucosa acquires a whitish or grayish tint. If the disease is left untreated for a long period, the appearance of sclerotic processes in the organ occurs, due to which its volume can be reduced.
In the chronic form, all the aforementioned signs can be "blurred" and poorly expressed, which makes diagnosis difficult. If chronic cystitis is suspected, it is necessary to focus on the data of anamnesis, macro and microscopy of urine, cystoscopy and bacteriological examination. Particularly important in the detection of chronic cystitis is a parallel gynecological examination, since it is often genital infections that cause the appearance of chronic forms of cystitis.
Acute and chronic cystitis: which doctor should I go to?
Standard tests for the diagnosis of cystitis in older women, mature women and girls are a general urinalysis, urine culture for pathological flora (bacteriuria), Nechiporenko analysis. As additional measures, modern clinics often offer to undergo ultrasound of the bladder and kidneys, cystoscopy, and STI examinations. In some cases, the doctor may prescribe a urine sample for analysis, not by the standard method, but by 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 achieve the desired concentration of the antibiotic in the bladder, due to which the effect of treatment appears as quickly as possible. In doing so, two important factors should be taken into account:
The doctor should prescribe antibiotics after receiving the results of the urine culture, which will determine the sensitivity of the pathogen to the selected drug.
Even after alleviating the condition, the prescribed course of antibiotics must be carried to the end, which will prevent relapse and the transition of the disease into a chronic form.
As auxiliary measures for the treatment of cystitis, apply:
- drugs to relieve bladder spasm, general anti-inflammatory drugs;
- 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 noting that the treatment of acute cystitis is always bed rest. Treating the inflammatory process in the bladder "on the fly" without issuing sick leave, especially in the cold season, means risking a possible transition of the disease into a chronic form. The disease is always accompanied by severe stress to the body, which requires rest and rest. At the same time, ignoring the disease and postponing a visit to 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 fluids: the minimum amount of fluid you should drink should be 1. 5 liters per day.
Nutrition for cystitis has a number of restrictions. The exclusion of hot and spicy will contribute to recovery and prevent a 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, scales or pus in your urine, don't rush into a 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 blood impurities. Such processes are often accompanied by an increase in body temperature. Cystitis is dangerous with a possible development in a chronic form or the development of inflammation in the kidneys. Most often, cystitis is infectious in nature.
Cystitis is widespread in 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, which makes it easier for pathogens to enter the bladder. This explains the frequent cases of cystitis in women. Women of childbearing age are the most susceptible to cystitis. There are many cases of recurrence of cystitis, which significantly worsens a woman's health and affects her life.
Cystitis prevalence
The so-called acute cystitis is one of the most common urological diseases. It is not uncommon to find uncomplicated cystitis, during which the microbes affect only the mucous membrane and do not affect the submucosal layer.
Based on scientific research, it can be stated that in our country 26 to 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 1 year of age, and is more common in children aged one to three years, and especially in 13-15 years. As a rule, cystitis often occurs in patients aged 4-12 years.
Chronic cystitis is one of the most widespread 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 regarding the definition of chronic cystitis. Some study authors write that a diagnosis of "chronic cystitis" should be considered when exacerbations occur twice a year or more.
cystitis in summer
There are very few women who did not feel the symptoms of cystitis themselves, when the pleasure of wonderful summer days was overshadowed by such an unpleasant disease. Also, in the summer, especially when a woman travels a long distance from her home and finds herself in an unusual environment, there are many reasons for the appearance of cystitis.
Most often, cystitis in the summer season occurs due to such factors:
- living in a new place during the vacation period, which leads to problems with personal hygiene;
- hypothermia of the body, which occurs as a result of prolonged bathing in cold water;
- violation of the usual urination regimen, which is associated with moving, flying or being in a new place;
- drastic climate change, which negatively affects 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 appearance of such an unpleasant disease, it is necessary to make an appointment with a urologist as soon as possible. To clarify the diagnosis, you will need to undergo ultrasound of the bladder, pass a urine test. Today's antibacterial drugs effectively act directly on the causative agent of cystitis and are able to speed up the healing process, as well as prevent the development of acute cystitis into a chronic form.
Modern drugs, in contrast to drugs of the past generation, which affected the entire body of the patient, affect only the inflamed areas of the bladder, minimally affect other human organs. The main concentration of drugs is maximally revealed exclusively in the urine and the mucosa of the bladder, which is inflamed. This allows you to minimize the toxic effect on other organs and concentrate the entire load on the treatment of cystitis.
Among the drugs used to treat this disease, it is worth highlighting the drug with fosfomycin. He, given its high selectivity of actions with a minimal toxicological load on the body, has another useful quality - this drug subsequently does not cause phototoxicity. This is the name of a side effect that can be caused by many medicines used to treat cystitis. The manifestation of phototoxicity is an increased sensitivity to sunlight, the appearance of redness or burns under the influence of even low-intensity ultraviolet rays. Phototoxicity appears due to the presence in 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 vacation regimen. The advantage can also be called the maximum absence of side effects, and this 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. In all patients, inflammation of the bladder causes discomfort, and for a woman in this position, who has a weak immune system, this disease may well turn into a serious test. Pregnant women facing bladder inflammation symptom manifestations have to go through a lot of trouble. Cystitis during pregnancy is undoubtedly dangerous, but with timely access to a doctor, undesirable consequences can be prevented. 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 possibility 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 the case. Also, there are no age restrictions 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.
Most 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, this was caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli), in 5-20% Staphylococcus aureus (Staphylococcus saprophyticus) was observed, in the rest of the patients - Proteus mirabilis It acts as a causal agent of the disease. ) and Klebsiella (Klebsiella spp).
As a rule, cystitis is caused by organisms of the 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 relative to other organs. The urethra in women, unlike the urethra in men, is closer to the anus. Due to such anatomical features of the female body, the body is poorly protected from pathogenic microbes that enter the urethra, then the 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 usually inflammation of the urethra, epididymis, seminal vesicles and prostate gland. It happens that the penetration of the infection into the area of the urethra occurs due to catheterization. The risk of cystitis is doubled after bladder catheterization in men suffering from BPH, where frequent urinary retention is one of the symptoms. The probability of developing cystitis also increases after the introduction of a catheter to a pregnant woman or a woman who has just given birth, this is based on a decrease in the tone of the urinary tract.
Symptoms of cystitis
In adults, cystitis usually causes frequent and painful urination. The nature of the pain is described as a burning sensation. The urine changes, it can smell strong, become cloudy and have impurities in the blood. At this time, the state of health may worsen, and constant pain may be felt in the lumbar region. In the elderly and children, the symptoms of cystitis are usually not so obvious. They can be characterized by symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain and nausea.
Diagnosis of cystitis
When diagnosing a disease, the urologist examines the results of a urinalysis, as well as the results of an ultrasound 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, bacteria of the opportunistic flora, namely staphylococci, streptococci, E. coli, etc. , may 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 could provoke the development of the disease.
Treatment of cystitis
A quick cure for cystitis and even a complete rehabilitation of the mucous membrane is possible if you do not postpone 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 in the 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 facing the doctor treating cystitis is the destruction of pathogenic microbes that have penetrated into the bladder area and provoked inflammation of the mucosa. Determination of drugs for the process of antibiotic therapy of the disease occurs according to the following parameters: the duration of the disease, the severity of 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 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 recommend such treatment. When ingested, the drug concentrates within the bladder, increasing 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 to the entire body of the patient.
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 soft products;
- during menstruation, change the sanitary napkin in a timely manner;
- visit the bathroom on time, do not delay if necessary;
- drink more fluids;
- it is advisable to abandon tight clothing, tk. can, squeezing, worsen blood circulation in the pelvic area;
- 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 this case, the symptoms and treatment of cystitis will not be a problem for you.