According to statistics, cystitis in women is much more common than in men, which is explained by physiological changes in the structure of the urethra. This disease is usually 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. This is mainly due to the peculiarities of the anatomical structure, which is why cystitis in women is much more common than in men.
What are the causes and first signs of cystitis in women? What are the main symptoms of female cystitis? What types of cystitis are isolated? Which 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 about it?
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, stones in the bladder, 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 clarified.
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 uninterrupted manifestation of symptoms.
To prevent the disease from becoming a constant source of concern, it is necessary to make an appointment with a doctor at the first signs of the disease and undergo the necessary treatment. All you have to do for this is call the profile clinic. Specialists dealing with this problem are urologists and gynecologists. Although, even a general practitioner can treat an uncomplicated form of the disease.
To diagnose cystitis in women, they usually do a urinalysis, a smear from the urethra and vagina. In the chronic form of the disease, examination for the possible presence of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) is also recommended.
In addition, in some cases, additional examinations are needed, for which you will need to make an appointment with a nephrologist, do an ultrasound of the small pelvis or cystoscopy.
The cunning of this disease is that the treatment of cystitis is usually quite easy and the unpleasant symptoms disappear quickly. Therefore, many women prefer to self-medicate by purchasing antibacterial drugs advertised in pharmacies.
However, the lack of appropriate therapy, its short duration and the wrong choice of drugs contribute to the transition of the disease to a chronic form, which, in turn, is difficult to treat. Therefore, you should not take risks and use the advice of friends in choosing medicines - it is better to call your doctor by phone and make an appointment. It should be remembered that timely treatment will not only avoid chronic cystitis, but also save other organs from the spread of infection.
Which symptoms of cystitis cause the most concern?
Signs of acute cystitis in women always appear suddenly. This includes:
- frequent and strong urge 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 lower abdomen;
- burning and pain during urination;
- increase in body temperature.
These symptoms develop very quickly. Approximately every quarter of an hour, a woman must visit the toilet, and the amount of urine in each visit is minimal. In addition, bladder muscle spasm can lead to urinary incontinence.
Cystitis has a tendency to recur. Most women seek help at least once a year.
In the chronic form of the disease, the symptoms are less pronounced. For example, discomfort during urination is manifested quite moderately. The frequency of going to the toilet does not change either. In general, a person can lead a normal life and pursue work (study).
Methods for the prevention and treatment of cystitis
To learn about possible ways to prevent and treat cystitis in the fairer sex, it is necessary to determine the main causes of the disease. This includes:
- structural features of the urethra in women (it is shorter and wider than in men);
- hormonal fluctuations (pregnancy, menopause), which disrupt the balance of microflora and weaken the strength of local immunity;
- urinary system infection (may occur due to insufficient personal hygiene, unprotected intercourse);
- trauma (for example, when using a catheter to divert urine).
Cystitis can also appear as a co-morbidity with diabetes mellitus or urolithiasis. By the way, it is impossible to "win" this disease from hypothermia. And similar symptoms signal the development of polyuria (cold diuresis).
Therefore, the first thing you should do when faced with cystitis is to call the phone number of the clinic and make an appointment with a doctor. Only an experienced specialist, based on the analysis, will determine the presence of an inflammatory process and prescribe the appropriate antibiotic therapy. It will relieve most of the unpleasant symptoms during the first few days.
Also, the treatment of cystitis includes taking sedatives and antipyretic drugs. Doctors recommend that during therapy, a sufficient drinking regimen should be observed, which will speed up healing (bacteria will be washed out of the body faster with urine).
Experts do not tire of warning that it is dangerous to self-medicate this disease. Indeed, 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.
Measures to prevent this disease are:
- personal hygiene (daily change of underwear, frequent change of pillows, as well as regular shower);
- wearing properly selected underwear made of natural materials;
- timely treatment of all existing diseases of the genitourinary system;
- mandatory visits to the toilet and shower after sexual intercourse.
If the attack is caught 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, before a long trip, you should visit your doctor and discuss with him a set of medicines that you should take with you on the road. And also get (if possible) his phone number for emergency communication.