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 usually accompanied by a variety of unpleasant symptoms: pain and pain when urinating, 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, which is why cystitis occurs much more frequently in women 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 a bladder infection and how is the disease treated at home? Can a bladder infection be prevented and what can be done about it?
Cystitis in women: is it necessary to make a doctor's appointment?
Cystitis in women can be caused by various infectious diseases, helminthic invasions, bladder stones, the onset of menopause, disorders of the endocrine system, and taking certain medications. There is also 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 by both frequent relapses of the disease and a sluggish, incessant manifestation of symptoms.
In order to prevent the disease from becoming a constant source of discomfort, at the first signs of the disease it is necessary to make an appointment with a doctor and undergo the necessary treatment. All you have to do for this is to call the profile clinic. Specialists dealing with this problem are urologists and gynecologists. However, a family doctor can also treat an uncomplicated form of the disease.
To diagnose cystitis in women, they usually take a urine test, a swab from the urethra and vagina. In the chronic form of the disease, it is also advisable to be examined for possible sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
In addition, in some cases, additional examinations are required, for which you 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 a bladder infection is usually quite simple and the unpleasant symptoms quickly disappear. Therefore, many women prefer to self-medicate, buying advertised antibacterial drugs in pharmacies.
However, the lack of appropriate therapy, its short duration and the wrong choice of drugs contribute to the fact that the disease turns into a chronic form, which, in turn, is difficult to treat. Therefore, you should not take risks and use the advice of friends when choosing drugs - it is better to call your doctor by phone and make an appointment. It should be remembered that timely treatment not only avoids chronic cystitis, but also protects other organs from the spread of infection.
Which symptoms of a bladder infection cause the most discomfort?
Signs of acute cystitis always appear suddenly in women. These include:
- 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 the lower abdomen;
- burning and pain when urinating;
- increase in 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. In addition, spasm of the bladder muscles can lead to urinary incontinence.
Cystitis tends 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, the discomfort when urinating is expressed quite moderately. The frequency of going to the toilet does not change either. In general, a person can lead a normal life and have a job (study).
Methods of prevention and treatment of cystitis
In order to learn about ways to prevent and treat cystitis in the fair sex, it is necessary to identify 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), disrupting the balance of microflora and weakening the strength of local immunity;
- Infection of the urinary system (may occur due to poor personal hygiene, unprotected sex);
- Trauma (e. g. when using a catheter to drain 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).
Therefore, the first thing to do when faced with cystitis is to call the clinic phone number and make an appointment with a doctor. Only an experienced specialist will determine the presence of an inflammatory process on the basis of tests and prescribe the correct antibiotic therapy. It relieves most of the unpleasant symptoms in the first few days.
Also, the treatment of cystitis involves taking painkillers and antipyretics. During therapy, doctors recommend observing an adequate drinking regime, which will speed up recovery (bacteria are washed out of the body faster 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 that cannot be cured with a single antimicrobial drug. As a result, you can lose valuable time and expose yourself to a serious health hazard.
Measures to prevent this disease are:
- personal hygiene (daily change of linen, frequent change of pads and regular showering);
- 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 intercourse.
If the attack occurred on the street or on vacation, you should try to avoid hypothermia, drink more fluids, and limit the consumption of spicy and salty foods and alcohol before consulting a doctor.
If you suffer from chronic cystitis, you should consult your doctor before a long trip and discuss with him a number of medications that you should take with you on the trip. And (if possible) also take his phone number for emergency communication.