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 host of unpleasant symptoms: aches and pains when urinating, frequent urination and pain in the lower abdomen.
Cystitis is a common disease of the urinary system. This is largely 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 for this?
Cystitis in women: should you 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. Added to this 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. For this, you just need to call the profile clinic. The specialists who deal with this problem are urologists and gynecologists. However, even a general practitioner can treat an uncomplicated form of the disease.
To diagnose cystitis in women, they usually pass a urine test, a smear from the urethra and vagina. In the chronic form of the disease, it is also recommended to be examined for the possible presence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
In addition, in some cases, additional examinations are necessary, for which it will be necessary to make an appointment with a nephrologist, to do an ultrasound of the small pelvis or a cystoscopy.
The insidiousness of 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, buying antibacterial drugs advertised in pharmacies.
However, the lack of proper 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 the selection of drugs - 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.
What symptoms of cystitis cause the most discomfort?
Signs of acute cystitis in women always appear suddenly. 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 during urination;
- 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. Additionally, spasms of the bladder muscles can lead to urinary incontinence.
Cystitis tends to relapse. Most women ask for help at least once a year.
In the chronic form of the disease, the symptoms are less pronounced. For example, discomfort during urination manifests itself quite moderately. The frequency of going to the toilet does not change either. In general, a person can lead a normal life and go to work (study).
Methods of prevention and treatment of cystitis
To find out about possible ways to prevent and treat cystitis in women, it is necessary to find out 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 disrupt the balance of 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 by hypothermia. And similar symptoms signal the development of polyuria (cold diuresis).
Therefore, the first thing to do with cystitis is to dial the clinic's phone number and make an appointment with a doctor. Only an experienced specialist, based on tests, will determine the presence of an inflammatory process and prescribe the appropriate antibiotic therapy. It will relieve most unpleasant symptoms during the first few days.
In addition, the treatment of cystitis involves taking painkillers and antipyretics. Doctors recommend during treatment to observe a sufficient drinking regimen, which will speed up recovery (bacteria will be eliminated from 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 a single antimicrobial drug. As a result, you can waste valuable time and face a serious threat to your health.
The measures to prevent this disease are:
- personal hygiene (daily change of underwear, frequent change of towels, 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 toilet and shower after sex.
If the attack occurs on the road or on vacation, before consulting a doctor, 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 consult with your doctor and discuss with him a set of medications that you should take with you on the road. And also take (if possible) his phone number for emergency communications.