Cystitis (Cyctitis) is a common disease of the urinary system that is associated with an inflammatory process in the bladder mucosa. It is worth noting that every fourth woman has 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 change in the structure of the urinary canal and the difficulty of introducing an infection into it.
Causes of the disease
Cystitis in women usually occurs due to an aggressive opportunistic pathogen entering the urethra, as well as sexually transmitted infections: chlamydia, ureaplasma (Ureaplasma), fungal infections of the genus Candida, etc. The short and wide urinary tract is often vulnerable to such 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 possibility for infection is the entry of bacteria into the bladder with pathology 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 abnormalities 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. This includes:
- Sedentary work. Being in a sitting position for more than three hours in a row, urine stagnates, which leads to a possible bladder infection. Therefore, if your work involves a long sitting in one place, you should get up every hour and do a small warm-up every three hours.
- Constipation.
- The presence of sand and stones in the bladder.
- Tight underwear that can disrupt normal blood circulation in the pelvic organs.
- Frequent hypothermia of the body.
- Lower back injury, spinal cord injury.
- Early initiation of sexual activity.
- Metabolic disorders, hormonal changes in the body (for example, menopause or pregnancy). During hormonal surges, the body's immune system can malfunction. Please note: while carrying a child, the expectant mother is at particular risk in case of infection and development of cystitis. Therefore, during pregnancy, you should carefully monitor your health and consult a doctor at the first signs of illness.
- Diabetes mellitus (Diabetes mellitus).
- Therapy with immunosuppressive drugs.
- 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 (long wearing of the same pad or tampon during menstruation, premature change of underwear, continuous use of daily 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), tonsils (tonsillitis). As a result, this can lead to a violation ofurethral sterility
Separately, it is worth highlighting such a form of inflammation of the bladder 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
The symptoms of cystitis are very characteristic and allow you to immediately make the correct diagnosis. First of all, these are frequent urination (the patient visits the toilet up to several times an hour) and the manifestation of pain at the end of the process of emptying the bladder. Also, the most striking symptoms include:
- the feeling of fullness of the bladder even after urination;
- an admixture of blood or pus in the urine;
- urine with cystitis in women acquires a sharper smell;
- cloudy urine and the presence of flakes in it;
- pain in the lower abdomen;
- when the infection spreads, including the upper parts of the urinary system, pain in the kidneys and lower back is possible;
- quite rarely, but nevertheless there is difficulty in holding urine
If you find these symptoms in yourself, you should consult a doctor for further diagnosis and treatment, as the advanced form of the disease is fraught with a number of complications.
Symptoms of cystitis give a woman not only physical, but also psychological discomfort, 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 to the muscular layer of the bladder, it is possible to develop an interstitial form of cystitis, which has already been mentioned above. In this case, the urine enters the walls of the organ, as well as its reflux in the ureters.
If left untreated and if the infection spreads vertically, kidney disease, pyelonephritis, may develop.
Types of cystitis
It is necessary to distinguish between types of the disease, different in the way of appearance, course, morphological changes and nature of 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 gives a low-grade fever, general illness. The blood vessels of the bladder expand, which leads to swelling of the walls of the organ. In this case, point hemorrhages and hyperemia (Hyperemia) are observed. In the acute stage of the disease, the mucous membranes and submucosal membranes of the bladder usually suffer, and sometimes their epithelium is rejected, and a mixture of blood in the urine may appear. The color of urine in the hemorrhagic form of the disease can change 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 mucous membrane acquires a white or gray shade. If the disease is not treated for a long period of time, sclerotic processes appear in the organ, due to which its volume can be reduced.
In the chronic form, all the previously mentioned signs can be "blurred" and expressed faintly, which makes the 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 the parallel gynecological examination, as it is often genital infections that cause the appearance of chronic forms of cystitis.
Acute and chronic cystitis: which doctor should I contact?
Standard tests for the diagnosis of cystitis in elderly women, mature women and girls are a general analysis of urine, urine culture to detect pathological flora (bacteruria), Nechiporenko analysis. As additional measures, modern clinics often offer ultrasound of the bladder and kidneys, cystoscopy and examinations for STIs. In some cases, the doctor may prescribe a urine sample for analysis not by the standard method, but by using a 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, so the effect of the treatment appears as soon as possible. To do this, two important factors must be taken into account:
The doctor should prescribe antibiotics after obtaining the results of the urine culture, which will determine the sensitivity of the pathogen to the selected drug.
Even after the condition has subsided, the prescribed course of antibiotics should be taken to the end, which will avoid relapse and transition of the disease into a chronic form.
As an auxiliary measure for the treatment of cystitis, apply:
- medicines to relieve bladder spasms, general anti-inflammatory medicines;
- physiotherapy;
- ozone therapy;
- acupuncture.
For the treatment of the chronic form of cystitis, the local administration of drugs that inhibit the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms can also be used. As an aid, gel with essential oil of tea tree 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 run" without issuing a medical permit, especially in the cold season, means risking a possible transition of the disease to a chronic form. The disease is always accompanied by severe stress on 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.
diets
To relieve inflammation as soon as possible, it is recommended to drink a lot of fluids: the minimum amount of fluids you drink should be 1. 5 liters per day.
Nutrition for cystitis has a number of limitations. The exclusion of spicy and spicy points will contribute to recovery and avoid the recurrence of the situation. During the treatment period, it is necessary to completely exclude alcohol. This applies to all alcoholic beverages.
If you find yourself with painful and frequent urination, blood impurities, flakes or pus in the urine, do not rush to panic. Indeed, 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 of an infectious nature.
Cystitis is common in women and men, but 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, making it easier for pathogens to enter the bladder. This explains the frequent cases of cystitis in women. Women of reproductive age are more susceptible to cystitis. There are many cases of recurrence of cystitis, which significantly worsens a woman's health, affects her life.
Prevalence of cystitis
The so-called acute cystitis is one of the most common urological diseases. It is not unusual to find uncomplicated cystitis, during which the microbes only affect the mucous membrane and do not affect the submucosal layer.
Based on scientific research, it can be argued that in our country every year between 26 and 36 million people suffer from acute cystitis.
Girls suffer from cystitis almost three times more often than boys. The disease is sometimes diagnosed in newborns and children under the age of 1 year and most often in children aged one to three years and especially in the age of 13-15 years. As a rule, cystitis often occurs in patients aged 4 to 12 years.
Chronic cystitis is one of the most widespread urological diseases. Based on these studies, chronic cystitis can be observed in 11-21% of the population. A significant dispersion of data is caused by a different approach regarding the definition of chronic cystitis. Some authors of the study write that the diagnosis of "chronic cystitis" should be considered when the irritations occur 2 times a year or more.
cystitis in summer
There are very few women who have not felt the symptoms of cystitis in themselves, when the pleasure of wonderful summer days was overshadowed by such an unpleasant disease. In addition, in the summer, especially when a woman travels a long distance from 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 causes problems with personal hygiene;
- hypothermia of the body, which occurs as a result of prolonged bathing in cold water;
- violation of the usual urination regime, which is accompanied by movement, flights or staying 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 still ruined 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 an ultrasound of the bladder, pass a urine test. Antibacterial drugs today effectively act directly on the causative agent of cystitis and can accelerate the healing process, as well as prevent the development of acute cystitis in a chronic form.
Modern drugs, unlike the drugs of the previous generation, which affected the entire body of the patient, affect only the inflamed areas of the bladder, minimally affecting other human organs. The main concentration of drugs is maximally detected exclusively in the mucous membrane of the urine and bladder, which is inflamed. This allows you to make the toxic effect on other organs minimal and concentrate the entire load on the treatment of cystitis.
Among the drugs used to treat this disease, it is worth mentioning the drug fosfomycin. It, given its high selectivity of actions with a minimal toxicological load on the body, has another useful quality - this drug then does not cause phototoxicity. This is the name of a side effect that can be caused by many drugs used to treat cystitis. The manifestation of phototoxicity is an increase in 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 the preparations of substances that have the properties of photosensitizers or photoreagents. 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 able to cause phototoxicity, which means that it can be used without disrupting the planned regime of beach holidays. The advantage can also be called the maximum lack of side effects, and this makes possible the safe and very effective treatment of cystitis in children and pregnant women.
cystitis during pregnancy
The fair sex is very 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 can become a serious test. Pregnant women who face manifestations of bladder inflammation symptoms have to go through a lot of trouble. Cystitis during pregnancy is definitely dangerous, but with timely access to a doctor, unwanted consequences can be prevented. Self-medication or ignoring the disease can provoke a very serious complication, such as kidney infection. Bacteria can seriously damage them. The bladder mucosa, which is inflamed, can also have a negative effect on the fetus. There is a chance of giving birth to a premature, underweight baby.
Children's cystitis
It is generally accepted that only adults are affected by cystitis, but this is not the case. In addition, 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.
Very 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, it was caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli), 5-20% was observed staphylococcus aureus (Staphylococcus saprophyticus), in the remaining patients, Proteus mirabilis acts as the cause of the disease. ) and Klebsiella (Klebsiella spp).
As a rule, cystitis is caused by organisms of opportunistic flora. Studies have confirmed that the causative agents of cystitis cannot necessarily be bacteria, it is quite possible to get sick with cystitis, the cause of which will be mycoplasma virus, chlamydia, Trichomonas and other fungi.
The high prevalence of cystitis in women is due not only to the small length of the urethra, but also to its wide lumen and physiological location compared 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 microbes can easily migrate to the bladder, which can cause cystitis.
In men, cystitis is less common. The causes of this disease in men are most often inflammation of the urethra, epididymis, seminal vesicles, prostate gland. It happens that the penetration of the infection in the area of the urethra occurs due to catheterization. The risk of cystitis doubles after bladder catheterization in men suffering from BPH, where frequent urinary retention is one of the symptoms. The possibility of developing cystitis also increases after the insertion of a catheter in a pregnant woman or a woman who has just given birth, this is based on the 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. Urine changes, may smell strong, be cloudy and contain blood. At this time, the health condition may deteriorate and a constant pain in the lumbar region may be felt. 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 use bacterial cultures of urine, and also take a swab from the urethra. In most cases, cystitis can be caused by bacteria of the opportunistic flora, namely staphylococci, streptococci, E. coli, etc. Often, cystitis occurs due to infection with pathogens that can be transmitted sexually - ureaplasma and mycoplasma. Treatment of cystitis includes the effect of drugs on infectious agents that can provoke the development of the disease.
Treatment of cystitis
A quick cure for cystitis and even complete rehabilitation of the mucosa is possible if you do not postpone the start of treatment, but immediately use drugs with sufficient effectiveness. The chances of completely getting rid of cystitis will increase with accurate diagnosis in time and the use of medications that affect the center of infection. Starting treatment at later stages or prescribing a treatment that only eliminates the symptoms of cystitis without affecting the pathogenic area, can turn acute cystitis into chronic.
The main task faced by the doctor who treats cystitis is the destruction of pathogenic microbes that have penetrated the bladder area and provoked inflammation of the mucosa. The 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 the symptoms. In addition, during the selection of drugs, possible side effects, the way and speed of their secretion, absorption of the drug, the presence of additional diseases, etc. are taken into account.
To date, there are relatively affordable medications for the treatment of cystitis, which selectively affect the causative agent of the disease, a qualified doctor will advise just such a treatment. When swallowed, the drug is concentrated inside the bladder, which makes it possible to increase its effectiveness. In addition, the use of modern antibiotics reduces the duration of cystitis treatment, protects against side effects as much as possible and reduces the risk for the entire patient's body.
Useful tips for preventing cystitis
- try to avoid hypothermia;
- regardless of the circumstances, carefully observe the rules of hygiene;
- when performing hygiene procedures, use neutral and mild products;
- during menstruation, change the napkin at the right time;
- visit the toilet on time, do not be late if necessary;
- drink more fluids;
- it is advisable to abandon tight clothing, tk. can, by squeezing, worsen blood circulation in the pelvic area;
- try to normalize bowel 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.