What is cystitis in women?- one of the most common urinary diseases is cystitis.It is an inflammation of the bladder wall, which most often occurs in the fairer sex - in 80% of cases.According to statistics, the incidence of this disease in women in a calendar year reaches 36 million cases.For men, these numbers are many times lower.
Almost every woman has experienced unpleasant symptoms of this disease at least once in her life.This is explained by the structural characteristics of the urinary system.The urethra has a larger diameter and shorter length in men, and the close proximity of the vagina and anus allows pathogens to quickly enter the bladder cavity.Cystitis that occurs in women from 16 to 65 years old and is not accompanied by other diseases of the urinary system is called uncomplicated.Treatment is successfully performed on an outpatient (at home) basis.
Causes of cystitis in women
Basically, the nature of the disease is infectious.There are several pathogens, but the main one is E. coli.Sometimes cystitis develops against other diseases related to urology and gynecology.Factors that can cause inflammation:
- Hypothermia of the body.At risk groups include girls and women who like to wear clothes that are not suitable for the weather, such as tight pants that are too thin, short skirts in the cold season.
- Neglecting genital hygiene.Often this is the cause of cystitis in girls.
- Neurogenic bladder is a problem that occurs not only in children but also in adults.Associated with impaired voluntary urination.Due to the increased sensitivity of bladder receptors, girls are more often diagnosed with this disease than boys.As a result, the organ becomes malnourished, leading to the rapid development of inflammatory pathogenic microflora.
- Hormonal changes that occur in a woman's body during pregnancy and metabolic disorders in diabetes will cause cystitis.
- Wearing clothes that are too tight, narrow and uncomfortable leads to interruption of blood supply to the organs of the urinary system.
- Radiation therapy for tumors in the pelvis can cause inflammation.
- Estrogen deficiency, mucous membrane changes during menopause.
- Bladder wall injuries during various endoscopic procedures.
- In girls, symptoms of cystitis occur during the first sexual intercourse.The cause is due to damage to the bladder wall and microorganisms from the vagina entering the urethra.Therefore, an active and exciting sex life when there is also a high risk of infection also contributes to the emergence of the disease.
Under the influence of these factors, pathogenic microflora develops, leading to inflammation and the appearance of unpleasant symptoms.
Clinical picture of cystitis
The disease in women manifests suddenly, within a short time after the impact of provoking factors (hypothermia, infection, trauma).
The first and main symptom is usually pollakiuria - frequent urination.It is observed as a result of increased tone of the bladder wall due to inflammation.
The urge to go to the toilet occurs up to several dozen times a day, every 15–20 minutes.The volume of each portion of urine becomes less and less.Conversely, some patients experience urinary retention (due to sphincter spasm) or urinary incontinence (if the cervix of the organ is affected).
The woman feels severe pain in the lower abdomen, moving to the perineum.The greatest discomfort is when emptying the bladder.It occurs painfully, accompanied by pain and burning sensations.Discomfort may occur at the beginning and end of urination.
One of the frequent symptoms is leukocytosis.The color of urine changes, becomes cloudy, mixed with pus and blood.With pronounced hematuria, they talk about a form of hemorrhagic cystitis.
The woman's general health deteriorates, weakness and malaise appear, the temperature may rise to 38°C.
Classification of cystitis
In medicine, people often distinguish diseases depending on their progression, cause of formation, stage of development, morphological changes and prevalence of the inflammatory process.The classification is widely accepted to distinguish the following types of cystitis in women:
- Hemorrhage.The cause of the disease is the activity of viruses, bacteria, and fungi.Urine contains blood, depending on the amount of blood, the color changes from pink to brown.In the absence of treatment, iron deficiency anemia can develop and then a body-wide infection due to blockage of blood pathways by blood clots.
- alternating.The inflammation is not contagious and occurs more often in younger women.The cause is a lack of glycosaminoglycans, which causes inflammation.Characterized by severe cutting pain and frequent cravings, mainly at night.With a strong sex life, the disease can progress.
- Radiation cystitis.Occurs after radiation therapy is used to treat a tumor.This procedure affects the sensitivity of the bladder, causing deformation of the wall and dysfunction of the organ.
- Catarrhal cystitis.In addition to blood, stones, sand and an increased content of calcium salts are found in the urine.Bladder capacity is reduced.
- Residue.The affected mucosa is covered with salt and fibrin.Drug therapy is not always effective.The best treatment results are achieved with surgical intervention.
- Cervical cystitis.Named for location - inflammation at the bladder neck.The peculiarity lies in the damage to the mucous membrane, as well as to the sphincter muscles that regulate urination.Women often have a feeling of false desire and pain in the perineum and lower abdomen.Laboratory analysis of urine showed a high content of pathogenic microorganisms in it.
The type of disease can be determined only after a complete examination.
Acute and chronic cystitis
Existing differences in the course of the disease help distinguish its various forms.
Acute cystitis
It progresses rapidly and is characterized by pronounced symptoms - dysuria (poor urination), leukocytosis and late-stage hematuria.The woman often has urges, causing discomfort along with feelings of intense pain.Dysuria after 5–10 minutes causes the feeling of wanting to go to the toilet, the amount of urine excreted is very small.
Chronic cystitis
Its symptoms are similar to the acute form.Exacerbations of the disease occur once or several times a year.Manifests in the form of frequent and painful urination, severe pain in the pubic area.Characteristics of chronic cystitis> are:
- nocturia – urge to urinate at night;
- Dysuria is the constant desire to empty the bladder.
During remission, symptoms come on slowly, go unnoticed, or are completely absent.
Diagnose
Detecting cystitis at an early stage allows you to start treatment promptly, preventing the disease from becoming chronic and other complications occurring.Laboratory and instrumental studies help establish the correct diagnosis.These include: general urinalysis, bacterial culture, vaginal smear.If necessary, ultrasound, cystoscopy and cystoscopy are indicated.
The main and mandatory research method is urine analysis.With its help, the degree of the inflammatory process and the type of causative agent are determined.General analysis allows you to determine how high the white and red blood cell counts are.The composition contains uric acid salts, mucus and bacteriuria.When there is inflammation, urine is cloudy and may be red.
It is not always possible to make an accurate diagnosis based on laboratory methods alone.In these cases, the doctor prescribes cystoscopy - a method that allows you to evaluate the condition of the bladder, the presence of stones, tumors, ulcers and foreign bodies in it.The condition of the organ walls is determined by ultrasound.
Treatment regimen
It is not difficult to get rid of cystitis if you follow all the doctor's instructions.The treatment regimen is developed taking into account the cause of the exacerbation, the type of pathogen and the presence of accompanying diseases.For bacterial cystitis, it includes:
- Antibacterial therapy.
- Take antispasmodic medication.
- Special diet.
- Herbal medicine, traditional medicine use.
In addition to the above methods, for recurrent cystitis, physiotherapy and installation are prescribed.Women in menopause are encouraged to use hormone creams that contain estrogen.Sitz herbal bath helps improve health and reduce unpleasant symptoms.
Drug treatment
Timely treatment with effective methods allows you to completely eliminate inflammation and restore the mucous membrane.
To relieve pain, antispasmodic drugs are prescribed.A natural preparation for the treatment of cystitis that has analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects.Biologically active substances in its composition have a beneficial effect on the urinary tract and kidneys.
Due to the bacterial nature of the disease, the use of antibiotics is a mandatory step in treatment.They are prescribed taking into account the type of cystitis pathogen, the degree of absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, the rate of elimination from the body and side effects.Modern drugs have the ability to stay in the affected organ, increasing their effectiveness, helping to shorten the treatment process.
Traditional treatment methods
Our great-grandmothers knew well what cystitis is, and they used many traditional medicines to eliminate its unpleasant and painful symptoms.
Cranberry treatment
They use the berries as well as the leaves of the plant, harvested in early spring, until nutrients and useful substances are transferred to the flowers and fruits.In folk medicine, there are many recipes using cranberries:
- Pour boiling water over the berries (2 cups of water for 150 g), leave for an hour, drink 0.5 cups three times a day.
- Crush the leaves, pour into a pan, add cool water and set on fire.After boiling, take it out, let it boil for a while, drink before meals 3 times a day for three months.For 60 g of ingredients you will need 1 liter of water.
- For prevention, it is recommended to use lingzhi jam and juice in the diet.
It should be noted that cranberries wash away potassium and calcium that women need for health and beauty along with urine.It is important to use lingonberry decoction to enrich the diet with products that supplement essential trace elements (cheese, pumpkin, parsley).
Chamomile for cystitis
The plant is used not only to make tea and decoctions.Topical application of chamomile is no less effective in the fight against cystitis.The infusion is used for douching.Chamomile decoction restores damaged mucous membranes, cleans the internal surface of the bladder from infections and improves blood circulation.
strawberry
The plant is known for its diuretic and antibacterial effects.Infusion of 30 ml is prepared from leaves.Pour 30 g of crushed ingredients into a cup of boiling water and leave for 45 minutes, then filter.
Traditional medicine in the treatment of cystitis is a complement to drug treatment.Their use is possible only after consulting a doctor.
The disease can be avoided if you follow certain rules: avoid hypothermia, maintain hygiene, strengthen the immune system and do not ignore infections and inflammations that appear in the body.