What is cystitis in women?— Cystitis is one of the most common urological diseases.This is an inflammation of the bladder wall, it occurs most often in the fairer sex - 80% of cases.According to statistics, the prevalence of this disease among the female population in one calendar year is up to 36 million cases.For men, these figures are several times lower.
Almost every woman has experienced unpleasant symptoms of the disease at least once in her life.This is explained by the structural features of the urinary system.The proximity of the urethra, vagina and anus, which has a larger diameter and shorter length than in men, allows pathogens to quickly penetrate the bladder cavity.Cystitis, which appears in a woman from 16 to 65 years old and is not accompanied by other pathologies of the urinary system, is called uncomplicated.Treatment is successfully carried out on an outpatient basis (at home).
Causes of cystitis in women
Basically, the nature of the disease is contagious.There are several pathogens, but the main one is E. coli.Sometimes cystitis develops against the background of other diseases related to urology and gynecology.Factors that can cause the development of inflammation:
- Hypothermia of the body.The risk group includes girls and women who prefer to wear clothes that are not suitable for the weather, for example, very thin tights, short skirts in the cold season.
- Neglect of genital hygiene.This is what often causes cystitis in girls.
- Neurogenic bladder is a problem not only in children, but also in adults.It is associated with a violation of voluntary urination.Due to the increased sensitivity of bladder receptors, this condition is diagnosed more often in girls than in boys.The result is malnutrition of the body, which leads to the rapid development of pathogenic microflora that causes inflammation.
- Hormonal changes in the female body during pregnancy, metabolic disorders in diabetes mellitus cause cystitis.
- Wearing very tight, narrow and uncomfortable clothes leads to a violation of blood supply to the organs of the urinary system.
- Radiation therapy for tumors in the pelvis can cause inflammation.
- Estrogen deficiency, changes in the mucous membrane during menopause.
- Bladder wall damage during various endoscopic procedures.
- Manifestation of cystitis in girls occurs during the first sexual intercourse.The reason is damage to the bladder wall, microflora entering the urethra from the vagina.Therefore, when the risk of infection is high, an active, strong sex life also contributes to the development of the disease.
Under the influence of these factors, pathogenic microflora develops, causing inflammation and the appearance of unpleasant symptoms.
Clinical picture of cystitis
In women, the disease manifests itself suddenly, shortly after the influence of a provoking factor (hypothermia, infection, injury).
The first and main symptom is usually pollakiuria - frequent urination.As a result of inflammation, it is observed as a result of an increase in the tone of the bladder wall.
The desire to visit the toilet occurs several times a day, every 15-20 minutes.The volume of each part of urine decreases gradually.Some patients, on the contrary, suffer from urinary retention (due to sphincter spasm) or incontinence (if it affects the cervix of the organ).
The woman feels severe pain in the lower abdomen, moving towards the perineum.The greatest discomfort is felt when emptying the bladder.Painful, occurs with pain and burning sensation.Unpleasant sensations may occur at the beginning and end of urination.
One of the constant symptoms is leukocyturia.The color of the urine changes, it becomes cloudy, it is scattered with pus and blood.They talk about the hemorrhagic form of cystitis with clear hematuria.
The general health of the woman deteriorates, weakness and fatigue appear, the temperature can rise to 38 ° C.
Classification of cystitis
In medicine, it is customary to distinguish the types of the disease depending on the course of the inflammatory process, the cause of formation, the stage of development, morphological changes and distribution.The generally accepted classification distinguishes the following types of cystitis in women:
- Hemorrhagic.The cause of pathology is the activity of viruses, bacteria, fungi.There is blood in the urine, the color varies from pink to brown depending on the amount of blood.In the absence of treatment, iron deficiency anemia can develop, and subsequently, a general infection of the body due to blockage of the pathways with blood clots.
- Interstitial.The inflammation is not contagious and occurs more often in young women.The reason is a lack of glycosaminoglycans, which cause inflammation.It is characterized by severe cutting pain and frequent urges, mainly at night.The disease can develop with a strong sex life.
- Radiation cystitis.It occurs after radiation used to treat tumors.The procedure affects the sensitivity of the bladder, causes deformation of the walls and dysfunction of the organ.
- Catarrhal cystitis.In addition to blood, stones, sand and an increased amount of calcium salts are detected in the urine.Bladder capacity decreases.
- Peeling.The affected mucosa is covered with salts and fibrin.Treatment with drugs is not always effective.The best results in treatment are achieved with surgical intervention.
- Cervical cystitis.It is called because of its location - inflammation occurs at the neck of the bladder.It is characterized by damage to the mucous membrane, as well as sphincters that regulate urination.A woman often feels false calls, pain in the perineum and lower abdomen.Laboratory analysis of urine reveals a high content of pathogenic microorganisms in its content.
The type of disease can be determined only after a complete examination.
Acute and chronic cystitis
The existing differences in the course of the disease allow us to distinguish its various forms.
Acute cystitis
It progresses quickly and is characterized by obvious symptoms - dysuria (disruption of urination), leukocyturia and terminal hematuria.A woman experiences frequent urges that cause anxiety with severe painful sensations.After 5-10 minutes, dysuric disorders cause the urge to go to the toilet, the urine portions are small.
Chronic cystitis
Its symptoms are similar to the acute form.Exacerbation of the disease occurs once or many times during the year.Frequent and painful urination is expressed in the form of severe pain in the pubic area.Characteristics of chronic cystitis> are:
- nocturia - desire to urinate at night;
- dysuria is a persistent desire to empty the bladder.
In the remission phase, symptoms are slow, imperceptible, or completely disappear.
Diagnostics
Detection of cystitis at an early stage allows to start treatment in time, prevent the disease from becoming chronic and other complications.Laboratory and instrumental studies help to make an accurate diagnosis.These include: general urine test, bacteriological culture, vaginal smear.If necessary, ultrasound, cystoscopy and cystography are prescribed.
The main and mandatory research method is urinalysis.With its help, the degree of the inflammatory process and the type of the causative agent of the disease are determined.A general analysis allows you to determine how high the number of leukocytes and red blood cells is.It contains uric acid salts, mucus and bacteriuria.In the presence of inflammation, the urine takes on a cloudy appearance and may have a reddish color.
It is not always possible to make an accurate diagnosis based only on laboratory methods.In these cases, the doctor prescribes a cystoscopy - a method that allows you to assess the state of the bladder, the presence of stones, tumors, ulcers and foreign bodies in it.The state of the organ walls is determined using ultrasound.
Treatment regimen
If you follow all the doctor's instructions, it is not difficult to get rid of cystitis.The treatment regimen is designed taking into account the cause of the exacerbation, the type of pathogen and the presence of accompanying diseases.For bacterial cystitis, include:
- Antibacterial therapy.
- Taking antispasmodics.
- Special diet.
- Use of herbal medicine, traditional medicine.
In addition to the above methods, physiotherapy and installations are prescribed for recurrent cystitis.During menopause, women are advised to use hormonal creams containing estrogen.Sitz herbal baths help improve well-being and relieve unpleasant symptoms.
Drug therapy
Timely treatment using effective methods allows to completely eliminate inflammation and restore the mucous membrane.
Antispasmodics are prescribed to relieve pain.A natural preparation for the treatment of cystitis has an analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effect.The biologically active substances in its composition have a beneficial effect on the urinary tract and kidneys.
Given 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 linger in the affected organ, which increases their effectiveness and shortens the course of treatment.
Traditional treatment methods
Our great-grandmothers knew well what cystitis is and used various folk remedies to get rid of its unpleasant and painful symptoms.
Treatment with lingonberries
They use the berries collected in early spring, as well as the leaves of the plant, until the nutrients and nutrients are transferred to the flowers and fruits.There are many recipes for lingonberries in folk medicine:
- Pour boiling water over the berries (2 cups of water per 150 g), leave for an hour, drink 0.5 cups three times a day.
- The leaves of the plant are crushed, poured into a pan, cool water is added and put on fire.After boiling, take it out, infuse the broth for a while, take it before meals 3 times a day for three months.You will need 1 liter of water for 60 g of raw materials.
- For preventive purposes, it is recommended to use lingonberry jam and fruit drinks in the diet.
It should be noted that lingonberries, along with urine, wash away potassium and calcium, which are necessary for a woman's health and beauty.Using lingonberry decoctions, it is important to enrich the diet with products that fill the main trace elements (cottage cheese, pumpkin, parsley).
Chamomile for cystitis
The plant is not only used to make tea and decoction.Local application of chamomile is no less effective in the fight against cystitis.The infusion is used for showering.Chamomile decoction restores damaged mucous membranes, cleans the inner surface of the bladder from infection and improves blood circulation.
Bearberry
The plant is known for its diuretic and antibacterial effects.An infusion of 30 ml is prepared from the leaves.Pour 30 g of crushed raw materials into a glass of boiling water and leave for 45 minutes, then strain.
In the treatment of cystitis, traditional medicine is an addition to drug therapy.Their use is possible only after consulting a doctor.
The disease can be prevented if you follow certain rules: avoid hypothermia, follow hygiene rules, strengthen the immune system and ignore infections and inflammations that appear in the body.