Urethritis: causes, symptoms, treatment

Genitourinary infections occur in both sexes, if women are more often affected by the bladder, then men are often diagnosed with urethritis. It is not difficult to get rid of it, but at the same time, if you start the disease, then it threatens infertility and the development of prostatitis.

Causes of urethritis

The urethra is located at the end of the urinary tract. It consists of two valves that perform a specific function: one separates the urethra from the bladder, the other opens when urine is excreted. The length of the urethra in men is from 16 to 24 cm, in women - 4 cm. For this reason, even if women have urethritis, she may not notice signs of the disease. With male urethritis, all symptoms are pronounced.

The disease, as a rule, occurs against the background of genitourinary infections as a result of the activity of pathogens. The provoking factors of this condition include:

1. Sexual infections. The risk group includes young people who are promiscuous. In this case, STIs easily penetrate the human genitourinary system, causing acute or sluggish inflammation.
2. Kidney stones. Most often, this disease is diagnosed in men. Often, traumatic urethritis develops when calculi that come out damage the walls of the urinary tract, while irritation and activation of various bacteria begins.
3. Injuries to the genitals and heavy physical loads.
4. Hypothermia. As a result, the body's defense mechanisms are reduced, and the active activity of pathogenic microbes, viruses begins, and latent infections appear.
5. Decreased immune system. This happens due to poor sleep, malnutrition, stressful situations, addiction to alcohol and smoking.
6. Medical intervention in the urinary tract area, such as catheter placement, smear collection, etc. As a result, the mucous membrane is injured, and if the instruments were not sterile, then infection is possible.
7. Inaccuracies in nutrition. The abuse of salty, spicy, smoked and pickled leads to irritation of the mucous membrane, and the addition of various infections. If at the same time a person drinks little liquid, then this does not allow getting rid of random bacteria that have entered the urethra naturally.

Urethritis symptoms

Having penetrated into the urethra, microorganisms make themselves felt after a certain time. This will depend on the type of pathogen. If it is gonorrhea, then the incubation period lasts from 3 to 7 days, with chlamydia - from one to two weeks, with trichomoniasis, the latent period lasts from two weeks to 21 days. If viruses were the cause of the development of urethritis, then the incubation period lasts several months. Tuberculosis will manifest itself in years, but the allergic cause will manifest itself in a matter of hours.

The main symptoms of urethritis are the following manifestations of the body:

1. Itching, soreness, and burning that occurs during urination.
2. A person notices discharge from the urinary tract.

Common symptoms are not always present. Discharge from the urethral canal is different, it will depend on the pathogen that caused the disease. Most often they are white or greenish, with an unpleasant odor. The discharge is disturbing in the morning, and as it dries, it forms crusts on the head of the penis. At the same time, the external opening of the urethra sticks together and turns red. Sometimes pain in the lower abdomen is troubling, but this is an optional symptom.

During urination, the following symptoms may be disturbing:

1. Pain at the beginning of urine separation.
2. The urine is cloudy.
3. I often want to go to the toilet.
4. At the end of the urine separation, a sharp pain disturbs.
5. Sometimes, blood impurities can be seen in the urine.

If the disease has turned into a chronic state, then the signs of urethritis may disappear altogether. The only thing that sometimes disturbs the unpleasant sensation and itching in the area of ​​the urethral canal. Pronounced symptoms of the disease can appear only during the period of its exacerbation.

Depending on the provoking disease, the discharge with urethritis is as follows:

1. If gonorrhea contributed to the onset of urethritis, then the discharge is green or grayish-yellow.
2. Trichomoniasis produces a white discharge.
3. If bacterial urethritis is diagnosed, then the discharge is purulent.
4. Sometimes there is no discharge at all.

Urethritis treatment

The inflammation is treated with antibiotics. The most commonly used macrolides (Clarithromycin), cephalosporins (Cefodox or Ceftriaxone) and the tetracycline series (Doxycycline). Antimicrobial drugs such as Miramistin or Furazolidone are also prescribed.

With verified urethritis, drugs are injected directly into the urethra by means of installations or by taking pills or syrups, as well as suppositories.

If the inflammation has developed against the background of a fungal infection, then fungicidal medicines are used. Female urethritis is treated in the same way.

During therapy, it is necessary:

• stop having sex;
• reduce physical activity;
• refuse pickled, smoked, salty foods and alcoholic beverages;
• avoid drafts and hypothermia;
• increase the amount of fluid intake per day;
• include cereals, fruits, vegetables and dairy products in your diet;
• connect your sexual partner to the examination and treatment.

Prevention of urethritis

Preventive measures for urethritis are very simple. Simple rules should be followed:

1. Personal hygiene is in the first place; from childhood, teach your child to wash after each act of defecation.
2. Avoid intimate meetings with unfamiliar people.
3. If the connection does occur, protect yourself with a condom.
4. Eliminate all foci of infections in a timely manner.
5. See your urologist and gynecologist regularly.

If the infection does occur, then immediately go to the doctor, he will refer you to a diagnostic study and then prescribe treatment.