Ureaplasma in men

Content:

• Little about microorganism
• Causes of male ureaplasmosis
• Pathogenesis of ureaplasmosis
• Symptoms of ureaplasmosis in men
• What is dangerous disease for men
• Diagnosis of ureaplasmosis in men
• Treatment of ureaplasmosis in men
• Prevention

Ureaplasmosis is an inflammatory disease of the urogenital tract caused by a unicellular microorganism Ureaplasma. The pathogen is relatively rarely affects the representatives of the stronger sex. In women, ureaplasma is sometimes found in the composition of the microflora of the vagina. As a rule, the diagnosis “ureaplasmosis” is made in the event that no other pathogens are identified, and clinical manifestations of inflammatory pathology are present.

Little about microorganism

Ureaplasma is a very specific microorganism belonging to mycoplasmas. Its specificity lies in the fact that this class of microorganisms does not have its own cell wall and is a membrane parasite. Some scientists assume that mycoplasis (and ureaplasma as well) are the simplest microorganisms capable of reproducing independently.

The cell wall for ureaplasma is replaced by a three-layer cytoplasmic membrane and a kind of capsule, allowing at least to keep the microorganism in a certain form. The genetic material in this microorganism is several times less than it contains E. coli. There are five types of this microbe, but only one of them can cause ureaplasmosis. In general, the high tropism of the microorganism to the urinary tract epithelium determines the frequency of its occurrence in the urinary tract (transient microflora).

Previously, doctors underestimated the danger of mycoplasma to humans. Indeed, a healthy body easily copes with their effects and allows bacteria to coexist peacefully with themselves. But in cases of weakened immunity or aggressive antibiotic therapy that can disrupt the delicate balance of microflora, ureaplasma can show its pathogenic properties. It is proved that ureaplasmosis can provoke premature birth and miscarriage.

It may seem that the problems of pregnancy are not related to men for obvious reasons (not a single case of pregnancy has been described by the representative of the stronger sex). However, every normal man worries about the health of his partner and the well-being of his children.

According to some researchers, about 60-70% of women worldwide are carriers of the disease. Consequently, a greater risk of infection for men, especially if their bodies are not well immune.

Causes of male ureaplasma

The disease in most cases is transmitted through unprotected sexual contact. Also, infection periodically occurs when a child passes through the mother's genital tract (this is more relevant for girls, but it is not excluded in boys). If we recall the frequency of occurrence of ureaplasma in the genital tract of adult women, it becomes clear what the risk of infection of children. At first, the microbe does not manifest itself in any way, since it is in an inactive form, but after that it can have a pathogenic effect.

In most cases, ureaplasmosis is infected for the same reasons as other sexually transmitted diseases.

• Messy sex.
• Earlier onset of sexual activity when the body is not fully formed and cannot normally withstand infection.
• Previously transferred sexually transmitted diseases provide greater susceptibility of the urinary tract epithelium to microbial damage.
• The age of 30 years is not the cause of the development of the disease, but it allows to assign patients to a risk group. Since it is during this period, people are most active in terms of sexuality and are prone to changing sexual partners.

You can also separately identify the factors that cause an imbalance of the microflora of the genital organs.

• Long-term use of broad-spectrum antibiotics for any other infectious disease.
• Reception of the preparations containing hormones in the structure.
• Conducting patient immunosuppressive therapy (may be indicated for organ transplants or some autoimmune processes).
• Severe chemotherapy for cancer.
• Frequent stress, emotional overstrain, poor quality of life.
• Non-compliance with basic rules of personal hygiene.

Pathogenesis of ureaplasmosis

At present, it is not completely known how Ureaplasma, and other mycoplasmas, interact with cells of the human body. It has been established that they have a good affinity for the human urinary tract epithelium. Scientists are not completely sure whether they parasitize ureaplasmas on the cell membrane or penetrate the cytoplasm. In any case, this microorganism lives where it should not be and releases the products of its vital activity into the environment. The waste products often have toxic properties, and the environment is the intercellular space of the human body or even the cytoplasm of the cell.

Under an electron microscope, it was found that ureaplasma does not form a strong connection with the epithelial cell. But at the same time, it “holds” well enough for the cage, which does not wash it off with a stream of urine that flows through the urethra at a sufficiently high speed and under a certain pressure.

Symptoms of ureaplasmosis in men

Like most infections that affect the urogenital system, ureaplasmosis does not have any specific features, but this is not the main danger of the disease. The incubation period is the time during which the pathogen has reliably settled in the body, has some pathogenic effect and even multiplies, but there are no clinical manifestations. What is the worst, microbes throughout this time can leave the body of the carrier and infect other people.

The longer the incubation period, the more difficult it is to combat the spread of the disease, since patients have time to infect more people before consulting specialists. In the case of ureaplasma, the incubation period can last for many months, during which a person is dangerous for his partners. That is why it is important to have a permanent sexual partner, then the risk of infection is minimal, and it will not be possible to infect several people in which case.

Symptoms that make a man worry, in most cases appear in a month:

• Scanty and turbid discharge from the urethra in the initial stages may not be noticed by the patient. It is very important to carefully inspect your underwear, since even a small droplet released during the day will definitely leave a whitish mark on the fabric. Discharges are often seen in the morning, because during the day a man urinates intermittently and “flushes” them out. During the night, they have time to accumulate, and are visible in the morning.
• Sluggish urethritis manifests itching throughout the urethra. This sensation intensifies during urination and after it, since urine is a rather aggressive medium with an acid reaction.

If the patient does not pay enough attention to his body and does not listen to his signals, then the disease may be complicated by a lesion of the prostate gland. Prostatitis develops with a characteristic clinical picture:

• Body temperature increases due to intoxication of the body.
• Severe pain in the crotch area and groin.
• Since the male urethra passes through the prostate, when its inflammation is more likely to develop a violation of the process of urination. The lumen of the urethra is reduced, which makes urination difficult. Muscle expelling urine is not able to empty the bladder completely, which leads to increased urination (especially at night).
• In severe cases, purulent discharges appear from the urethra, indicating that the process is quite active and the prostate is severely affected.
• The most dangerous complication of prostatitis is the entry of the pathogen into the systemic circulation and the development of sepsis. At the same time, physicians no longer think about the condition of the patient's urinary tract, but are fighting for his life in the intensive care unit and intensive care.

If the pathogens penetrate even “higher” along the urinary tract of the patient, cystitis and pyelonephritis can develop with a characteristic clinical picture.

What is dangerous disease for men

If the disease is not cured, it becomes chronic asymptomatic, then the patient has a fairly high risk of developing complications.

• Urethral stricture is a condition in which, due to the progression of the inflammatory process, the two walls of the urethra coalesce with each other. At the same time, the urethra does not overlap completely, but its lumen is significantly reduced. The result is a violation of urination, which requires great effort from the patient.
• Asthenospermia is one of the varieties of male infertility. The pathogen does not cause the death of sperm, but significantly reduces their mobility due to parasitism. Immobile spermatozoa cannot afterwards get to the egg cell, since for this it is necessary to make a rather long journey in the female genitals.
• In rare cases, ureaplasma causes damage to the joints, causing their inflammation.

Diagnosis of ureaplasmosis in men

As soon as the symptoms described above began to appear, it is necessary to contact the medical staff who can correctly assess the situation and carry out adequate treatment. If you engage in self-treatment, you can achieve the development of complications or the transition of the disease into a chronic form. Before visiting the doctor, you need to prepare a little to help the doctors quickly make the correct diagnosis.

• A few days before visiting the doctor you need to refrain from sex.
• No need to use special means for the care of the perineum and genitals. They can reduce the likelihood of pathogen detection.
• In no case do not start treatment before visiting the doctor and diagnosis. Even if the drug is good and “correct”, it can reduce the concentration of parasites in the genital tract and make it difficult to detect them.
• Immediately before visiting the doctor you need to wash the genitals with water and regular soap. It is important to do this in the evening, not in the morning, which also increases the probability of detecting the pathogen.
• Urination reduces the concentration of the pathogen in the urethra. Therefore, a few hours before the visit to the doctor, it is desirable to refrain from urinating.

In the process of collecting anamnesis, the doctor will ask enough personal questions regarding sexuality, the patient’s partners. You should not be ashamed of a specialist, since he will definitely keep everything he heard in secret (this is his medical duty). You can not lie to the doctor, because so you can mislead him and slow down the diagnostic search. It is better to refrain from answering, refer to defects in memory than to tell a lie.

Diagnostic tests

• Bacteriological smear from the urethra allows to identify the pathogen during microscopy. The material is taken by a special probe, which is injected into the urethra a few centimeters. The process is accompanied by discomfort and pain, which can disturb a person for several more days.
• Massage of the prostate gland can be carried out before taking the material with the aim that this causes the release of pathogens into the urethra and increases the chance to detect them.
• Polymerase chain reaction - a modern study that allows to detect the causative agent of its genetic material. In this case, only a part of its nucleic acids is sufficient for the device to independently make a conclusion about the presence of a bacterium in the body.
• Sowing on nutrient media is currently rarely used, since it is necessary to wait for the growth of colonies of microorganisms, and this is the lost time during which the patient could be treated.

Treatment of ureaplasmosis in men

Usually both sexual partners are treated right away, because there is a very high probability that the pathogen managed to get into another organism. Otherwise, after treatment, the patient becomes infected again by engaging in sexual contact with an infected person. Also at the time of treatment you need to refuse to take alcohol, because certain drugs can give an unexpected reaction in combination with him.

Anitibiotic therapy is carried out with macrolide or fluoroquinolone drugs. Bacteria are becoming more resistant to tetracyclines, which they successfully treated before. In general, a qualified specialist should deal with the treatment of the disease, especially in the case of working with antibiotics. In other cases, improper treatment contributes to the formation of resistant forms of bacteria, which after curing will be very difficult.

Prevention

To prevent the disease is simple - you need to avoid casual sex and remain faithful to your partner, who will reciprocate. Contact-domestic ways of infection with ureaplasmosis have not been described to date, therefore, it is impossible to get infected with this disease “accidentally”.

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