Ureaplasmosis: Symptoms and Treatment

Content:

• Causes of Ureaplasmosis
• Symptoms of ureaplasmosis
• Ureaplasmosis and its consequences
• Methods and features of diagnosis of ureaplasmosis
• The main forms of the disease
• Preparing to visit a gynecologist with suspected ureaplasmosis
• Treatment of ureaplasmosis
• Ureaplasmosis in pregnant women
• Prevention of ureaplasmosis
• Traditional medicine as an addition to the main treatment

The ureaplasma bacterium is a unicellular microbe constantly residing and multiplying in the human body, and being an integral part of its microflora. Deviation, considered a disease, is only excessive reproduction, exceeding the normal concentration. The same feature is also fundamental in the diagnosis of ureaplasmosis: such a diagnosis will be made only if no other pathologies or inflammatory processes in the urogenital system are found.

Causes of Ureaplasmosis

Ureaplasma urealyticum - microorganisms that are part of the general bacterial background of the mucous membranes, most often choose the vaginal environment, so ureaplasmosis mainly affects women. And the statistics of this disease is not comforting: every third girl is born already with an unnaturally high content of these bacteria in the body, having received an infection from her mother. Factors provoking reproduction can be any changes associated with impaired immune systems, taking pharmaceuticals (especially antibacterial), or suffering from venereal or infectious diseases. In combination with external factors, negative environmental conditions or climatic features of the region, the behavior of microorganisms becomes unpredictable, and non-aggressive colonies of bacteria in the usual state begin to actively develop, making significant negative changes in the body.

Male ureaplasmosis is less common and less commonly diagnosed. This is due not only to the peculiarities of the hormonal and bacterial background of the male body, but also to the asymptomatic course of the disease in men. Most often, the malaise caused by an increase in the density of Ureaplasma urealyticum, men carry on their feet without going to the doctor. Since most of the consequences of ureaplasmosis is dangerous for women, it seems that ureaplasmosis in men may not require treatment. This opinion is erroneous, as a male carrier may become a means of spreading the disease for his partners.

Ureaplasmosis is a sexually transmitted disease, and therefore the risk group coincides with the category of potential patients at a skin and venereal clinic: people who have promiscuous sex, who practice unprotected sex with frequent changes of partners. The second of the most frequent principles of infection is divided into three types:

• damage to the lungs of a child at the stage of embryo formation;
• intrauterine infection, penetrating to the unborn child through the umbilical cord;
• infection of the baby when passing through the mucous membrane of the birth canal.

The erroneous opinion that infections of this kind can be infected by airborne droplets or domestic methods has no evidence. The bacterium is not adapted to exist outside the usual environment. Even the use of common sanitary and hygienic accessories with a sick person or a carrier is considered safe, just like being with him in the same pool.

Symptoms of ureaplasmosis

For a long time, ureaplasma may not give signals about itself, being inactive for years. Exacerbations are most often associated with internal restructuring of the body, such as pregnancy, or hormone therapy. Symptoms are similar to many STDs, so it’s not worth trying to diagnose yourself. The reason for seeking medical attention should be any of the signs of sexually transmitted diseases.

• Allocation, indicating changes in the structure of the mucous membranes. Even if the discharge that remains on the laundry is odorless and colorless, this is the reason for testing, since a number of serious diseases begin with such rearrangements of the female genital organs. The appearance of odor or a greenish hue in the discharge is a symptom of the beginning purulent process of the internal genital organs, and it is not in the patient’s interest to reach the disease to this stage: the changes may already be irreversible. The same can be said about the presence in the discharge of blood clots in the intermenstrual period.
• Abdominal pain, corresponding to the location of the female organs. As well as excessively painful passage of menstruation, pain and cramps - a signal for urgent treatment to the doctor, since their appearance is evidence of inflammatory destruction of the tissues of the uterus, appendages or the birth canal.
• Burning and itching. The inflammatory process caused by bacteria, manifested pain or burning sensation. Depending on the affected area, this can be either the genital area or another site of infection, such as the throat. In the latter case, the disease may be mistaken for a sore throat, since purulent blotches on the tonsils are characteristic of this group of infections. Lesions of the reproductive system are accompanied by discomfort when urinating.
• Painful intercourse even with abundant lubrication of the vagina.

Symptoms of ureaplasma in men are similar, but manifest in a smoother form: burning during urination and problems with erectile function.

It must be remembered that the course of ureaplasmosis is not uniform, that is, the disease can go out for a long time, reminding of itself again with increasing physical or emotional stress, reducing body resistance or during a period of hormonal changes, for example during pregnancy.

Ureaplasmosis and its consequences

The apparent seriousness of the disease is deceptive. The consequences of ureaplasma are a number of problems that often cause irreparable harm to health:

• chronic inflammation of the reproductive organs;
• cystitis ;
• pyelonephritis, often a chronic form;
• urolithiasis in men and women;
• infertility of both one and the second partner;
• erectile dysfunction and prostatitis in men;
• impotence;
• various pathologies of pregnancy, including ectopic development and miscarriages at any time;
• general destruction of the immune system, provoking the development of other diseases.

Methods and features of diagnosis of ureaplasmosis

The diagnosis of “ureaplozmoz” is complicated by the fact that the bacteria Ureaplasma urealyticum in a healthy body is normal, and their presence in no way speaks of health problems. The basis for medical intervention will be only the excess of their normal number and their non-standard localization. Often, several consecutive analyzes give significantly different results. Moreover, the concentration of bacteria in the body that does not interfere with normal vital activity is individual for each person. The first reason to consider an increase in the level of bacteria as a disease is the patient's complaints about the relevant clinical symptoms, and the confirmation is the laboratory analysis data. The urologist and the gynecologist respectively carry out a whole range of tests before the final diagnosis. The first of these is the polymer chain reaction (PCR), the result of which is considered conditional and preliminary, but the further passage of the diagnostic course depends on its results.

One of the reasons why the treatment is not prescribed immediately after the PCR is performed is its inaccuracy. Even 2-3 weeks after the course of treatment, this method shows the presence of residual ureaplasma in the body. Therefore, as a control test it is not used. But this method is considered the most accurate with a negative result, as it can show even the minimum percentage of pathology.

Also medically, a serological or immunofluorescent method may be prescribed. The latter is becoming increasingly popular due to the minimal time required for obtaining results and the relatively low cost of the procedure.

The most accurate and basic method of diagnosis is seeding - placing biological material in an environment optimal for its development. This method is called cultural. This technique, the material for which is scraping from the walls of the vagina or urethra, urine or prostate secretion, allows not only to determine the presence, localization and concentration of microorganisms, but also to determine their strain as accurately as possible, as well as sensitivity to various groups of antibiotics. This is necessary for the selection of the most effective drug for treatment, which excludes the possibility of addiction and degeneration of bacteria.

In addition to analyzing the presence of Ureaplasma urealyticum in the samples, the laboratory technician will definitely identify all the sex bacteria that are similar in their destructive effect: mycoplasma, gonorrhea, chlamydia and others. This is necessary for the complex treatment of the entire group of microorganisms, whose action is not only similar to the symptoms, but also mutually aggravates each other.

The main forms of the disease

Depending on the nature of the course of the disease, ureaplasmosis is usually divided into acute and chronic. The acute form is associated with a large number of symptoms and their manifestation. Treatment of this form is much faster and more efficient. Doctors additionally warn patients who are prone to self-treatment, that it is also necessary to ensure complete healing by laboratory methods, and, not focusing only on external clinical symptoms. Muffled acute form - the most common cause of neglect of the disease. The delay in treatment and inadequate dose of drugs taken contributes to the degeneration of this type of disease into a chronic form.

Preparing to visit a gynecologist with suspected ureaplasmosis

To maximize the accuracy of the research result, a number of preparations are required before going to the doctor:

• exclude any intimate contacts in 2-3 days;
• during the same period, do not use intimate hygiene products and vaginal pharmaceutical preparations;
• eliminate the cleaning of the inner walls of the vagina: douching and the use of tampons;
• for a day to exclude soap, gels from intimate hygiene procedures;
• Do not carry out such procedures on the day of treatment.

All these measures are aimed at minimizing the distortion of the bacterial environment of the mucous membrane, which gives maximum accuracy of research.

Treatment of ureaplasmosis

Like the whole group of genital infections, characterized by maximum adaptability and ability to mutate, ureaplasma is treated individually. In the calculation are taken not only the features of the strain and the presence of associated diseases, but also the age of the patient. Treatment without fail includes three main stages:

• normalization of the content of conditionally pathogenic organisms in the microflora;
• elimination of factors triggering their activation;
• restoration of immunity and stimulation of the body’s own defense systems.

The first stage, as a rule, is based on the appointment of a course of antibacterial drugs. Their specific type is to be selected by the attending physician, since for many types of drugs, individual strains are insensitive. For example, treatment with a common penicillin series will not give results. Most often for adult patients are used funds from the group of tetracycline antibiotics, as the most comprehensively solve the problem. For the treatment of children can be used erythromycin, as the safest of antibiotics. However, a more accurate picture will show seeding sensitivity to AB.

Determining the specific means for the second and third stages of recovery is not difficult: these are standard recommendations on the organization of a wholesome healthy food and a healthy lifestyle. Products rich in bifidobacteria will help to restore the microflora, supplementary drugs will help the physician to choose supplements.

Ureaplasmosis in pregnant women

Women in the "interesting position" - the most frequent category of patients undergoing treatment for ureaplasmosis. This is due to the peculiarities of the restructuring of the organism, preparing for childbirth and exhausted by the emerging embryo. The changed environment of the mucous membranes of the pregnant is the most favorable field for the reproduction of many pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic bacteria, including ureaplasma. The danger of the consequences of infection of the future mommy is not only in infection of the fetus, which occurs in more than 50% of cases, but also in the lowest probability of delivering the fetus before birth. The most frequent outcome of running ureaplasmosis is a miscarriage.

The difficulty of treating pregnant women with ureaplasmosis is the impossibility of using antibiotics after the 22nd week. After this period, such drugs adversely affect the development of the fetus. In the later periods, all procedures are aimed only at preventive measures and measures to preserve the fetus. That is why physicians of antenatal clinics insist on a preliminary study of microflora during a planned pregnancy and the mandatory delivery of all tests at the earliest terms.

In the early stages of pregnancy, treatment and recovery of the pregnant woman’s body after ureaplasmosis is less associated with side effects for both the woman and the fetus. There is evidence that after undergoing a course of such treatment, the microflora of the body is restored artificially.

Prevention of ureaplasmosis

Preventive measures will not only prevent the disease, but also help to prevent recurrent infection. The main factors to avoid problems are:

• constancy of intimate relationships and sexual partners;
• regular screening and testing by both sexual partners;
• use of contraceptives;
• hygiene measures after unprotected sex and oral sex;
• general strengthening of immunity and the rejection of bad habits.

Traditional medicine as an addition to the main treatment

As in the case of most STDs, many infected are embarrassed to contact a medical facility for fear of publicity and negative reaction from others. This is what generated so many requests for independent and traditional methods of treating a disease. Doctors warn about the consequences of amateurish treatment: the infection can not only degenerate into a chronic form, but also get resistance to certain types of drugs, which will complicate further medical care. Traditional methods make sense only in cases of impossibility to conduct a full-fledged antibiotic therapy or as an aid.

1. The use of garlic to treat many types of diseases based on the activity of microorganisms has long been known. In the treatment of STDs, in particular ureaplasmosis, garlic is included in various recipes:

• “garlic water” is used for washing and douching, infused during the day on peeled, but not chopped, cloves for 6-10 hours;
• the simple addition of fresh garlic to food has a positive effect not only on the microflora, but also on the state of the immune system;
• spirit infusion of garlic, diluted up to 10%, is used when douching the vagina and oral cavity, and not diluted for ingestion by 1 teaspoon 3 times a day.

2. When itching and burning, an oak bark decoction is used to wash out, this remedy relieves discomfort and contributes to the destruction of bacteria.

3. Adding carotenoids to the diet helps to normalize the bacterial environment. The most accessible sources of this substance in the middle lane are carrots and sea buckthorn oil. The latter can be used not only inside, but also for soaking vaginal tampons.

4. A number of medicinal herbs, which for a long time in traditional medicine were called female, also gives a positive result for the treatment of ureaplasmosis. This is the wintergreen, the pine forest, the goldenrod, wintergreen. They are used for the preparation of tea collections, and for external use.

5. One of the most effective natural remedies is tea tree oil. Its volatile structure allows it to be used both in oil burners and for addition to wash baths. The only condition for use is careful compliance with the instructions on the concentration of the drug, since the concentrated form may cause allergic reactions if it comes into contact with the skin.

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• Ureaplasma during pregnancy: treatment
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• Ureaplasma in men
• Chlamydia in men