The fungus that causes the manifestation of thrush belongs to the genus Candida, and all the diseases that it provokes in humans are commonly called candidiasis. But because of the characteristic curdled coating of white, the people quickly dubbed them just thrush.
Causes of disease
The manifestation of thrush, as mentioned above, is associated with the activity of fungi of the genus Candida. They are opportunistic pathogens that normally inhabit the human body. If you make swabs of the skin, mucous membranes and intestines, and then sow them on nutrient media, then you will be surprised how much mycelium will grow.
But everything is fine as long as the immune system keeps all microorganisms in check and does not allow them to multiply. There are certain risk factors that provoke the manifestation of thrush. These include:
- decreased immunity of any etiology;
- pregnancy;
- diabetes mellitus and decreased thyroid function;
- infection with venereal diseases;
- taking antibiotics,cytostatics, steroids or oral contraceptives;
- presence of a focus of chronic infection;
- excessive genital hygiene;
- dieting in favor of carbohydrates.
Signs of thrush
The described pathology can have a very different location. So, the following types of lesions are distinguished:
- candidiasis of the oral mucosa;
- skin candidiasis;
- urogenital manifestations;
- visceral candidiasis;
- generalized candidiasis in immunodeficiencies.
But thrush most often develops on the external genitalia. The symptoms in women (the first signs of this disease) are known to many, as the media, in their desire to advertise drugs, regularly remind them in the media.
The following periods of the disease are distinguished by duration:
- Acute candidiasis lasting up to two months.
- Recurrent candidiasis if a doctor reports more than four separate cases in a year.
- Chronic candidiasis, if the disease cannot be stopped within eight weeks.
Stages of disease progression
Genital candidiasis occurs in three stages:
- Colpitis. Manifestations are located exclusively in the vagina and on the external genitalia. It is characterized by a cheesy discharge, itching, burning, an unpleasant sensation during intercourse, and a foul smell of fish.
- Vaginitis. fung althe lesion is localized only in the vaginal mucosa. Morphologically, reddening of tissues, thick white coating is determined. Patients complain of burning and pain even from a simple touch when performing an examination or hygiene procedures.
- Prielocystitis. The thrush spreads further up the urethra up to the bladder and kidneys. There are pains when urinating, the urine becomes cloudy due to secretions. Deep ulcers appear in the vagina, covered with a yellow dense coating. When you try to scrape it off, blood comes out of the wounds.
Thrush: symptoms in women, first signs
Unfortunately, many girls, girls and women are faced with genital candidiasis. And this does not indicate either their moral upbringing or the level of responsibility. Only about the state of immunity.
If you have ever seen the manifestation of thrush, then in the future you will not confuse it with any other disease. Vaginal candidiasis manifests with several characteristic symptoms:
- First of all, it is the presence of white or gray discharge of curdled consistency. As a rule, they have an unpleasant sour smell. Some associate it with the smell of rotten fish.
- Itching is second in frequency. With thrush, the vaginal mucosa is irritated, and the discomfort intensifies after taking a bath, sleeping, or having sexual intercourse.
- If the infection from the genitals has spread to the urethra, itching and burning sensation will increase during urination.
Secondary lesions include candidiasislabia. It is manifested by scratching, cracks, the appearance of sores or vesicles. In addition, a woman will seek to limit her sexual life. Not only because of unsightly symptoms (discharge and smell), but also because of the discomfort during intercourse with a partner.
As a rule, an exacerbation of thrush occurs before menstruation, when the hormonal background is somewhat reduced. And in the first days of the new cycle, the symptoms subside.
Manifestations of thrush in men
Manifestations of thrush in women and men have a similar picture. According to statistics, representatives of the strong half suffer from candidiasis just as often as the beautiful part of humanity. Candida fungi develop well on the mucous membrane of the male genital organs and, with a decrease in immune defense, show themselves in all their glory.
Symptoms in men are almost the same as those in women:
- The glans penis and foreskin become swollen, red and painful.
- Itchy. With thrush in men, it is distributed throughout the groin, and not specifically in any focus.
- Cheedy white or grayish patches appear on the head of the penis.
- Dyspareunia, that is, pain during intercourse and spontaneous erection.
If the infection also spreads to the urethra, then the urine will be contaminated with secretions, visits to the toilet will become more frequent, and in the morning the stronger sex can see long threads on their genitals.
Thrush during pregnancy: what is dangerous for the fetus
Can a newborn baby get candidiasis? Yes, definitely, if his mother went into labor with clinical symptoms of acute thrush.
What does thrush look like in pregnant women? Exactly the same as for non-pregnant women. Perhaps the symptoms are even stronger, as immunity is reduced for a long period. The body perceives the child as something alien, therefore, for the normal course of pregnancy, the protection of the woman is temporarily “turned off”. But this is fraught with manifestations of latent infections.
Manifestations of thrush in women become noticeable by the second trimester of pregnancy. Thus, when the time comes to give birth, candidiasis is already moving into a chronic stage. The child becomes infected, passing through the birth canal, as well as in the process of feeding. Many disparate microorganisms will immediately enter his body and not all of them are ready to be content with little.
The first manifestations of oral thrush are noticeable within a week after birth. White plaques appear on its mucous membrane, which are easily removed, but under them there may be redness or even a bleeding surface. If no action is taken, the disease will spread further down the back of the throat.
In the beginning, the manifestations of thrush do not cause any discomfort in the child, but over time, the newborn shows anxiety, refuses to eat, and is naughty. If the genitals are also affected, then girls develop vulvovaginitis, and boys develop balanoposthitis.
Candidiasis of the skin may still occur. Hemanifests itself in the form of red dots on the body of the child. These areas are edematous, they have vesicles and pustules, which, when opened, form ulcers. The elements of the rash tend to coalesce.
Diagnosis
What thrush looks like in women, no doctor needs to be told. He will understand at a glance what kind of disease he is dealing with. And if the patient tells him that she recently had a severe cold or found out that she was pregnant, then all other questions will disappear.
However, for the medical history and other reporting documentation, the specialist must carry out all diagnostic manipulations without fail. Therefore, the doctor takes a smear from the source of infection and gives it for bacteriological analysis. Laboratory assistants microscope the discharge and detect fungal hyphae and mycelium filaments.
It becomes clear that it is fungi that cause the disease. To determine the type of pathogen, the material is sown on a nutrient medium and wait until a sufficient number of microorganisms grow. If fungi of the genus Candida prevail in the Petri dish, then it is safe to say that they are the cause of the disease.
But the epic doesn't end there. Microbiologists treat grown fungi with various drugs to find out which ones are most effective for treatment. And only after all the manipulations, the doctor is sent a conclusion indicating the type of fungus and a list of recommended medicines.
General principles of treatment
How do women usually solve problems that are not customary or unpleasant to talk about with a doctor? They go to the pharmacy and ask the pharmacist to give them an inexpensive remedy for thrush, but one that will help quickly and for life. The pharmacist scratches his head, spreads his arms and offers either the most common antifungal drug, or talks about baths and douching with herbal solutions with an antiseptic effect.
Chamomile with thrush, of course, has some weight, but it does not cure, but only removes unpleasant symptoms and that's it. Just like other similar herbs. If you want to really cure the disease, then you need to overcome yourself, go to the hospital and get tested. Then the specialist will be able to advise you on a medicine that will act on the fungi, tell you about the features of the reception and will control the course of your illness.
Medicated treatment
Pharmacists sometimes do not understand buyers who ask to recommend an inexpensive remedy for thrush, because one does not exist. All antifungal drugs are quite expensive, and the number of tablets or suppositories in the package is small. Therefore, women delay the beginning of therapy, postpone this moment and, in the end, only harm themselves with this. Because the disease progresses and spreads to neighboring organs and tissues.
How is thrush treated in women? Causes, treatment and symptoms are very closely related. The doctor will write a prescription only if there is laboratory confirmationcandidiasis. There are two groups of drugs for this disease: local and general action.
Medications for local use are available in the form of ointments, suppositories and tablets. The most common of them are such active substances (trade names are indicated in brackets):
- ketoconazole ("Livarol" or "Mycozoral");
- clotrimazole ("Candibene");
- natamycin ("Pimafucin");
- feticonazole ("Lomexin");
- sertaconazole ("Zalain");
- econazole ("Ifenek");
- imidazole ("Ginofort").
As you can see from the list, there are a lot of options and it’s quite difficult to figure them out on your own, because the wrong choice will not cure the disease, but will only develop resistance in fungi. The use of local drugs does not have a systemic effect, which reduces the number of side effects. This method is effective if the course of thrush is mild, uncomplicated by other infections. What to do in the case when a common thrush is detected in women? The causes, treatment and symptoms remain the same, but the "heavy artillery" is used.
If the examination revealed a significant area of the lesion, or the patient has complications, the doctor may suggest systemic drugs in the form of tablets or injections. These include:
- means of the polyene series ("Levorin", "Nystatin");
- imidazole series ("Clotrimazole", "Ketoconazole");
- traizol series("Itraconazole", "Fluconazole").
In addition, iodine preparations are used. In parallel with the main drug, a woman is prescribed eubiotics to maintain normal microflora in the intestines, vitamins and immunity stimulants.
Treatment of thrush with folk remedies
It should be remembered that the treatment of thrush at home with folk remedies will not help eliminate the fungal disease, it can only remove or mask the symptoms. If you do not have the opportunity to see a doctor soon, and the symptoms do not allow you to live in peace, then you can use decontaminating herbal decoctions or homemade ointments.
It can be assumed that now you have figured out what causes thrush in women. Treatment with folk remedies is not aimed at destroying fungal spores, but at reducing discomfort. There are many antiseptic herbs, but residents of the former CIS prefer chamomile for all troubles. It is brewed like tea, and added to baths, and applied in the form of compresses. In general, almost a panacea.
Chamomile for thrush really can reduce inflammation, soothe itching, and heal scratch marks. The decoction is very easy to prepare:
- Three large spoons of dried chamomile flowers and two spoons of cuff grass are poured into a pot or jar.
- This mixture is poured with boiling water and covered with a lid.
- After half an hour, when the water has cooled a little, and the infusion has a beautiful brown-golden color, you can strain it.
- Then you should fill the bathtub with ten liters of water, pour the decoction into them and begin hygiene procedures. The duration of such a bath is no more than fifteen minutes.
Potentilla white has a similar effect. The ratio of water and dry inflorescences of this plant is the same as for chamomile. The resulting decoction can be used to wash or wipe the affected areas.
Prevention measures
For a long time and painfully passes thrush in women. Reviews of the latest achievements in pharmacology in the treatment of this disease, although they give hope, in practice it remains only a ghostly dream, since the drugs are either not available in the retail network or have fabulous prices. Therefore, it is extremely important to engage in the prevention of the disease and prevent relapses.
First of all, take care of your immunity. Go to the dentist, otorhinolaryngologist and surgeon to identify chronic foci of infection and treat them in a timely manner. Do not neglect regular examinations by a gynecologist and urologist - this will allow you to identify the problem at an early stage. In the cold season, take immunomodulators and follow a diet of sufficient calories, because the lack of vitamins or trace elements negatively affects the protective properties of the body.
In personal hygiene, do not be zealous, but do not skimp. Instead of soap, use special gels for intimate hygiene, and when choosing underwear, focus on natural fabrics and a comfortable style. After all, he alth is more expensive than exquisite, but uncomfortable things.
