Sex life is an important part of the life of any person. And most importantly, that sexual relationships do not cause harm to he alth! Therefore, it is very important to speak and know about all the diseases that can lie in wait for both men and women.
Most often, problems occur in women, and many of them are transmitted during sexual intercourse from a man and are more difficult. Today we will talk about a rather rare, but still occurring disease of the genital area - balanoposthitis. In principle, balanoposthitis usually affects men. This is an inflammation of the head of the penis and its foreskin. In women, it practically does not occur, but passes from a man. Female balanoposthitis is called vulvovaginitis or candidiasis, which are caused by Candida fungi. The second name for this condition is thrush, due to the presence of a cheesy whitish discharge.
You will learn more about the symptoms and treatment of balanoposthitis in women below.
Reasons
The most obvious reason that provokes the development of pathology in a woman cannot be identifiedseems possible. The first and most important thing to know is that balanoposthitis is transmitted from man to woman. And this is the most common route of infection. There are certain factors that maximize the reproduction of the fungus. It is noteworthy that in women this disease is often not infectious, but the doctor diagnoses weakened immunity. The disease can develop due to the use of hormonal drugs, especially birth control pills, which change a woman's hormonal background. Also, the risk of developing this disease increases during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy, which also provokes the active reproduction of the fungus.
Key Factors
The intake of certain antibiotics and a long-term illness of a woman can affect the state of immunity. Some groups of drugs can lead to an imbalance in the microflora, as harmless microorganisms die, and not just pathogenic bacteria. If there is a fungus in the body, balanoposthitis will develop with the existing risk factors. The main cause of balanoposthitis is, as mentioned above, a decrease in immunity, which is promoted by:
- serious stress at home or at work;
- insufficient hygiene of female genital organs;
- previous inflammatory or chronic disease;
- gynecological diseases;
- unprotected sex;
- inflammation that can change hormones;
- treatment with antibiotics, hormones or steroid drugs;
- menstrual cycle;
- pregnancy.
Other reasons
Candidiasis balanoposthitis in women can often develop due to existing autoimmune diseases, oncological processes or HIV infection. A noticeable decrease in immunity can occur against the background of frequent diets or insufficient intake of vitamins and nutrients.
This disease, which, as noted above, is characteristic of the male sex, in women it has a completely different course and etiology. Balanoposthitis is not contagious, but due to lack of treatment and unprotected sex, it can threaten the development of more complex gynecological pathologies: chronic candidiasis, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, genital herpes, etc.
Symptoms
Symptoms of balanoposthitis include the following:
- pain and burning during sex and when going to the toilet;
- unreasonable stabbing pains that occur periodically;
- redness of the vaginal mucosa;
- discharge corresponding to a developing pathogen, usually white in color and with an atypical odor;
- itching in the perineum that gets worse at night;
- bad smell;
- an important symptom is drowsiness, lethargy and a weak emotional state.
How is the disease in women?
Especially bright symptoms of balanoposthitis in women whose photos are not attached for ethical reasons, make themselves felt about a week before menstruation. Vaginal candidiasis appears a littlelater. In addition, the symptoms may be more pronounced when taking a bath. The acute form is characterized by painful sensations during intercourse, discomfort in the genital area, and even with frequent visits to the shower, the amount of discharge becomes larger.
If a woman develops an asymptomatic form of balanoposthitis, there may be very scant discharge, so she is late in identifying the cause of the burning sensation, discomfort and itching. Often, candidal balanoposthitis becomes chronic, which leads to pain in the lower abdomen, fever, inflammation, as well as the appearance of cystitis or urethritis.
Diagnosis
It is highly undesirable to self-medicate when balanoposthitis is detected. To clarify the diagnosis, the doctor usually prescribes the following examinations:
- examination by a gynecologist through the use of a vaginal speculum;
- Cervical smear;
- cultural diagnostics;
- polymerase chain reaction, which helps to identify the presence of pathogens;
- detection of the colony to determine the sensitivity to the infectious agent;
- enzymatic immunoassay to determine the presence of chlamydia and mycoplasmas, hormone levels.
When diagnosing balanoposthitis, it is important to take into account the quantitative factor: with a small content of the fungus, we can talk about its low danger. In some cases, this is even normal for microfloravagina.
Clinical studies show that thrush can occur together with well-disguised sexual infections:
- trichomoniasis;
- gardnerellosis;
- gonorrhea;
- chlamydia;
- genital herpes.
In this case:
- A woman is recommended to visit a venereologist and get tested: for STIs and PCR, donate blood using the ELISA and RIF method.
- Thrush can cause diabetes, so the patient needs to regularly donate blood to control glucose levels.
- It is worth visiting a gastroenterologist and an endocrinologist, to conduct an examination of the abdominal organs, to perform a study for the presence of dysbacteriosis.
- If this disease has given a complication to the work of the urinary tract, you should do an ultrasound of the bladder and pass a urine test according to Zimnitsky in the laboratory.
- Examination using a colposcope (colposcopy). Examining the walls of the vagina, the doctor covers them with Lugol's solution. With the formation of small inclusions, we can talk about balanoposthitis.
If the disease was detected during pregnancy, a woman will need to monitor her condition and urgently treat, since the infection can be transmitted to the fetus, penetrating into its tissues and affecting the mucous membranes, some organs, skin and, of course, the umbilical cord. In the absence of adequate and timely therapy, the child may even die.
Treatment
When the diagnosis is finally established, the doctor selectsthe most effective drug to eliminate the causes of the disease. It is selected taking into account the identified pathogen. Since the infection is transmitted during sexual intercourse, both partners should be treated.
Main drugs
Mild form of this disease is treated with antifungal tablets, ointments and suppositories. The most commonly used are:
- "Natamycin";
- "Ginezol-7";
- "Fluconazole";
- "Nystatin";
- "Ketoconazole";
- Clotrimazole;
- Pimafucin etc.
The duration of treatment depends on the chosen treatment regimen, usually it is 2-7 days. To enhance the effect, therapy can be repeated. The chronic form of the disease is treated with the same medications, but the therapy is carried out according to an enhanced scheme. In addition to treatment, a woman needs to eliminate the cause of the decrease in immunity. You should stop taking antibacterial or contraceptives that you started earlier, improve your metabolism.
Self-treatment
Because of the rather simple way of using the drugs, a woman can carry out the treatment at home. The above remedies are usually produced in the form of ointments and creams, which are introduced using tampons, or they treat the genitals. Together with antifungal treatment, a woman needs to raise her immunity. The doctor must choose a high-quality immunostimulating therapy or a vitamin preparation. From the diet you need to exclude pastries and sweet dishes, supplementing the dietfiber to form a he althy microflora in the intestines.
It is important to understand that if you treat balanoposthitis in women on your own, this will not completely eliminate the disease, but only slightly alleviate its symptoms. As a result of such an incorrect approach, this disease can quickly turn from an acute form into a chronic one, which is much more difficult to treat.
