Venereal disease is a term applied to diseases that can be obtained through sexual contact with a carrier of the infection. The concept is general, includes several types of diseases provoked by pathological microbes, viruses. The disease can be caused by protozoa and fungi. The first manifestations are usually noticeable in the work of the reproductive system, but without adequate treatment, the disease can spread to the mucous membranes of other organs.
General view
Infection can be suspected if the reproductive organs are disturbed by secretions that are non-standard in color, smell and consistency, if ulcerated, inflamed areas form on their surfaces. Many sexually transmitted diseases cause pain when urinating.
Such pathologies do not go away on their own. Without a properly chosen therapeutic course, there is a risk of facing serious consequences. The greatest risks are associated with infection of pregnant women, since the mother can pass the pathology to the fetus. A child is born with impaired functionality of the visual system, meningitis is possible,pneumonia. There is a risk of congenital blood poisoning.
Against the background of sexually transmitted diseases in women, inflammatory processes can begin in various organs of the reproductive system and located nearby in the pelvic region. Sexual diseases can cause conception outside the uterus, the inability to become pregnant, bear a child. Babies can still be born, there is a risk of spontaneous abortion. Men infected with such pathogens may also face the problem of fertility, sexual impotence. To avoid serious consequences, at the first sign of infection, you must visit a doctor to determine the optimal therapeutic course.
Herpes
Perhaps the most common sexually transmitted disease is herpes. On average, as doctors say, women are diagnosed more often than men, six times. Infection can be suspected by the appearance of ulcers and blisters on the reproductive organs. Usually the localization area is the groin, anus. Bubbles may disappear, then reappear.
Such a disease is dangerous not only for an adult. If an infected woman becomes pregnant, the herpes virus can interfere with the development of the fetus. Infection of a man can be suspected by the appearance of small non-healing wounds, rashes on the foreskin. The head of the penis may be damaged. The area itches, hurts, burns. Some describe the sensation as tingling. Discomfort increases during urination. Usually, swollen lymph nodes are observed with herpes.
Gonorrhea
Infection with venereal disease is possible through intimate contact withgonorrhea carrier. Doctors have established that if a he althy woman is in contact with a sick man, the probability of infection is 100%, but in the reverse situation it is much less. Gonorrhea affects the work of the urinary and reproductive systems, intestines. Possible damage to the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, visual organs. Sometimes gonorrhea affects the joints and other parts of the body.
A sign of a venereal disease that first attracts the patient's attention is discharge from the reproductive organs of a specific color (yellowish, greenish). Character - purulent mucus. With gonorrhea, the temperature rises, shivering, the act of urination is given with pain. However, the disease does not always manifest itself from the very beginning. There is a variant of a covert flow in the primary stages. It is easier to cure gonorrhea if you can consult a doctor in a timely manner. If the course is started when the disease has already developed significantly, there is a high probability that organ damage cannot be leveled. The treatment itself will be very difficult.
HIV infection
Regarding this venereal disease, prevention is currently receiving quite a lot of attention, as prominent scientists of our world consider HIV to be the epidemic of the current century. The complexity of the disease is that it can be obtained not only through sexual contact. True, the reckoning of HIV to venereal pathologies is rather conditional. Any modern person should know the signs and manifestations of infection. As soon as there is suspicion of infection, you need to consult a doctor in order to establish a diagnosis. If heconfirmed, the doctor will explain how to live on so that the decline in the quality of life is minimal.
Signs of STD:
- heat reaches 40 degrees;
- sweat glands are active;
- patient loses weight;
- breathing is disturbed.
HIV provokes baldness, the skin on the face becomes inflamed, the stool is disturbed, the lymph nodes swell. Such symptoms can be observed for years, periodically the condition improves, then worsens again. With HIV, there is a high probability of infectious diseases that are not characteristic of people with a normal immune status. There is a danger of getting blood poisoning. With HIV, the risk of developing neoplasms and diseases of the musculoskeletal system is higher.
HIV is classified as a sexually transmitted venereal disease, since the predominant percentage of infections falls on intimate contacts with a sick person. You can get an infection with all types and methods of interaction. Possible infection through blood transfusion. The mother can transmit the virus to the fetus. But HIV is not transmitted in a domestic way, so the dishes, bedding, linen of the patient are safe, as are shaking hands with him, if the integrity of the skin is not broken.
Diseases: unpleasant and dangerous
What sexually transmitted diseases can cause a "fishy" smell spreading from the female genital organs? As a rule, the cause is gardnerellosis. This disease begins if gardnerella enter the body, and the immune system cannot take control of the development of the colony. Except for the smell of rotting fish,pathology manifests itself as inflammatory foci localized on the vaginal mucosa. Symptoms get worse after intimate contact.
Another common problem among skin and venereal diseases is the appearance of warts, genital warts. These are such pinkish growths that look like cauliflower. As a rule, the first manifestations can be seen on the reproductive organs a couple of months after infection. Often they are localized on the vaginal mucosa, actively grow in the skin folds of the inguinal region, between the buttocks. If you start treatment on time, you will probably be able to achieve a complete cure.
Syphilis
If there is a suspicion of infection with a human sexually transmitted disease, a syphilis test is one of the first appointments. You can get sick through sexual contact with a carrier of treponema. If it is possible to identify the infection at the initial stage, it is likely that the disease can be defeated quickly and without much difficulty. But this applies only to the first few months from the moment a harmful microorganism enters the human body. Often this period is asymptomatic. Latent syphilis can last for decades. If the microorganism begins to actively develop, the genital organs are the first to suffer - gangrenous processes develop here. Syphilis is dangerous for the heart, liver, disrupts the activity of the central nervous system.
Of course, it’s usually of little use to ask a partner “Do you have venereal diseases?”, And yet doctors advise having contacts strictly with those people whose safety and he alth you cansure. It is easy to get sick with syphilis, an intimate act with a carrier of the disease is sufficient. However, this is not the only way - you can get infected through objects used in everyday life, kisses.
Syphilis is one of the most common dangerous sexually transmitted diseases. The main methods for the destruction of the pathogen are treatment with high temperatures, alkaline and acid solutions. Lemonade, sour milk are dangerous for syphilis. You can suspect the disease by the appearance of redness. More often, the focus of localization is the reproductive organs. Over time, a hard chancre appears in this area - a dense formation. Its size is up to a centimeter. The process is accompanied by swelling of the lymph nodes.
Trichomoniasis
People used to think about this venereal disease: treatment can be practiced at home. No special medical assistance is required. In fact, this is not so: although the symptoms are not too pronounced, and the pathology itself seems insignificant, an unsuccessful approach to its elimination, delay with adequate treatment, with a high degree of probability, can provoke complications.
Symptoms of venereal disease: burning, itching in the reproductive organs. In women, it manifests itself in the vagina, on the outer skin. It is possible to suspect something was wrong by a violation of the secretions: whites of a yellowish hue are disturbing, quite liquid, often foaming. Blood inclusions are possible. Discharge has an unpleasant odor.
Additional symptoms of venereal disease: discomfort in the lower abdomen, lower back. Pain intensifies during intimate interaction,urination. There is a possibility of such severe pain that sexual contact is impossible. If the pathogen spreads to the uterus, there is a risk of prolonged bleeding.
This venereal disease in men manifests itself as burning, itching in the genital area. The act of urination causes pain. Transparent or white discharge (with a shade of gray) is possible. As a rule, they are observed in the morning, they are small in volume - just a drop. Over time, ulcerated areas, swelling, and sores appear on the genitals. Elimination of symptoms without special treatment means the transition to the next phase. The internal organs of the reproductive system are damaged. A man becomes a carrier capable of infecting a woman, and destructive processes take place in the prostate. There is a risk of infertility.
Chlamydia
As can be seen from medical statistics, this is perhaps the most common venereal disease. The disease is unpleasant, and chlamydia, pathological microorganisms, can provoke it. Doctors say that chlamydia is diagnosed on average three times more often than gonorrhea. A sick man suffers from inflammatory processes in the channels for excretion of urine, the work of the testicles and the prostate gland is disrupted. Spread to the intestines and joints is possible. In women, chlamydia can cause foci of inflammation in different parts of the reproductive system, increasing the risk of pregnancy with fixation of the fetus outside the uterus. Higher chance of spontaneous interruption.
Venereal disease in womenmanifests itself as secretions containing mucus and pus. The substance is translucent, may be watery. The act of urination is accompanied by soreness, itching. There may be an increase in temperature, in the groin area - swelling, redness.
What to do?
In the portfolio of medical clinics, sometimes you can find frightening photos: venereal diseases are not only difficult, but also lead to negative consequences that are not always reversible. In order not to learn from your own experience how it looks and what provokes, you need to be as responsible as possible when choosing a partner. If you suspect infection, you should contact a specialized clinic.
There are dispensaries in our country, the staff of which provides free assistance in identifying infection, identifying the disease, and choosing treatment. There are places where help is provided anonymously. Such services are provided not only by public, but also by private clinics.
If there is a suspicion of a sexually transmitted disease in a man, you need to visit a urologist, andrologist. Doctors will prescribe studies to identify what the problem is. You need to contact them at the first symptoms - the presence of discharge on underwear, soreness, burning sensation during urination. If you are worried about pain during sexual intercourse, do not hesitate to visit a specialist. If the symptoms worsen, baldness worries, ulcers and spots form on the mucous membranes of various organs, you need to visit a doctor as soon as possible - there is a risk of severe damage to the body.
Attention to all the nuances
Evenif there are no symptoms to suspect infection, it is reasonable to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases if the person assumes that he was in a situation associated with an increased risk of getting the pathogen. Sufficiently accurate results can be obtained if you go to the clinic one and a half or two weeks after contact with a person suspected of having an STD. Specialists will take swabs from the mucous membranes of the genital organs. In organic substances, Trichomonas, gonococcus, agents that cause syphilis can be found. If the result is positive, the patient learns about the disease in time and can begin its treatment. If there is a suspicion of syphilis, a second examination is prescribed, taking a break between analyzes of about two months. This will give you the most accurate information possible.
If there is a suspicion that HIV infection has occurred, you should apply for an examination 3-6 months after interacting with a potential patient.
All other STDs are detected if the patient presents with characteristic symptoms of the disease.
Types, types and categories
The he alth problems described above are not yet a complete list of venereal diseases. Of the relatively common ones, it is also worth mentioning cytomegalovirus, papillomavirus, candidiasis. The modern classification of sexually transmitted diseases involves the inclusion in this group of some intestinal, skin pathologies: pubic lice, shellfish infection, scabies. This classification is due to the transmission of the disease through sexual contact.
You can suspect that an infection has occurred by itching, burning and the presence of bleeding. If a woman has spotting between menstrual cycles, you should visit a doctor as soon as possible, as the consequences can be irreversible. In general, it is not easy for the layman to distinguish different venereal diseases from each other. Although each of them has its own unique features, most of the manifestations are similar. This imposes restrictions on the possibility of self-treatment: different pathogens require a completely different approach to fixing the problem, so you can choose a therapeutic course and prescribe medications only after confirming the diagnosis.
Forms and stages
Like many other pathologies, venereal diseases can be acute or chronic. The first option is possible if the infection has occurred relatively recently, the body's immunity is rather weak, so the symptoms are pronounced. If you pay attention to the portfolio of clinics specializing in sexually transmitted diseases, photos of patients suffering from the acute form of such pathologies can sometimes even be frightened - the signs and manifestations seem so unsightly. This is largely due to a psychological barrier, a subconscious defense against infection: the rejection reaction occurs as a method of preventing contact with the patient, and therefore, receiving an infectious agent.
However, vivid manifestations are characteristic only of the period of acute flow. If the disease is not treated, over time, the symptoms smooth out, so some even assure themselves that a complete recovery has occurred. The opinion is categorically erroneous: the disease simply passes intochronic stage. Some manifestations remain, but they are rather weakly expressed, they do not attract attention.
The chronic stage is exceptionally insidious. A person does not suspect that he is a carrier of the infection, and can infect his sexual partners. In addition, there is a risk of relapse. At the same time, a pathological agent that develops in the internal organs disrupts their functionality, which will sooner or later lead to serious consequences. Statistics show that men become carriers of the infection much more often, without suspecting it, infecting previously he althy women. Since the symptoms are more pronounced in the fair sex, women often go to the doctor to clarify the diagnosis and start treatment, while men consider themselves he althy.
Treat is important and necessary
Venereology is a branch of medicine that specializes in sexually transmitted diseases, methods for their elimination, prevention. Its roots lie in eras far from our days. Of course, the term itself did not exist then, but even ancient Chinese, Indian, Greek, Egyptian scientists described venereal diseases and found ways to combat it. Particular attention of people was attracted by those diseases, the development of which endangered the very life of a person.
Today, medicine has gone far ahead in comparison with those times. Doctors have access to effective, fast-acting, reliable drugs that allow timely identification of the features of the disease and elimination of it. This made it possible to achieve a decrease in the percentage of deaths due to venereal diseases. discoverpathogen can be much earlier than the human body will receive irreparable damage from its vital activity. With the help of the latest technology in recent decades, doctors have been able to detect infections that people did not know existed before.
Trust the treatment of STDs can only be a qualified doctor who specializes in this field. Do not underestimate these pathologies. The fight against them drags on for a long time, and the course of treatment itself is usually not easy. Medicines that are effective in such cases can cause side effects, and some microorganisms show resistance to medically applicable drugs. All this is the reason for the strict prohibition of self-medication.
Special cases and conditions
The greatest dangers are associated with the situation when venereal diseases are detected in a pregnant woman. Doctors recommend already at the stage of pregnancy planning to undergo an examination for infection and cure all the pathologies that doctors find. With such a responsible approach, the probability of failures in the development of the fetus is minimal, which means that the child will be born he althy and full.
If sexually transmitted diseases are detected during childbearing or breastfeeding, it is important to start treatment in a timely manner under the supervision of a doctor. It is necessary to check for infection not only the mother and her constant sexual partner, but also the child. Statistics show that chlamydia in newborns is closely associated with an increased risk of pneumonia, bronchitis. Possible eye disease orbrain infection. There is a high chance that the baby will die before birth.
Cytomegalovirus, chlamydia, herpetic viruses are associated with the greatest dangers for pregnant women, as doctors say. In most cases, the mother infects the child with them during the period of gestation and birth. The difficulty lies in the limited drugs that can be used to eliminate infection during pregnancy. In order not to harm yourself and your child, you need to be treated strictly under the supervision of a doctor.
Comprehensive approach
If venereal diseases are detected in a person who is in constant sexual intercourse with another, treatment will be successful only if both are subjected to it. It is known from statistics that women who suffer from unpleasant symptoms often turn to doctors, while men consider themselves perfectly he althy. In fact, most likely, both people are sick, just the anatomical features are such that the disease manifests itself brighter in the fair sex.
If only one person from a couple comes for treatment, and the second one neglects to take tests and take a course, one should not expect effectiveness from such a program, since infection will constantly occur on a new one. To avoid such a "vicious circle", it is important to insist that a regular sexual partner visits a doctor even if there are no manifestations of a he alth disorder. If there is no permanent partner, casual relationships and intimate contacts should be carefully avoided during and after treatment. As a rule, they account for the vast majority of infections.
The most effective way to prevent infection is absolute abstinence from sexual intercourse, but this approach is too radical and only works in a small percentage of cases in practice. In addition, the lack of intimate life can cause hormonal imbalance and other diseases, so doctors do not recommend resorting to it. The best way out is to maintain hygiene, maintain a permanent relationship with one person, and also use barrier contraception.
