Thrush is a very common disease that is known in the medical field as candidiasis. Women are most often affected, however, males can also catch this ailment. If the treatment of the disease was not done in a timely and correct manner, there is a high risk that the disease will develop from an acute form into a chronic thrush.
Candidiasis causative agent
Candida fungus is an integral part of the natural human microflora. It is found on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, large intestine and vagina of perfectly he althy people. But, as soon as immunity decreases, the most favorable conditions for reproduction are created for a fungal infection. It is the increase in the number of candida that leads to the development of the disease.
Causes of the chronic form of the disease
Before moving on to the question of how to treat chronic thrush, you shoulddeal with its causes. We highlight only the main factors:
- treatment with antibiotics over a long period;
- incorrect treatment or its complete absence in the early stages of the disease;
- diseases of a viral and infectious nature;
- use of hormonal contraceptives for a long time;
- sexually transmitted diseases;
- chronic pathologies of internal organs;
- endocrine diseases (diabetes mellitus) and other hormonal disorders (obesity);
- malnutrition.
Chronic thrush differs from the acute form by regular relapses. As a rule, they occur at the slightest weakening of the body's immune defenses.
Symptoms of the disease
The symptoms are almost identical in both ordinary and chronic thrush. The patient experiences severe itching and burning in the area affected by the fungus. Also a characteristic feature of the disease are curdled discharge. The only difference between these forms of the disease is that chronic candidiasis has pronounced symptoms. During periods of exacerbation, mucous tissues become hyperemic and edematous. The genitals may feel dry and cracked.
Characteristic features of the course of the disease in a chronic form
The acute form of candidiasis is difficult to treat, even more difficult to cure chronic thrush. How to restore the microflora of the body to a normal state - let's tryfigure it out.
Candida fungi do not cause problems as long as their number is within acceptable limits. With violations occurring in the body, they begin to actively multiply. This leads to the development of pathogenic microflora. The main task of treatment is to restore the natural balance, preventing the reproduction of a fungal infection.
There is a disease in both women and men. Chronic thrush can be acute or latent. After the extinction of the symptoms of candidiasis, a period of remission begins, which lasts until the next exacerbation. Anything can provoke a new round of the disease: a weakened immune defense, colds, and even menstruation.
Symptomatology is pronounced. A person experiences significant discomfort due to burning and itching. The condition can be alleviated only by applying antimycotic ointments to the affected areas of the mucosa. However, such drugs cannot completely cure chronic thrush. What to do in this case?
Antifungal ointments can only remove external signs and eliminate symptoms that manifest themselves in the form of burning, itching and discharge. At the same time, the amount of fungal infection that remains inside the body does not return to normal. That is why the disease comes back again and again. Treatment must be comprehensive. It is very important to identify the root cause of the disease and take measures to eliminate it, otherwise the therapy will not be effective.
What to do with thrush? Reviews
Judgingaccording to reviews, chronic thrush is a very unpleasant disease that from time to time makes itself felt. Those who are faced with such a problem and complications of the disease are advised not to self-medicate, but to consult a doctor at the first symptoms. After all, it is extremely difficult to overcome the chronic form of the disease. The earlier the disease is detected and treatment is started, the greater the chances of recovery.
If you are concerned about the symptoms of thrush, go to the doctor, as similar manifestations can occur with other diseases of an infectious nature. The specialist will take a swab to determine the causative agent of the disease and, having received the results, will be able to accurately diagnose and prescribe an effective treatment.
Doctors' recommendations
You also need to follow the recommendations:
- If chronic thrush is detected in a woman or a man, the sexual partner should also undergo treatment.
- You should abstain from sexual intercourse throughout the course of treatment or use a condom during sex.
- It is important to observe personal hygiene: underwear should be made of natural fabrics, you need to change it in time and wash it twice a day using disinfectants (for example, decoctions of medicinal herbs or a solution of baking soda).
- When undergoing antibiotic treatment, it is recommended to take antimycotics at the same time, which prevent the development of a fungal infection. When the main therapeutic course is over, you need to continue treatment with probiotics and immunostimulatingdrugs.
- You should stick to your diet. It is necessary to give up sweet, smoked, spicy, s alty foods, confectionery and bread. The diet should be dominated by vegetables, cereals, dairy and sour-milk products.
- If the disease recurs quite often, it is worth undergoing a full examination. Perhaps the cause of the disease lies in the development of some other disease.
- It is important to give up bad habits - smoking and drinking alcohol.
- We need to work on strengthening the body's immune defenses.
Complications of thrush in women
If you do not treat candidiasis in a timely manner, you can significantly harm the body. According to statistics, 70% of patients with a chronic form of the disease and who have not completed the course of treatment have complications that often have irreversible consequences:
- a woman may lose the ability to have children;
- occurrence of frequent infectious diseases of the pelvic organs;
- infection of the fetus in the womb;
- formation of adhesions in the organs of the female reproductive system, which leads to obstruction of the tubes;
- weakening of the body's immune defenses and the emergence of a predisposition to diseases of an infectious nature.
Treatment
In the chronic form of the disease, the course of treatment will be long. Don't expect a quick result. In no case should therapy be interrupted until the course is completed, even if the symptoms of the disease have disappeared. Otherwise, the disease will return again with even greater force.
Drugs are prescribed, the same as in the acute form, only their dosage will be slightly higher, and the course of administration will be longer.
Today, the pharmaceutical market offers a wide range of antifungal drugs. They come in different forms of release: tablets, creams, ointments, suppositories. Effectively use douching with disinfectant solutions from medicinal plants or soda.
However, all these drugs have certain contraindications, so the attending physician should prescribe them. The most popular drugs include Pimafucin, Flucostat, Diflucan, Futsis, Fluconazole. In chronic thrush, antifungal agents should be used, both for internal use and for external use.
It is important to remember that self-medication can play a cruel joke on you. For example, many people buy Fluconazole at the pharmacy, but they do not even suspect that improper treatment with this drug can affect the emergence of multi-resistant fungal infection strains that are resistant to almost all types of antimycotic agents.
Thrush in men: causes
Chronic thrush in women is a fairly common phenomenon, but men are also affected. In the stronger sex, the disease can develop for several reasons:
- There are diseases of the endocrine system. In a man, thrush can occur due to hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, and also ifsignificantly decreased glucose tolerance.
- Disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system are a common factor. If the patient is experiencing depression or stress. The disease can be triggered by a strong emotional shock, intense and prolonged physical activity.
- During the treatment of any serious disease (oncology, blood diseases, etc.), there was a decrease in the protective functions of the body.
- In the event of an acute deficiency of minerals, vitamins and other useful substances, thrush may occur. Their lack can be caused by malnutrition and the presence of serious pathologies.
- Long course of treatment with antibiotics and corticosteroids.
- Disruption of metabolic processes in the body and obesity.
- Bad habits: drinking alcohol or drugs, smoking.
- Chronic pathologies of the digestive system.
- Sexually transmitted diseases.
- Working activities involve the use of chemicals or are carried out in conditions of high humidity.
- Lack of treatment for the acute form of the disease or self-medication that did not give a positive result.
- Ending therapy early.
Symptoms in men
About 10-15% of men are asymptomatic. However, the latent form carries the greatest danger, since it does not manifest itself in the form of symptoms, so the person does not undergo treatment. Lack of therapyoften leads to complications. A fungal infection can affect internal organs, epidermal tissues and mucous membranes in different parts of the body.
As a rule, with chronic thrush, males show characteristic symptoms:
- swelling of the glans penis appears;
- the foreskin, and the whole organ becomes inflamed, hyperemic;
- pain during urination;
- pain may occur during and after intercourse;
- in the genital area, the patient feels severe itching and burning, which can be both periodic and permanent;
- a gray-white coating may appear on the head of the penis, which has a sour smell;
- when removing plaque on the mucous membranes, erosions, hyperemic and bleeding areas are formed.
The chronic form alternates with periods of relapse and remission. For some time, the disease may not cause problems at all, and then manifest itself with renewed vigor. Severe complications of chronic thrush include pyelocystitis, candidal urethritis. In these diseases, the fungus affects the bladder, urethra and kidneys.
How to treat chronic thrush in men?
Treatment should be comprehensive. It must include:
- Ointments, creams and gels with antifungal action. These remedies for chronic thrush help to eliminate the symptoms of the disease and suppressfungus reproduction. The preparations are applied to the affected areas of the body 2-3 times a day. The most effective are: "Clotrimazole", "Pimafucin" and "Nystatin". They have a number of contraindications, so only a doctor should select the drug. Even if the symptoms have completely disappeared, you need to continue to use the medicine throughout the course of treatment, the duration of which was determined by the attending doctor.
- Topical disinfectants. Traditional medicine is often used to treat chronic thrush. Plants such as chamomile, sage, marigold and oak bark have disinfectant properties. Decoctions and infusions of them are used for washing. Treatments using a baking soda solution are also effective.
- Treatment of concomitant diseases. If thrush is secondary and caused, for example, by diabetes mellitus, dysbacteriosis or some other disease, the first thing to do is treat the underlying cause.
Many men are embarrassed to go to the doctor with such a problem, so they try to solve this issue on their own. Often this ends with complications in which the disease affects the internal organs - the bladder and kidneys.
It is important to remember that the chronic form is more difficult to treat, so you need to start fighting the disease in a timely manner.
