Chlamydia is an infectious disease of the reproductive system. Very often, the disease also affects other important parts of the body - blood vessels, heart, mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and the skeletal system. Therefore, it is required to know the methods of treatment and symptoms of chlamydia in women in order to prevent the introduction of the disease in time.
Definition
This is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, which very often provokes the development of infertility. This disease can be asymptomatic for years. The causative agent is the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. You can become infected during unprotected sex (without using a condom). Chlamydia is transmitted by vaginal, oral and anal sex. If pregnant, a woman can pass the disease on to her baby.
There is a risk of household transmission if bedding, a toilet bowl or a towel is shared with an infected person, but this has not been documented.
Classification
Depending on prescriptioninfection and severity of the course, experts distinguish the following types of chlamydia in women:
- Fresh - the lesion occurred no later than a few months ago, and mainly the lower parts of the urogenital tract (vagina, cervical canal and urethra) are infected.
- Chronic - the problem has been present for more than two months, characterized mainly by a recurrent or asymptomatic course, due to which inflammation spreads to the pelvic organs.
Danger of chlamydia
In the fair sex, the disease settles in the genitourinary system, and then spreads sexually. The problem is very common among the modern generation. This is associated with the absence of pronounced symptoms, and therefore timely treatment. The chlamydia virus can actively multiply and not show itself, and a person is often considered a carrier without knowing it. Bacteria are parasites and live off the host's energy and resources. The infection is introduced into the cell nucleus, multiplies and feeds on its contents. After the destruction of the cell, a greater number of microorganisms are released, which begin to look for new sources for survival. In the area of dead specimens, coarse connective tissue is formed, because of this, the diseased organ no longer has the ability to function properly, and malfunctions appear in the body.
At risk are: the digestive system, eyes and genitals. Such a pathological process occurs constantly, often without symptoms. Man does not feeldanger, and he does not take any protective measures, while the problem spreads further.
Reasons
Chlamydia in women is often associated with ailments of the reproductive system. Among the main signs of the development of the problem, doctors call the absence of one sexual partner and promiscuity. It should be noted that the malaise contributes to:
- presence of chronic diseases in the urogenital tract;
- violation of hygiene rules;
- decrease in local immunity.
Transmission methods
Very often, after a diagnosis is made, patients ask the doctor about the options for contracting the disease. The main route of transmission of chlamydia in women is sexual. At the time of contact, the carrier infects his partner with the disease. In this case, the localization of the problem will depend on the method of transmission - oral, genital. And other ways of transmission are also distinguished:
- Vertical, in terms of distribution, it is in second place. In this case, the transition of the pathogen is carried out from the mother to the baby. This can happen in the birth process at the time of the passage of the child through the genital tract. As a result, the baby begins to form conjunctivitis, which affects the mucous membranes of the lungs. Doctors do not exclude the possibility of infection while the baby is still in the womb, but this has not been confirmed by practice.
- Contact household has no documentary basis. However, due to the active contagiousness of the virus, doctors do not discard the possibility of transmissionthrough public facilities. It has been proven that chlamydia is very viable and can last up to 2 days on underwear.
- Airborne - describe a form of pathology such as chlamydial pneumonia.
Risk group
Increased risk of chlamydia in women appears if:
- There were several sexual partners with whom unprotected sex was practiced.
- Sexuality starts early (girls who lose their virginity before the age of 19 have an increased risk of defeat).
- Before had chlamydia or other sexually transmitted diseases.
- Practiced unprotected sex with a man who is already ill.
Chlamydia symptoms in women
This disease rarely causes various symptoms in the fair sex. According to statistics, in 80% of women the problem is asymptomatic, gradually and completely imperceptibly leads to the formation of complications.
If they are still present, then you can notice the following signs of the disease:
- discharge that has an unpleasant odor and can be clear, green or yellow;
- pain during urination (signs of cystitis or urethritis);
- unpleasant feelings during sex;
- bleeding after intercourse or for no apparent reason;
- another symptom of chlamydia in women is fever;
- pain in the lower abdomen, on the sides and in the center.
The first signs of the disease may appearat the end of the week after infection.
Complications
Timely unrecognized symptoms of chlamydia in women (photos of women who encountered this trouble are presented in the article) can lead to the following consequences:
- ectopic and missed pregnancy;
- infertility;
- cervical cancer;
- joint inflammation;
- problems with the pelvic organs (salpingitis and chronic endometritis).
In case of pregnancy, bacteria can cause premature birth, miscarriage and pneumonia in the newborn baby.
Associated diseases caused by chlamydia
Despite the fact that the virus already causes many serious problems, it can cause other pathologies in the body:
- Colpitis often develops during menopause due to a lack of estrogen in the body. At risk are girls, pregnant women and mature women. In this case, there are symptoms of chlamydial colpitis in the glands adjacent to the vagina. The patient feels itching, burning, pain during urination and in the lower abdomen.
- Cervicitis shows a large scale problem in the cervix and forms as an erosion. In this case, the organ acquires a significant size, swells and becomes inflamed.
- Salpingoophoritis, endometritis and salpingitis are serious conditions that require ultrasound (ultrasound). They occur due to constant stress, a weak immune system and poor sleep.
Diagnosis
Symptoms of chlamydia in women are not always pronounced, so the diagnosis of the disease is not an easy task.
There are several methods for detecting a disease, each of which has its own disadvantages and advantages:
- Microscopic examination is the simplest method of detection, in which the smear is very closely examined under a microscope. It is possible to identify a problem with this option in 10% of cases, since most often chlamydia in women occurs in a chronic course, which means that microbes penetrate far into the mucous membrane, and there is no way to take a smear from there.
- Inoculation of bacteria on live cell cultures - this rather sensitive method helps to immediately get answers to 2 questions, namely, to identify or refute the presence of chlamydia and to select the required selective antibiotic. This method is very demanding and time consuming.
- RIF (immunofluorescence reaction) - at the time of its application, the patient's biological material is treated with immune serum, in which anti-chlamydial antibodies are present, and then exposed to a fluorescent reagent. Next, the resulting sample is carefully examined under a microscope. If there is a disease, then the chlamydia present in it will be pronounced among the rest of the contents. In terms of sensitivity, the presented method is not inferior to the previous one. However, with RIF there is no way to separate the dead bacteria from the living ones, which very often pushes the doctor to prescribe drugs for the treatment of chlamydia in women.again for he althy microflora. Therefore, this method helps only with primary diagnosis, and the previous method is suitable for further.
- PCR (polymerase chain reaction) - thanks to the method, you can get almost one hundred percent result, but the option is very capricious. If the material used contains even the slightest admixture of foreign components, you can not expect an accurate result.
Chlamydia in pregnant women
If possible, all tests should be done by both partners before conception. In case of infection after fertilization, therapy should be comprehensive and urgent, as complications are possible:
- probability of miscarriage;
- preterm birth;
- early amniotic fluid loss.
If the birth took place, then the infection of the fetus remains high and amounts to 75%. It should be noted that in the child's body the virus develops very quickly. With its mild manifestations, it leads to blockage of the respiratory tract, pneumonia, conjunctivitis, pharyngitis and otitis media. There are still complications in the form of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome or encephalopathy with convulsions. In other cases, the virus that the baby is infected with is fatal for him.
Treatment of chlamydia in women who are about to become mothers soon is carried out with drugs that are harmless to the fetus. These include antibiotics, in which the molecular weight is more than the capacity of the capillaries of the placenta. The regimen consists of 7-14 days with fairly long breaks to restore the correctmetabolism. In the early stages, one course is sufficient to remove the infection.
For a better result, girls are prescribed immunomodulators, enzymes and vitamins. In some cases, a single injection of an antibiotic highly sensitive to chlamydia is used. At the same time, the sexual partner also receives treatment to prevent re-infection.
For the treatment of chlamydia in pregnant women, only safe drugs are used, these include: Ofloxacin, Amoxicillin, Viferon, as well as their analogues. Macrolides are prescribed in case of complete intolerance to tetracyclines.
"Erythromycin" is required to take 10-14 days, 1 tablet 4 times a day. "Vilprafen" and "Josamycin" are used 1 time for 2 tablets in a course of 10 days.
Treatment of fresh chlamydia
In the early stages, drugs for local therapy (vaginal tampons, suppositories and suppositories) together with proteolytic agents, enzymes, adaptogens and vitamins help to cope with the disease. Physiotherapy also helps a lot.
The life cycle of the bacterium is 48-72 hours, so the treatment of the first symptoms of chlamydia in women, regardless of what substances are used, should compensate for 4-6 development cycles.
Antibiotics work best when administered intravenously or intramuscularly.
The scheme is determined only by the timing of infection. At an early stage, the bacterium stays in the patient's body for no more than 2 months, then the infection becomes acute orchronic form.
Therapy at the initial stage is carried out on an outpatient basis. Antifungal drugs, immunomodulators and systemic enzymes are prescribed after antibiotic use.
To suppress chlamydial infection are used:
- tetracyclines - Oxytetracycline and Doxycycline, as well as new drugs - Vibra-Tab, Vibramycin;
- macrolides - "Azithromycin", "Erythromycin".
- Fluoroquinolones - Lomefloxacin, Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin, Ofloxacin, Pefloxacin, as well as other drugs that contain the active ingredient in the name.
With a fresh infection, a single dose of "Azithromycin" (1 g) is very effective.
Treatment of the chronic form
To combat chronic chlamydia in women, several stages are required, the substances and treatment regimens for each of them are different.
At the preparatory stage, the doctor prescribes 7 intramuscular injections of Neovir every other day. This drug is also used during lactation and pregnancy. The tool perfectly interacts with other drugs, thanks to this it has a complex antiviral and antimicrobial effect.
As an additional fight against candidiasis, which very often develops against the background of chlamydia, "Rovamycin" is prescribed. On the 7th and 14th day after the use of this drug, Diflucan is prescribed orally. Together with them, Supradin is recommended for use, as well as its analogues to restore the balance of minerals andvitamins.
After this, the recovery stage follows, at which the rehabilitation of the vaginal biocenosis is carried out. Allocations for chlamydia in women are significant, therefore, Lactobacterin is used for therapy. The tool perfectly stabilizes the immune system and forms a hostile environment for opportunistic and pathogenic microorganisms.
To maintain immunity, especially in cases of relapse, injections of Interlock or Reaferon are prescribed. In parallel, Wobenzym or Phlogenzym tablets are prescribed.
To eliminate the symptoms of chlamydia in women, Clindamycin is also prescribed. It copes with a wide range of microbes, is effective even if the virus enters the respiratory tract and bone tissue. If everything is running, then the same drug is used in the form of injections. At the end of the course, it is recommended to switch to tablets.
The sooner a disease is detected, the less harm it can bring to the body as a whole. When the first symptoms of chlamydia appear in women, you should consult a doctor and get tested.
Recommendations
For a quick recovery, doctors advise using not only antibiotics, but also other therapeutic procedures:
- Multivitamins, as they strengthen the entire body.
- Diet - during this period, it is required to give up dairy, flour and spicy foods, as their use slows down the healing process, it is also recommended to exclude smoking and alcohol.
- For the duration of therapy, you should refrain from sexual intercourse, as you can provoke re-infection.
Despite the complexity of therapy, the prognosis for life in the presence of an infection is quite favorable, but it is still recommended to consult a doctor in time to provide qualified assistance.
How to avoid the spread of infection
How to treat chlamydia in women is already known, but it is always better to prevent the disease and know the possible ways to implement it.
At the time of the chronic course of chlamydia, whole colonies form on the internal organs. Vivid symptoms, in which it will be clear that there is a danger, should not be expected, and few people take minimal ailments seriously. But such a pathological condition is very dangerous with unprotected sexual contact. With external he alth, such a person is considered contagious.
Timely treatment of symptoms of chlamydia in women will bring positive results if all stages of therapy are carried out by both partners at the same time. The use of personal hygiene is not taken seriously by everyone. And this is the most important way to block the access of microorganisms to the human body. Chlamydia remain stable in the external environment for 2 days, but infection requires a large number of these microorganisms. In the case when there is no way to defeat them completely, then you need to at least constantly lower their concentration. Boiling and treatment with various antiseptics is dangerous for them. Wet cleaning of the apartment and regular cleaning of clothes helps a lot.
