Many of the fair sex know firsthand what colpitis is. In women, this disease is characterized by inflammation of the vaginal mucosa and is one of the most common female pathologies. According to statistics, every 3rd woman in modern times suffers from various forms of colpitis, often without even knowing it. Moreover, according to some sources, there are practically no women who have not suffered this disease at least once in their lives.
Pathogens
The direct causative agents of colpitis in women are bacteria, fungi and viruses.
- When bacteria are the cause of the inflammatory process, bacterial colpitis occurs. It can be caused by Proteus, Gardnerella, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus.
- Fungal colpitis, popularly known as thrush, is provoked by fungi of the genus Candida.
- Various viruses can also cause inflammation of the vagina, such as papillomavirus, cytomegalovirus or herpes.
Causes of colpitis
Inflammation of the vaginal mucosa can be influenced by a variety of factors. In most cases, pathogens are the culprit. The natural microflora of the vagina in the body of a he althy woman successfully suppresses their vital activity. However, when failures occur in her work, she is not able to cope with the pathogenic flora. These factors include:
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colpitis signs and treatment Infectious diseases of different nature occurring in the female body. They significantly weaken the microflora of the vagina and thereby provoke inflammation. In this case, nonspecific colpitis occurs.
- Diseases that are sexually transmitted. Colpitis cannot develop in representatives of the stronger sex, however, men themselves can cause this disease in women.
- Injuries to the vaginal mucosa of a mechanical nature. In most cases, they occur with frequent sexual intercourse or during childbirth, in rare cases, the use of vibrators can also provoke the development of colpitis.
- Diseases of the endocrine system. Usually, if there are disturbances in the work of even one endocrine gland, a hormonal failure occurs in the female body, which leads to many ailments, including problems with the vaginal microflora.
- Long-term use of antibiotics. As you know, taking antimicrobials affects the entire body, weakening the immune system and making it vulnerable to various diseases.
- Allergic reactions. The occurrence of colpitis may be associated with the use of specialointments, vaginal suppositories or condoms.
- Poor personal hygiene. For this reason, the vaginal microflora is suppressed, the natural consequence of which is the inflammatory process.
Symptomatics
In order to fully understand what colpitis is in women, it is necessary to consider the features of the manifestation of this disease and its characteristic symptoms. So, you can suspect the presence of this disease in the body if you observe such manifestations in yourself:
- Burning and itching of the genitals, worse during menstruation, after intercourse and during physical activity.
- Profuse vaginal discharge of various characteristics (milky, cheesy, purulent, frothy, bloody), which have an unpleasant odor.
- Swelling and redness of the external genitalia.
- Pain during sex, aching pains localized in the lower abdomen.
- Increased body temperature.
- Increased urination.
These symptoms of colpitis in women can have varying degrees of severity, which depends on the form of inflammation and the cause of its occurrence. So, in the acute form of the disease, the symptoms of inflammation are pronounced and cause serious discomfort to the patient, while in the chronic form they appear rather weakly.
Types of colpitis
- Atrophic colpitis. The disease is diagnosed when the cause of the development of the inflammatory process in the vagina wasa decrease in the level of estrogen in the female body. In most cases, this disease occurs in the fair sex after menopause, when, due to a decrease in the level of estrogen in the body, the vagina becomes almost defenseless against infections.
- Candidiasis colpitis. It is an inflammation of the vaginal mucosa, resulting from the defeat of yeast-like fungi. Most often, candidal colpitis is diagnosed along with lesions of the vulvar mucosa. This disease is predominantly found in women of reproductive age. Pregnant women are especially at risk.
- Trichomonas colpitis. It is a widespread sexually transmitted disease. Often trichomonas colpitis in women is combined with inflammation of the urethra and cervix. Mostly the disease has a chronic course with occasional periods of exacerbations.
How to relieve the symptoms of colpitis before diagnosis?
It is not recommended to start treatment until the tests necessary for diagnosis are completed, as it can distort the results of laboratory tests.
The only drug that experts recommend taking to alleviate such manifestations of the disease as having an uncharacteristic smell or type of discharge from the vagina, as well as severe itching of the genitals, is Fluomizin. This tool - a broad-spectrum antiseptic - will help to eliminate discomfort in a short time and at the same time,which is very important, will not affect the test results.
Diagnosis
Knowing what colpitis is in women, and suspecting the first signs of this disease, you should immediately visit a specialist. It is possible to reliably find out about the presence or absence of this disease in the body only after a diagnostic examination.
In addition to a gynecological examination, a woman needs to undergo a bacterial diagnosis, which consists in taking smears from the vagina, cervical canal and urethra. Another method for diagnosing this disease is colposcopy, in which the vaginal mucosa is examined for the presence of lesions.
Colpitis in women: treatment
Treatment of colpitis should be comprehensive and based on an individual approach to each of the patients. With the diagnosis of "colpitis", the signs and treatment of the disease depend on the physiological characteristics of the female body, and therefore the selection of funds is carried out only after passing all the necessary tests and a thorough examination of the patient and, very importantly, her sexual partner.
To eliminate colpitis, as a rule, etiotropic drugs and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. Antibacterial drugs are powerless before colpitis, since many pathogens endure the action of antibiotics quite steadfastly. In rare cases, antibiotic therapy may still be prescribed, but antibiotics will be used topically (in the form of solutions and emulsions) and for a short time.
The specialist must identify the diseases associated with colpitis and also prescribe a course of their treatment. An important point in getting rid of this disease is to refrain from sexual intercourse with a man for the entire period of treatment.
Treatment of colpitis with candles
Candles are an effective remedy to help get rid of colpitis. Often, in the treatment of a disease, Terzhinan suppositories are used, which are an antifungal and antimicrobial drug that has an anti-inflammatory effect. The candles "Vokadin", "Klion-D100", "Pimafutsin" have also proven themselves well.
With colpitis accompanied by mycoplasmosis, chlamydia or ureaplasmosis, candles "Genferon" are shown, which must be combined with such tablets as "Fluconazole" or "Metronidazole". It is necessary to use suppositories for colpitis only as directed by a doctor.
Rehabilitation as a way to treat colpitis
For the treatment of colpitis, experts recommend sanitation of the vagina and vulva. For this purpose, a woman needs to perform washing. Effective washing with decoctions of herbs (calendula, sage, chamomile) or with a weak solution of manganese.
In the acute form of the disease and purulent discharge from the vagina, douching with a decoction of chamomile, as well as a special composition prepared from a solution of manganese and rivanol, is indicated. It is important to pay attention to the fact that it is forbidden to douche for more than three days in a row, since inotherwise, you can disrupt the normal microflora of the vagina.
Pasteurized peach oil and rosehip oil, as well as streptomycin emulsion, are also used to perform sanitation. It is necessary to mix all the liquids and process the walls of the vagina with the resulting composition for one week. Vaginal baths with chamomile infusion and chlorophyllipt have proven themselves to be excellent.
After considering what colpitis is in women, we came to the conclusion that this is an extremely unpleasant ailment, the treatment of which should not be postponed. Timely diagnosis and appropriate response measures will help to eliminate colpitis as quickly and effectively as possible and prevent it from developing into a chronic form.
