Cystitis is a disease that affects the urinary system of the female or male body. This pathology literally means an inflammatory process in the bladder, especially in its wall. Many people wonder why men have cystitis, since this pathology is more common in women. However, men are also susceptible to this disease.
The difference between male and female cystitis is not only in the frequency of the change, but also in the causes of its occurrence. If in women the pathology often develops initially, then in men the inflammatory process occurs as a complication of some other disease.
The pathogens that cause cystitis in men and women can be different. Most often, the bacterium Escherichia coli causes the inflammation, but instead Staphylococcus, Proteus and various protozoans, such as Trichomonas, can settle on the wall of the bladder. A separate class is the pathogens of sexually transmitted infections, the complications of which can be cystitis.
Etiology
Causes of cystitis symptoms in women include:
- All untreated (or not detected in time) diseases of the urogenital system are often inflammatory (specific, for example, of sexual origin, and non-specific);
- chronic pathologies of any body system (especially in the acute stage);
- Hypothermia (not as common as localized in the genitals and pelvic organs, for example, sitting on cold concrete);
- Professions requiring prolonged sitting (office positions and others);
- Chronic stool disorders (constipation);
- improper personal hygiene of the genitals;
- Experiments in sexual life (switching from anal contact to vaginal contact without the partner first changing the condom or water treatment);
- Tight and synthetic underwear, as well as jeans, tights, trousers;
- insufficient number of urinations per day (at least five times the normal);
- Failure to observe personal hygiene during menstruation is one of the most common causes of cystitis in women;
- Immunodeficiency conditions of any origin (both primary immunodeficiency and reduced immunity caused by stress and excessive physical exertion).
In contrast to women living in a male body, proper observance of the rules of intimate hygiene is often a sufficient measure to prevent inflammation. And even in this case, cystitis may occur as a complication of advanced urethritis. However, many factors provoke the pathology.
Causes of cystitis symptoms in men:
- Inflammatory processes (acute and chronic) in the prostate gland, urethra, testicles and appendages;
- Disorders of the anatomical structure of the urethra (for example, strictures), which cause stagnation of urine;
- Urolithiasis or the introduction of foreign bodies into the urinary system;
- The presence of genital inflammatory pathologies (gonorrhea is especially complicated by cystitis);
- Pyelonephritis or renal tuberculosis (damage occurs due to the downward path of infection);
- Inflammatory processes in the male body (rarely);
- Injuries to the urinary organs or directly to the bladder;
- Incorrectly performed diagnostic and therapeutic manipulations on the organs of the urogenital system;
- Diabetes is a dangerous predisposing factor.
Symptoms
Despite the etiological differences in the development of the inflammatory process, the clinical picture of the disease does not differ in both sexes. Symptoms of cystitis in men and women:
- Frequent (and often false) urge to urinate;
- Pain during urination (pain occurs in the form of burning or spasms, intense, short, characterized by an increase in amplitude towards the end of urination);
- persistent pain (in women in the lower abdomen, in men in the penis or vulva);
- A decrease in the amount of urine with a single urination;
- Subfebrile temperature and general signs of the inflammatory process (weakness, fatigue, pallor, dizziness) are characteristic of bacterial cystitis.
Since this pathology is characterized by a chronic form of cystitis, it should be clarified that the clinical picture in such cases will be vague. All of the above symptoms appear only during the period of exacerbation. In remission, patients may experience pain in the abdomen or groin or frequent urination.
Classification
In addition to acute and chronic forms of the disease, there are also different types of cystitis.
- Bacterial cystitis (or infectious). This form can be specific or non-specific. The disease is caused by infectious agents, primarily bacteria. Special pathological possibilities are sexually transmitted diseases, which can be complicated by symptoms of cystitis in men and women.
- Interstitial cystitis. This form is not caused by infectious agents, but by mechanical or chemical agents. In this case, all layers of the bladder are affected up to the appearance of perforated ulcers. The factors that cause diseases are injuries, chemicals, physical effects.
- radiation contamination. This form of cystitis is distinct due to the specifics of its occurrence. In essence, the type of radiation is considered interstitial, but it does not occur due to accidental exposure to some factor, but in the treatment of oncological diseases. This applies more to the occurrence of symptoms of acute or chronic cystitis in men, since their pelvic organs are often exposed to radiation due to prostate cancer.
- Hemorrhagic cystitis. In fact, this form is a complication of ordinary cystitis and is characterized by bloody impurities in the urine from the bladder. Contamination can be microscopic, i. e. invisible to the eye and abundant (hematuria).
Illness during pregnancy
Cystitis in pregnant women in the early and late stages is a serious pathology that requires high-quality treatment. Women are more prone to cystitis than men due to anatomical features, but pregnant women are also at risk for a number of other reasons:
- Reducing the body's resistance to infectious pathogens;
- insufficient feeding of the bladder due to the pressure of the large uterus on the blood vessels that feed it;
- Hormonal changes.
Congestion and reduced immunity lead to the development of cystitis during pregnancy. The main feature of the inflammatory process in pregnant women is the asymptomatic course, which does not always occur, but still occurs. Therefore, a woman's routine examination should be thorough and aimed at identifying hidden pathologies. Treatment of cystitis during pregnancy is necessary, but difficult, since taking strong antibiotics can adversely affect the fetus.
Therefore, in this situation, they try to limit themselves to local therapy in the form of drops. If this does not help, then antibiotics are prescribed, which are the least dangerous for the unborn child.
Manifestation after sex
The most common cause of cystitis after intimacy is the anatomical feature of the location of the urethra in the female body. If the vagina is opened on the eve, the infection is greatly simplified. Among the causes of cystitis after sex, cicatricial changes in the tissues that occur after the loss of virginity are also distinguished.
Such adhesive formations have a mechanical effect on the urethra and prevent its closure. Hormonal changes also contribute to the fact that women develop cystitis after sex, as the protective properties of all the mucous membranes of the body weaken. Sexual abstinence is a risk factor for cystitis after intercourse, and the longer you don't have sex, the more likely you are to have cystitis next time.
Diagnostics
A vivid clinical picture of acute cystitis is a sufficient indicator for establishing a diagnosis, for chronic or deleted forms of the disease, a number of tests are prescribed. To identify the symptoms of cystitis in women and men, use:
- Clinical blood test (to detect the inflammatory process);
- Urinalysis (to detect leukocytes or microhematuria);
- Bacterial urine culture (the pathogen is determined and an antibiotic sensitivity test is performed immediately);
- Tests aimed at detecting sexual pathology (serological tests, PCR);
- Special urine tests;
- Cystoscopy (as a last resort with running processes).
Treatment of cystitis should be started immediately after the diagnosis is confirmed.
Treatment
Antibacterial drugs are the basis of the treatment of the inflammatory disease (if the pathology is caused by an infectious agent). Preparations for the treatment of cystitis in women and men must be very sensitive to the causative agent, so a special test must be carried out beforehand. Yes, its results use broad-spectrum antibacterial tablets to treat cystitis in women and men. In addition to medications for the treatment of cystitis in women, collargol drops are extremely effective.
Such therapy is acceptable for pregnant girls, where antibiotics cannot be used, and as adjunctive treatment in advanced cases. Herbal preparations are widely used for cystitis in women and men, or otherwise herbal preparations. It is used together with antibiotics or if the cystitis is mild and does not require intensive treatment.
Symptomatic drugs for cystitis in men and women are antispasmodics that relieve pain. Or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which relieve pain and reduce inflammation of the bladder.
In men and especially in women, probiotics are prescribed to prevent the side effects of antibiotics for cystitis. For women, the correct microflora of the vagina is important, which is why it is necessary to take these medicines.
If the inflammatory process was caused by any primary pathology, the basis of curing cystitis is to get rid of the disease. It is especially important to treat prostate changes in men and sexually transmitted infections in both sexes. Physiotherapy procedures are used for the further treatment of chronic cystitis in women and men. They are prescribed after getting rid of the severity of the process or during periods of remission.