Gonorrhea is a classic representative of a group of infectious diseases that are sexually transmitted. In women, this venereal disease due to the structure of the reproductive system proceeds with certain nuances.
Gonorrhea can pose a serious threat to women's health, since in the absence of appropriate treatment with the help of drugs, the disease becomes chronic, as a result of which infertility can develop on this background.
How can I get infected?
According to the frequency of occurrence among venereal diseases, gonorrhea is second only to chlamydia. Very often both of these infections are detected simultaneously. The causative agent of gonorrhea is the bacterium gonococcus, or Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N.gonorrhoeae, Neisseria).
Infection occurs, as a rule, sexually from an infected partner. Domestic infection is unlikely. This is due to the fact that the gonococcus quickly dies outside the human body, it is also necessary to infect a sufficient number of microbes into the body for infection.
Therefore, the likelihood that the source of infection can be toilet seats, swimming pools, baths, utensils and towels are negligible.
Gonococci affect mainly the parts of the genitourinary system, which are lined with a cylindrical epithelium: the mucous membrane canal cervical canal and urethra, uterine tubes, large vestibular and paraurethral glands. With genital-anal contacts, gonorrheal proctitis may occur, with genital-oral gonorrheal pharyngitis, stomatitis and tonsillitis.
First signs
Classic signs of female gonorrhea:
- frequent urination;
- burning and pain when urinating;
- bleeding in the middle of the cycle;
- severe pain in the lower abdomen;
- purulent discharge of yellowish color from the vagina.
Often, the disease is asymptomatic, or signs of gonorrhea are so weakly expressed that they remain unnoticed. As a result, the course of the disease becomes chronic.
Symptoms of gonorrhea in women
The incubation period is from 2 to 7 days. This means that the first symptoms of gonorrhea in women can appear in the first week after infection. If the immunity is very weak, then the symptoms will appear within 24-48 hours (a badly transmitted infectious disease recently, steroids, chemotherapy, etc.).
Depending on the localization of infection, there are a number of specific symptoms of gonorrhea in women:
- Upper genitourinary system. Here, gonorrhea manifests itself more clearly: the body temperature rises, constant aching pains in the lower abdomen are felt, the stool becomes liquid, and malfunctions of the menstrual cycle are observed.
- Lower part of the genitourinary system. Here the course of the disease often occurs asymptomatically or atypically for such infectious diseases. The main symptoms may be itching and burning sensation, pus discharge, puffiness of the cervical canal.
- The general symptoms of gonorrhea in women are described a little higher.
To diagnose and learn how to treat gonorrhea, some symptoms of the disease are not enough. If you suspect a gonorrhea, a woman will take a swab from the vagina and diagnose the disease with the help of bacteriological analysis.
During pregnancy
Infection with gonorrhea is dangerous during pregnancy, because it develops very quickly due to a good blood filling of the genito-urinary organs and a decrease in the defenses of the body. In addition, most often the disease is asymptomatic.
If infection with gonococci occurs in the first trimester, it leads to a spontaneous miscarriage because of development of endometritis, later complications and postpartum pathologies occur at later periods.
Emergency prophylaxis after unprotected intercourse
The earlier the measures are taken, the lower the probability of infection:
- Immediately urinate, whenever possible 2 times.
- Wash the inner surfaces of the thighs and external genitalia with soap.
- In the urethra enter 1-2 ml, and in the vagina not more than 5 ml Miramistin or Betadin solution from a vial with a urological nozzle, but no later than 2 hours after an unprotected p / act.
- The skin of the perineum and the internal surfaces of the thighs should be treated with an antiseptic solution - Manganese solution (weak), Chlorhexidine or Miramistin.
Not later than 48 hours after unprotected contact, contact the venereologist. After 14 days it is recommended to give smears for analysis on urogenital infections by PCR.
Prevention
The main means of prevention of gonorrhea (gonorrhea), of course, is the rejection of accidental sexual contacts and Use of a condom in those situations when you are not sure beforehand about the health status of your partner.
The quality of the condom is also of great importance, it should not be natural membrane, but only latex condoms (in case of allergy - polyurethane).
Diagnostics
The diagnosis of gonorrhea is confirmed by laboratory tests. Methods of provocation of the disease are used when suspicion of chronic and latent gonorrhea, when in usual analyzes the pathogen is not identified:
- chemical (lubrication of the urethra 1 - 2% solution of silver nitrate, and cervical canal 2 - 5% solution);
- biological (introduction of the gonococcal vaccine and / or pyrogenal into the muscle);
- alimentary (the use of alcohol, salted, spicy food);
- thermal (carrying out diathermy for 3 consecutive days - smears are taken three times an hour after the physiotherapy);
- Physiological (analysis of smears during menstruation).
Usually, two or more methods of provocation are combined. Smears are taken three times in 24, 48, 72 hours.
Treatment of gonorrhea in women
With confirmed gonorrhea in women, the only way to treat is to prescribe antibacterial drugs. Antibiotics of the latest generation are used, which can affect the gram-negative flora, which includes gonococcus.
In the acute phase, most often:
- azithromycin;
- doxycycline;
- ciprofloxacin.
It should be borne in mind that gonococcal can have resistance to antibiotics, and also that the treatment of gonorrhea in women at different stages requires a different dosage, so self-medication in the home is unacceptable.
Therapy usually lasts 7 to 10 days and is administered to both partners. At this time, it is strictly forbidden to have sex and drink alcohol. It is important to strictly adhere to the scheme and do not quit therapy even with the disappearance of symptoms. The first stage is the destruction of pathogenic gonococci, and the second is the restoration of the flora after antibacterial drugs.
To prevent further spread of the disease, it is very important to identify the person who became the source of infection, as well as those with whom he was ill in sexual or intimate contact. All these people should be examined as soon as possible in order to, if necessary, start treatment on time.
Chronic form
Curing chronic gonorrhea is more difficult than acute. At this stage of the disease, the periods of remission alternate with periods of exacerbation, in which deeper organ damage and further spread of the inflammatory process occur.
Therapy includes the use of antibiotics, immunostimulants and physio-procedures. It is prescribed by the doctor strictly by the results of the woman's analysis.
If the infection is associated, that is, in addition to gonorrhea, there are other sexually transmitted diseases (eg, chlamydia, Trichomonas), it is necessary to prescribe a drug that acts simultaneously on two pathogens.
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