Cystitis is a disease that affects the urinary system of the female or male body. This pathology literally stands for an inflammatory process in the bladder, specifically in its wall. Many people wonder if men have cystitis, since this pathology is more typical for the female. However, men are also susceptible to this disease.
The difference between male and female cystitis is not only in the frequency of the lesion, but also in the reasons for its appearance. 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 may be different. Most often, inflammation is caused by the bacterium Escherichia coli, but instead of it, Staphylococcus, Proteus, and various protozoa, for example, Trichomonas, can settle on the wall of the bladder. A separate class is made up of pathogens of sexually transmitted infections, complications of which may be cystitis.
Etiology
The causes of symptoms of cystitis in women are:
- Any untreated (or untimely detected) diseases of the genitourinary system are often of an inflammatory nature (both specific, for example, venereal, and nonspecific);
- Chronic pathologies of any of the body systems (especially in the acute stage);
- Hypothermia (meaning not so much general as local in the genital area and pelvic organs, for example, sitting on cold concrete);
- Professions that require prolonged sitting (office positions and others);
- Chronic stool disorders (constipation);
- Improper personal hygiene of the genitals;
- Experiments in sexual life (meaning the change of anal contact to vaginal contact without first changing the condom or water procedures on the part of the partner);
- Tight and synthetic underwear, as well as jeans, tights, trousers;
- Insufficient number of urination per day (at least 5 times normal);
- Non-compliance with personal hygiene during menstruation is one of the common causes of cystitis in women;
- Immunodeficiency states of any genesis (both primary immunodeficiencies and decreased immunity caused by stress, excessive physical exertion).
Unlike women in the male body, proper observance of the rules of intimate hygiene is often a sufficient measure to prevent inflammation. And even in this case, cystitis can occur as a complication of advanced urethritis. However, there are a number of factors that provoke pathology.
Causes of cystitis symptoms in men:
- Inflammatory processes (acute and chronic) in the prostatic gland, urethra, testicles and its appendages;
- Anomalies of the anatomical structure of the urethra (for example, strictures) that cause stagnation of urine;
- Urolithiasis or foreign bodies entering the urinary system;
- The presence of venereal inflammatory pathologies (gonorrhea is especially complicated by cystitis);
- Pyelonephritis or tuberculosis of the kidneys (damage is due to the downward path of infection);
- Inflammatory processes in the body of a man (rarely);
- Injuries to the organs of the urinary system or directly to the bladder;
- Incorrectly performed diagnostic and therapeutic manipulations on the organs of the genitourinary 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 in both sexes is no different. Signs of cystitis in men and women:
- Frequent (and often false) urge to urinate;
- Pain during urination (pain is burning or in the form of cramps, intense, short, characterized by an increase in amplitude towards the end of urination);
- Pain of a permanent nature (in women in the lower abdomen, and in men in the penis or pubis);
- 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 blurry. All of the above symptoms will be pronounced only during periods 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 either specific or non-specific. The disease is caused by infectious agents, mainly bacteria. Specific pathology options are sexually transmitted diseases that can be complicated by symptoms of cystitis in men and women.
- Interstitial cystitis. This form is caused by agents not of an infectious nature, but of a mechanical or chemical nature. In this case, all layers of the bladder are affected up to the appearance of perforated ulcers. Factors that can cause disease are injuries, chemicals, physical influences.
- radiation cystitis. This form of cystitis stands out as a separate one due to the specifics of the occurrence. At its core, the radiation type is considered to be interstitial, but it does not occur due to accidental exposure to a factor, but in the treatment of oncological diseases. To a greater extent, this concerns 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 that come from the bladder. Impurities can be both microscopic, that is, 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 inflammation in the bladder than men due to anatomical features, however, pregnant women are at risk for a number of additional reasons:
- Reducing the body's resistance to infectious pathogens;
- Insufficient nutrition of the bladder due to the pressure of a large uterus on the blood vessels that feed it;
- Hormonal changes.
It is congestion and reduced immunity that lead to the development of cystitis during pregnancy. The main feature of the inflammatory process in pregnant women is its asymptomatic course, which is not always the case, but still occurs. Therefore, a routine examination of a woman 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 instillations. 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 it opens on the eve of the vagina, then infection is greatly simplified. Among the causes of cystitis after sex, cicatricial changes in the tissues after deprivation of virginity in a girl 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 are weakened. Sexual abstinence is a risk factor for cystitis after intercourse, and the longer there is no sex, the more likely it is that cystitis will appear the next time you get close.
Diagnostics
A vivid clinical picture in acute cystitis is a sufficient indicator for making a diagnosis, one for chronic or erased forms of the disease, a number of studies are prescribed. To identify signs of cystitis in women and men, use:
- Clinical blood test (to detect the inflammatory process);
- Urinalysis (to detect leukocytes or microhematuria);
- Bacterial culture of urine (the causative agent is determined and a test for sensitivity to antibiotics is immediately done);
- Studies for the detection of venereal pathology (serological studies, PCR);
- Specific studies of urine;
- Cystoscopy (done as a last resort with running processes).
When the diagnosis is confirmed, immediate treatment of cystitis should be started.
Treatment
The basis of the treatment of this inflammatory disease are antibacterial drugs (if the pathology is caused by an infectious agent). Preparations for cystitis in women and men must be highly sensitive to the pathogen, so a special test is preliminarily carried out. Yes, its results apply antibacterial tablets for cystitis in women and men with a wide spectrum of action. In addition to drugs for the treatment of cystitis in women, collargol instillations are highly effective.
Such therapy is acceptable for pregnant girls where antibiotics cannot be used, and as an additional treatment in advanced cases. Herbal preparations are widely used for cystitis in women and men, or in another way herbal remedies. They are used along with antibiotics or if the cystitis is mild and does not require intensive treatment.
Symptomatic medicines for cystitis in men and women are antispasmodics that relieve pain. Or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which relieve pain and also reduce inflammation in the bladder.
To prevent side effects from antibiotics for cystitis in men and especially in women, probiotics are prescribed. In women, the correct microflora of the vagina is important, so taking these medications is necessary.
If the inflammatory process was caused by any primary pathology, then the basis of how to cure cystitis will be getting rid of this disease. Of particular importance is the treatment of prostate lesions in men and sexually transmitted infections in both sexes. For the additional treatment of chronic cystitis in women and men, physiotherapy procedures are used. They are prescribed after they get rid of the severity of the process or during periods of remission.