Gonorrhea in women, the symptoms of which appear after a while, is common. The main way of its transmission is sexual. Let's consider in more detail the disease, its causes, signs and methods of treatment, we will find out: how is gonorrhea manifested in women, the methods of its diagnosis.
Pathogen of gonorrhea
The causative agent of this sexual infection is gonococcus - a microorganism that is a paired bacterium. Externally, the pathogen is similar to the grains of coffee, which adjoin each other with concave sides. The Latin name is Neisseria gonorrhoeae. This causative agent was first described in 1879, by the German scientist Neiser. Directly by his name and called a microorganism.
The pathogen can be present in the body for a long time without causing a clinical picture. This causes a late diagnosis of the disease - almost at its height. Transmission occurs during sexual intercourse. The probability of infection with pathology in unprotected sex with an infected partner reaches 90%. The use of mechanical contraceptive means does not preclude the possibility of infection.
Signs of gonorrhea in women
Symptoms of gonorrhea in women can appear after a long time after infection. This is due to the peculiarities of the development of the pathogen, the state of the immune system of a woman. The clinical picture of the disease is determined solely by the location of the infection process. Sluggish gonorrhea is more common in women whose symptoms are hidden or masked by the inflammation of the urethra and the reproductive system.
How many women are affected by gonorrhea?
The incubation period of gonorrhea in women is determined by the state of local immunity. So, the duration of it from the time of infection before the appearance of the first clinical manifestations, fluctuates within 5-50 days. In this case, often pathology can not be manifested, the woman feels healthy. The pathogen is detected by examination at a gynecologist, delivery of smears from the vagina and urethra. The presence of gonococcus indicates the need for specific therapy. Gonorrhea in young women, the symptoms of which are indicated in the article, is more common, due to active sexual life.
Gonorrhea - symptoms in women, the first signs
The first signs of gonorrhea in women appear 5-10 days after infection (on average). Patients complain of a sudden burning sensation, pain in the urethra, which are more severe at the beginning of the act. There are frequent urge to go to the toilet, with time - discharge from the vagina. Their appearance is accompanied by:
- itching;
- burning;
- discomfort in the vagina;
- pains in the lower abdomen.
Occasionally, in the acute stage of gonorrhea, nonspecific symptoms may appear, among which:
- increased body temperature;
- soreness in the throat.
When examined in a gynecological chair of patients with gonorrhea, the gynecologist notes erosive lesions of the uterine mucosa, flushing around the external opening of the urethra. From the lumen of the cervix, purulent discharge appears. To confirm the disease and establish a final diagnosis, laboratory tests of biological material taken from the genitals are assigned.
Gonorrhea in women - symptoms, discharge
Allocations in gonorrhea in women are purulent. Their coloration can vary, and depends on the stage of the pathological process. More often it is yellowish-whitish discharge, thick and opaque. When gynecological examination, puffiness and reddening of the urethra are recorded, which indicate an inflammatory process in the woman's reproductive system.
When gonococci penetrate higher in the urogenital system, bloody, with an admixture of pus excretion. Blood in them appears when the pathogen infects the mucous membrane of the cervical canal. With such changes, women notice an increase in pain in the lower abdomen. The uterus at the same time increases in size, it becomes painful even during palpation through the anterior abdominal wall.
Chronic gonorrhea in women - symptoms
Because of the latent flow, the absence of a clear clinical picture, chronic gonorrhea develops in women. Disease in this form is characterized by a sluggish course. Symptoms disappear for a while and appear again after short intervals. Typical signs of this pathology in women are:
- painful sensations in the lower third of the abdomen, which intensify with menstruation;
- purulent-mucous, sometimes spotting from the vagina;
- soreness in the lumbar region;
- fever.
The chronic form of pathology negatively affects the reproductive system. Confirmation of this is the frequent diagnosis of pathology when examining a woman about infertility . Gonococcus leads to changes in the uterine endometrium, appendages, because of which the fertilization of the egg becomes almost impossible. Correct treatment can correct the situation. Treatment of chronic gonorrhea in women involves long-term antibiotic therapy.
Analysis of gonorrhea in women
Before taking a smear for gonorrhea in women, patients are prescribed a gynecologist's consultation. Directly with gynecological examination, biological material is sampled. A smear on gonorrhea in women includes a fence of material from the vagina, urethra, cervix. Samples are placed in test tubes and transferred to a laboratory for research. Diagnosis of gonorrhea is performed using the following methods:
- Cultivated - involves sowing the collected vaginal discharge from the vagina to nutrient media. A colony of pathogenic microorganisms is planted, which can be further tested for sensitivity to antibacterial drugs for treatment.
- Smear microscopy - examination of the collected material under a microscope.
- Polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) - helps to detect the DNA of the pathogen in the sample of the material. Identifies the disease in the absence of an acute stage.
- The ELISA test is a specific method that involves the detection of gonococcal antibodies and antigens in a patient's blood sample.
Treatment of gonorrhea in women
Before treating gonorrhea in women, doctors conduct a comprehensive examination. Often the disease is accompanied by other pathological processes in the reproductive system. The disease is treated in 2 stages: the destruction of pathogenic microorganisms and the restoration of normal microflora . Treatment of gonorrhea in women at home involves the use of antibacterial drugs, which are selected individually. They can be used, as local - vaginal suppositories, cream, ointment, and orally - tablets.
Treatment of gonorrhea in women - drugs, scheme
Gonorrhea in women, the symptoms of which are described above, require an individual course of therapy. Selecting tablets from gonorrhea for women, doctors take into account the stage of the pathological process, the severity of the symptoms. Approximately in 30% of cases the disease is combined with a pathology such as chlamydia. Because of this, the treatment course involves the use of antibiotics effective against gonococcus:
- Cefixime - 400 mg orally, once;
- Ciprofloxacin - 500 mg, once;
- Ofloxacin - 400 mg orally once (use one of these drugs).
Against chlamydia, the following drugs are used:
- Azithromycin - 1 g, once;
- Doxycycline - 100 mg, twice a day, 7 days in a row.
Candles for gonorrhea
Considering the treatment of gonorrhea in women, drugs are not the only way. Therapy can be carried out with the use of drugs in the form of suppositories. Such a medicine for gonorrhea in women has a local effect on the genitals, removing quickly the symptomatology of the disorder. Drugs are prescribed individually, indicating the frequency of application, dosage and duration of use. In the treatment of gonorrhea often use:
- Hexicon;
- Betadine;
- Metronidazole.
Consequences of gonorrhea in women
In the absence of treatment, gonorrhea in women provokes changes in the reproductive system. So, the infection from the vagina passes into the uterus, the tubes. This leads to a violation of the patency of the fallopian tubes, making conception impossible. Immediately in establishing the causes of infertility, and found gonorrhea. The accumulation of pus in the uterine cavity can lead to a pathology such as hydrosalpinx. It is accompanied by an increase in the uterus, severe pain in the lower third of the abdomen, a general intoxication of the body. Among the possible complications of gonorrhea can also be identified:
- pelvioperitonitis - rupture of the fallopian tubes or uterus with the release of purulent contents into the abdominal cavity
- Bartholinitis - an inflammation of the Bartholin glands on the eve of the vagina.