Consequences of cystitis: what will happen if not treated. Launched cystitis How does chronic cystitis develop

One of the reasons for the prevalence of diseases of the genitourinary system in women is that many of them do not think about what will happen if cystitis is not treated. Given the insidiousness of this disease, such frivolity is fraught with a serious danger to women's health. To overcome this negative trend, knowing the consequences for women's health can lead to ignoring the disease can help.

Cystitis is an inflammation of the walls of the bladder. As a rule, the cause of this pathology is an infection. Due to the fact that in women the urethra is wider and shorter than in men, the penetration of infection into the bladder is much easier for them. Because of this circumstance, cystitis is considered a female disease, although men can also get sick, only much less often.

The main symptoms of cystitis are:

• increased urge to urinate;
• pain in the lower abdomen;
• pain, burning and itching in the perineum, which increase while walking;
• sensations of incomplete bladder emptying after going to the toilet;
• change in color and transparency of urine, blood in the urine.

In a healthy body, there are enough natural remedies to prevent the penetration of infection. The mucous membranes of the urinary tract, the acid-base balance in the vagina have the properties to counteract it, and finally, the urine of a healthy person itself is an unsuitable medium for the reproduction of bacteria. But if their functioning is disrupted for any reason, the situation may change.

Infection is the cause of the disease in most cases. However, cystitis can also develop due to non-infectious lesions. There are many factors that contribute to the occurrence of cystitis.

These include:

• frequent hypothermia;
• promiscuous sex life;
• non-compliance with hygiene standards;
• frequent ignoring the urge to urinate, leading to stagnation of urine;
• abuse of various vaginal lubricants and tampons;
• infections in the vagina;
• unbalanced diet leading to frequent constipation;
• prolapse of the uterus and vagina;
• adverse effects of external factors, including medications and medical procedures that injure the bladder (for example, catheterization).

The time of pregnancy is characterized by a significant increase in the risk of cystitis. Therefore, during this period, increased attention should be paid to its prevention.

Women who are constantly exposed to any of the above factors should immediately consult a doctor at the first sign of the onset of painful symptoms.

To determine the exact cause of the ailments, the doctor conducts a series of diagnostic measures.

They include:

• questioning the patient;
• passing urine for bacterial culture;
• general urine analysis;
• taking blood from a vein and a finger;
• ultrasound examinations (not always);
• cystoscopy (in some cases).

In the case when the results of the studies confirm the presence of cystitis, appropriate treatment is prescribed. It is carried out under the joint supervision of a urologist and a gynecologist. This is due to the fact that cystitis is often accompanied by other diseases of the urogenital area.

Treatment of cystitis involves medication, phyto and physiotherapy. In severe cases, it may even go as far as surgery.

Drugs that are used to treat cystitis are determined by the attending physician. This is done depending on which pathogens are established as the cause of the disease, to which antibiotic they are sensitive. Painkillers and antispasmodics are prescribed to relieve pain. Herbal preparations help relieve inflammation. If the cause of cystitis was a virus or fungus, then antiviral and antifungal agents are used, respectively.

With the development of acute cystitis in women, the patient must comply with bed rest. Nutrition must be balanced so as to exclude excessively salty, fatty and spicy foods, but at the same time provide the body with a sufficient amount of calories. You should especially monitor fluid intake. The volume of water consumed daily should be at least 2-2.5 liters.

Due to the fact that various bacteria, fungi, viruses, or non-infectious factors can be the cause of cystitis, it is impossible to choose the right treatment without preliminary research. Therefore, you should not self-medicate. This can lead to serious health problems.

In chronic cystitis, which is characterized by frequent exacerbations of the disease, one of the methods of treatment is the instillation of the bladder. It lies in the fact that the medicine is injected through a special catheter directly into the bladder. Thus, there is a direct effect of medications on the affected organ, which makes it possible to more effectively relieve inflammation and pain.

Surgical treatment of cystitis is carried out only in especially neglected cases. With timely access to a doctor, it can almost always be avoided.

Consequences of untreated cystitis

If cystitis is not treated, then after a while its symptoms fade and may almost not be felt. But in fact, the disease has not gone anywhere and continues its destructive effect on the body. It just becomes chronic. This is the insidiousness of cystitis. Chronic cystitis periodically gives exacerbations, which over time happen more and more often. Getting rid of it is much more difficult than acute cystitis. If the disease is ignored further, it can lead to even more serious consequences.

Complications that develop against the background of cystitis are as follows:

1. Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). Due to the constant inflammatory process in the urinary tract, the valve weakens, which prevents the reverse flow of urine. As a result, it begins to be thrown back into the kidneys. In a place with it, pathogenic microorganisms begin to penetrate to them. This leads to the development of pyelonephritis. In addition, as a result of VUR, pressure in the renal pelvis increases and damage appears in the tissues of the kidney. Ultimately, scars appear on it and it wrinkles, finally losing its performance. If this pathology is bilateral in nature, there is an immediate threat to the patient's life.
2. Spread of infection to neighboring organs. The kidneys are the first to suffer. As noted above, the penetration of infection into them causes pyelonephritis. Like cystitis, it is an inflammatory process, only it does not develop in the bladder, but in the kidneys. With pyelonephritis, it often becomes chronic. The presence of chronic inflammation in the bladder and kidneys at the same time makes the patient's condition very difficult. The result of this condition may be the occurrence of renal failure.
3. Interstitial cystitis. With a long absence of treatment, the inflammatory process affects not only the walls of the bladder, but also begins to spread to its muscle tissue. This form of the disease is called interstitial. As a result of inflammation in the muscles of the bladder, tissue deformation begins. Scars appear, the diseased organ itself decreases in size and shrinks. The process of filling the bladder, which is natural for a healthy person, is now accompanied by severe pain. The desire to visit the toilet does not let the patient go, but only causes new bouts of pain and is often ineffectual.

It is no longer possible to tolerate interstitial cystitis, but if in this case it does not follow a visit to the doctor, everything will end with a surgical intervention to remove the bladder. A person becomes disabled for the rest of his life and will be forced to use a urinal.

The above list of consequences of ignoring the treatment of cystitis is a serious argument in order to stop taking this disease lightly. In addition, it is necessary not to forget that cystitis is an inflammatory disease for which immunity cannot be developed. Therefore, measures to prevent it should be observed by women throughout their lives.

Advanced cystitis is recurrent cystitis, the symptoms of which persist for two weeks. Women are more prone to the disease due to the peculiarities of the anatomical structure of the excretory organs. Unlike men, a woman's urethra is shorter and wider, making it easier for bacteria to enter the bladder. In addition, many women, paying tribute to fashion, ignore warm clothes and shoes in the cold season.

Symptoms of advanced cystitis

In general, the disease almost immediately makes itself felt. At least one of the symptoms makes itself felt.

The main symptoms of advanced cystitis in women and men appear similarly:

• Persistently frequent urge to urinate with little urine.
• Burning sensation when urinating.
• Hematuria is the presence of blood cells in the urine.
• Turbidity, the appearance of an unpleasant and pronounced odor of stool (the urine of a healthy person is practically odorless, and its color is light straw).
• Discomfort in the lower abdomen in the suprapubic part.
• Slight increase in body temperature.

In children, this form of the disease is manifested by daytime urinary incontinence (nighttime incontinence is provoked by other causes).

Since the advanced form of cystitis proceeds in a latent form, the patient does not show all the symptoms. But if you do not start treatment, the existing manifestations of the disease will intensify and other symptoms will appear, indicating that the disease is already running, and urgent measures must be taken to avoid complications.

As for complications, the most popular is pyelonephritis and other kidney lesions.

Causes of the disease and risk factors

The main reason for the advanced form of cystitis is the lack of timely treatment of this disease at the first signs of its manifestation. But there are also a number of other reasons that provoke the development of a chronic form:

• Regular hypothermia.
• Bladder injury.
• Reduced immunity (in people with low immunity, the microflora is often pathogenic, and the slightest provocation leads to illness).
• Violation of the bladder, congenital anomalies in the structure and functioning of the organ.
• Active intimate life after a long abstinence, frequent abstinence or vice versa too active, frequent change of partners, casual relationships.
• Non-observance of personal hygiene (especially by people who have an active sex life).

Along with the main symptoms, there are specific manifestations of the disease, which differ depending on the type of disease:

• Interstitial cystitis occurs more often in women. Physicians cannot determine its causes at the moment.
• Medicinal - occurs as a result of increased sensitivity of the body to certain drugs, too long and improper use of medications.
• Chemical - develops against the background of hypersensitivity to certain substances. Risk group - people working in hazardous enterprises, prone to allergies, living in megacities or in close proximity to industrial areas.
• Radiation - develops as an adverse reaction to radiation therapy in the treatment of oncology.
• Foreign body cystitis develops against the background of frequent or prolonged therapy with a catheter.
• As a complication of other diseases, in particular, diabetes mellitus, spinal column injuries, urolithiasis, prostatic hypertrophy in men, kidney disease.

In addition to the causes, there are risk factors that exacerbate the situation. These include: the use of diaphragms and preparations containing spermicides that change the microflora of the urethra, an enlarged prostate gland, which makes it difficult to urinate and leads to congestion, pregnancy, changes in hormonal levels. This also includes older age, when the body's hormones are restructured to a different mode of operation.

Diagnosis of the disease

To choose an adequate treatment for advanced cystitis, it is necessary to undergo a diagnosis, which will be prescribed by a urologist. It is necessary to contact a specialist when the first symptoms appear, any discomfort during urination, sexual intercourse, and so on.

The diagnosis is made on the basis of the results of such an examination:

• Laboratory analysis of urine. In the presence of symptoms or subjective suspicions of the disease, it is necessary to pass a urine test for bacterial culture, erythrocytes, leukocytes and proteins.
• Cystoscopy. Diagnosis that allows you to recognize the presence of inflammation in the cells of the mucous membrane of the bladder as a result of a biopsy (a fragment of the mucous membrane is taken for analysis).
• Ultrasound of the bladder, computer diagnostics (optional) allows you to identify not only the presence of pathogenic microflora, but also tumors, various changes in the organ cavity.

Depending on the results of laboratory tests, the doctor decides on the need to continue the diagnosis.

After receiving the results of the analysis, the doctor prescribes a method for treating advanced cystitis, writing out a prescription and a schedule for taking medications, visiting consultations to monitor the effectiveness of the prescribed therapy.

With a prompt response to the disease, even a neglected form, the mucous membrane of the bladder quickly recovers and the disease recedes. It is important not to stop treatment when you feel better. The course must be completed in full in order to consolidate the result.

Modern pharmacology offers a large selection of effective drugs for the treatment of the disease. Moreover, we are talking not only about the elimination of symptoms, but about a complete lasting recovery. In addition, new generation drugs can reduce the period of therapeutic therapy. Due to the way they act - they are concentrated in the bladder and act locally on bacteria - it is possible to avoid poisoning other organs with drug metabolites.

One of these drugs is Monural. This is a broad-spectrum medicine aimed at suppressing different types of bacteria at the same time. The tool includes a high concentration of active substances, due to which a single dose is sufficient for recovery. Of course, if we talk about a very advanced form of the disease, then several appointments may be required.

• Bactrim.
• Levofloxacin.
• Ofloxacin.
• Ciprofloxacin.
• Furadonin.

For therapy to be effective, it must be comprehensive, correct and complete. Therefore, in addition to antibacterial drugs, painkillers are prescribed, for example, Nurofen, antispasmodics, physiotherapy. Along with treatment, it is necessary to observe the rules of personal hygiene and sexual life.

Folk methods of treatment

Along with drug therapy with modern drugs, many still resort to "grandmother's recipes". We note right away that if you are interested in how to treat advanced cystitis in women and men with folk remedies, you need to get ready that recovery will not come as quickly as as a result of taking pharmaceutical drugs.

lingonberry leaves

Prepare an infusion of 2 tablespoons of dried lingonberry leaves and 2 cups of boiling water. Infuse for half an hour, then strain and take half a glass 3 times a day. The course of treatment is 6 months.

birch leaves

Two tablespoons of birch leaf, pre-chopped, insist in 2 cups of boiling water for at least half an hour. Take in small portions between meals. Course of treatment: at least 6 months.

wheatgrass rhizomes

Pour 1.5 tablespoons of chopped raw materials with 2 cups of boiling water and boil the mixture for 7 minutes over low heat. Strain and pour into a thermos. Take half a glass of drink three times a day one hour after meals. This remedy cleanses well and has a diuretic effect. The course of treatment: until the symptoms and discomfort completely disappear.

knotweed grass

Pour one tablespoon of dried chopped raw materials with a glass of boiling water and leave for 10 minutes. Strain the drink and take half a glass (about 100 ml) five times a day. The tool will not only help cure cystitis, but also heal the kidneys, remove stones. Course of treatment: until complete recovery.

Prepare raw materials from such plants: dried oak bark, sage leaves and horsetail grass, taken in equal proportions of 50 grams. Then pour 6 tablespoons of the mixture with 2 liters of boiling water and boil for 5-10 minutes over low heat, covering the container with a lid. Strain the finished broth and pour into a bath or basin (in which you can sit down) filled with a small amount of water. Take a bath for no more than 15 minutes. Immediately after the bath, go to bed and apply a warm heating pad to the lower abdomen (only for women, if there are no contraindications).

Before starting treatment with folk methods, be sure to consult your doctor. Remember that unlike tablets, the dosage of the active substances contained in herbs is not exactly known. Choose quality raw materials. Buy only fresh herbs and only from a pharmacy where they are radiologically tested.

Prevention

To prevent advanced chronic cystitis and the help of doctors is not needed, follow the preventive measures:

• Follow the hygiene of the perineum, follow the rules of wiping (from the urethra to the anus, and not vice versa).
• Do not hold back the urge to urinate, so as not to provoke stagnation and inflammation.
• Wear quality underwear made from natural fabrics, keep it clean.
• Selectively approach the choice of detergents, do not allow detergent residues to remain on the laundry after washing.
• Use a personal towel for intimate hygiene.
• Drink enough liquid per day.
• Maintain intimate hygiene.
• Make your diet balanced, support the immune system.

If you already have signs of the disease, stop drinking alcohol, spicy foods, caffeinated drinks and citrus fruits. Immediately contact a medical institution to a urologist.

Cystitis is considered a female disease, since it is the representatives of the weaker sex who are more susceptible to it. Pathology of an infectious nature affects the mucosa of the bladder, causing unpleasant symptoms. The negative consequences of cystitis in women occur most often in the case of an incorrectly drawn up treatment regimen, which in the first place threatens the disease. However, frequent relapses are not the only thing that is dangerous for cystitis. The infection can travel up the ureters and affect the kidneys.

The chronic course of the disease takes not only in the absence of adequate therapy. Relapses of the disease can provoke:

• non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene;
• hormonal disruptions in the body;
• pathology of the pelvic organs;
• weakened immunity.

It is the chronic form that is dangerous for the occurrence of many complications. Often the disease takes a chronic course during pregnancy due to hormonal surges and the absence of antibiotic therapy.

Complications of cystitis in women

If cystitis is not treated, the consequences can be the most unpredictable. Against the background of an untreated inflammatory process of the bladder mucosa, the following complications and its forms most often occur:

• chronic;
• hemorrhagic;
• interstitial;
• gangrenous;
• trigonite;
• paracystitis;
• pyelonephritis.

Whether cystitis is dangerous and its consequences will help to judge the characteristics of each of the complications separately.

The danger of a chronic course

The consequences are primarily expressed by relapses of the disease. The period of remission is replaced by an exacerbation, which can occur 1-2 times a year or more. A patient suffering from this form of pathology needs to correct nutrition and prevent relapses in the spring and autumn periods. The long course of the disease, which leads to the lack of adequate treatment and prevention, causes damage to the deep layers of the walls of the bladder. This, in turn, threatens with changes in the connective tissue of the organ, which inevitably leads to its deformation and wrinkling. In this case, the walls of the bladder lose their elasticity and ability to stretch. This condition often leads to involuntary release of urine (incontinence).

Hemorrhagic form

Untreated cystitis can cause the development of a hemorrhagic form of the disease. The complication occurs with improperly selected antibiotic therapy and re-infection with pathogens. The main symptoms are as follows:

• urine with blood;
• foul-smelling urine;
• pain in the abdomen;
• rapid miction;
• increase in body temperature.

Microbleeding is the result of damage to the blood vessels of the urinary organ.

Read also: Are there discharges with cystitis in women

The lack of adequate therapy is dangerous by the deterioration of the functioning of the bladder and the development of iron deficiency anemia.

Interstitial form

This variety is most often the result of a chronic disease. The consequences of interstitial cystitis lead to the development of congestion in the bladder. The inflammatory process affects not only the mucous membrane, but also the walls of the organ of the genitourinary sphere. In an acute course, frequent urge to go to the toilet and painful sensations are characteristic.

Gangrenous form

In the absence of therapy for the acute course of the disease, pathogens begin an active process of reproduction, penetrating through the mucosa into the deeper layers of the bladder. Pathogenic microorganisms in the course of their activity lead to the death of bladder cells. This is one of the most serious complications than cystitis in women is dangerous.

The main symptomatology of the gangrenous form is the presence of blood in the urine, frequent urination, and after urination there is no relief.

Gangrene of the bladder requires mandatory and immediate surgical intervention, as it threatens to rupture the organ.

Trigonite

One of the complications after cystitis in women is the occurrence of trigonitis. The symptoms of these two diseases have many similarities and differ only in the specifics of localization. Pathology affects the so-called Lieto's triangle, which is located between the ureters and in the region of the opening of the urethra.

Due to the specifics of the location, the inflammatory process often affects the sphincter, resulting in urinary incontinence. Valve deformity can also cause vesicoureteral reflux, which leads to urine reflux. Against the background of this condition, pyelonephritis often occurs - one of the most dangerous infectious diseases of the kidneys.

Paracystitis

The consequence of an untreated bladder infection is manifested in frequent urge to urinate, pain in the lower abdomen, chills, fever and weakness. During the course of the inflammatory process on the back wall of the urinary organ, a painful act of defecation is observed.

Treatment is with broad-spectrum antibiotics and physiotherapy.

Pyelonephritis

Complications after cystitis in women are often manifested by pyelonephritis. More often, pathology develops against the background of an acute course of a provoking disease. Infection of the ureters moves up and affects the renal pelvis. The main symptoms of pyelonephritis are:

• sudden increase in body temperature up to 40 degrees;
• chills and increased sweating;
• spastic pain in the peritoneum;
• scanty urine output during micturition.

The accumulated pus and exudate in the area of ​​the renal pelvis is dangerous for the occurrence of kidney failure and rupture of the organ, which can be fatal.

Cystitis is a disease that occurs quite often, and mostly women are ill. This is explained by the peculiarities of the anatomy of the female urinary organs. In this disease, the mucous tissue of the bladder is affected, although in case of complications, the deeper layers of the organ wall are involved in the inflammation. Some women do not attach serious importance to this disease. Having been treated with antibiotics, chosen arbitrarily, they count on a quick cure, not knowing how insidious acute cystitis is not treated professionally and in a timely manner.

Self-administration of treatment is fraught with complications

As medical practice shows, the consequences of cystitis in women can be the most severe!

Complications arising from cystitis in women

One of the most common complications of acute cystitis in women is its chronic form, which is difficult and time-consuming to treat. Chronic cystitis brings a lot of trouble in itself, as it worsens with the slightest hypothermia, with colds, with violation of intimate hygiene and other circumstances. But, the danger of cystitis, both acute and chronic, is also that the infectious process can lead to serious complications. These are complicated forms of cystitis - interstitial, hemorrhagic, gangrenous. Also, as a result of this disease, you can develop:

• Pyelonephritis (unilateral and bilateral).
• Paracystitis.
• cystalgia.
• Diffuse form of ulcerative cystitis.
• Empyema of the bladder.

With cystitis, various complications can develop.

Complications of cystitis cause significant harm to the female body. The presence of pathology in the pelvis leads to diseases of other organs and systems.

Interstitial form of cystitis

Inflammation that captures all layers of the bladder is accompanied by a significant pain syndrome. Such consequences of cystitis are possible after the catarrhal form. The organ becomes inelastic, decreases in volume, which leads to congestion in its cavity. In turn, this can lead to the appearance of stones, the development of pyelonephritis, the occurrence of bleeding. Since the infection affects all layers of the bladder, it becomes destructive and does not perform its functions. Subsequently, this leads to its removal, or excision of the scarred walls, followed by plastic surgery from the own tissues of the large intestine.

Hemorrhagic form of cystitis

The main symptom is the presence of blood in the urine, which is observed in the form of small traces or clots. Bleeding occurs due to damage to the blood vessels of the bladder located on its inner mucosa. Factors in the development of bleeding are often viral or bacterial infections of the organ. What is the danger of hemorrhagic cystitis? The severe consequences of this complication are the replacement of the muscle tissue of the organ with connective tissue, which leads to its dysfunction.

One of the most common complications is pyelonephritis.

The most common and severe consequence that occurs due to cystitis is pyelonephritis. From an infected bladder, pathogens travel up the ureters to the kidneys. A purulent infection develops in the kidneys, which does not show any symptoms for a long time. As a result of the inflammatory process, the kidney shrinks, degenerates, and kidney failure develops. A terrible complication of the accumulation of pus in the kidneys is the rupture of the renal pelvis and the development of inflammation of the peritoneum (peritonitis).

Gangrenous form of cystitis

The most common causes of this complication are trauma or compression of the bladder. But this type of cystitis can also develop in women as a complication after total cystitis. All layers of the organ wall are involved in the pathological process, which leads to necrosis of the mucous membrane. If muscle tissue is involved in the purulent process, then due to its rupture (perforation), an even more formidable complication occurs - peritonitis.

Reflux is a severe complication of cystitis in women, characterized by an atypical movement of urine from the bladder through the ureters to the kidneys. The anti-return valve, damaged by chronic inflammation, stops closing, allowing urine to flow back to the kidneys. The consequences of vesicoureteral reflux are a change in the parenchymal structure of the kidneys (parenchyma is replaced by scar tissue), which leads to loss of organ function.

The disease can also be complicated by vesicoureteral reflux.

Paracystitis

The inflammatory process in the bladder can move to the fiber tissues located around it. They perform the function of a pelvic filler, providing its organs with a physiological location, mobility, nutrition, and innervation. Inflammation of the pelvic tissue is fraught with the formation of an abscess, which requires surgical intervention.

cystalgia

Cystalgia - painful urination without the presence of pathology in the bladder. A prerequisite for the development of this complication is acute inflammation of the organ. After its elimination, receptor changes remain in the wall of the bladder, which leads to atypical autonomic reactions in the form of painful urination.

One of the factors in the development of this consequence of cystitis in women is the severe clinic of its chronic form. In this case, pathological changes occur in the bladder mucosa, which is covered with neoplasms, under which dilated blood vessels are located. Due to destructive changes in the mucosa, the organ is not able to fully perform its functions, which leads to the further development of pathology.

With a severe course of the disease, leukoplakia may develop.

Leukoplakia is regarded as a precancerous condition of the bladder.

Diffuse ulcerative cystitis and empyema

With incomplete therapy of cystitis, the infection can go under the mucous membrane, where pustules and bleeding sores form. The mucous membrane loses its structure and becomes vulnerable to the development of inflammation. If the process touches the muscles of the organ, then this can be a factor in the formation of fistulas of the bladder and cause peritonitis. Scarring of the walls of the organ leads to a loss of their elasticity, which leads to a decrease in the volume of the organ and the development of other complications.

Empyema of the bladder. This complication occurs when there is a purulent infection in the bladder, with a large accumulation of it and a small outflow. Requires surgery.

What is dangerous cystitis for other organs and systems

• Acute cystitis is dangerous for organs located near the bladder: for the kidneys, uterus, uterine appendages, intestines. Infection from the affected organ, getting into them through the lymphatic pathways, causes inflammatory processes - pyelonephritis, salpingitis, oophoritis, adnexitis, metroendometritis, proctitis.
• The danger of complications of cystitis for women of reproductive age lies in their adverse consequences, such as infertility.

Cystitis is also dangerous by the appearance of infertility

• Often, inflammation of the female genital organs is associated with the consequences of inflammation in the bladder. In this regard, their treatment is associated with testing for cystitis.
• Chronic cystitis is a predisposing background for the development of neoplasms of the bladder.
• The consequences of cystitis in women may be violations in intimate life (painful sexual intercourse, exacerbation of the symptoms of the disease after intimacy).
• Relapses of chronic cystitis damage and alter the walls of the bladder and its sphincter. The consequence of this is such an unpleasant complication as urinary incontinence. To cope with it, you should eliminate the true cause - chronic cystitis.

Pyelonephritis and pregnancy

Pyelonephritis during pregnancy deserves special attention. If purulent inflammation develops in both kidneys at once, then bilateral pyelonephritis is determined, which poses a real threat to the life of the pregnant woman and the fetus. To prevent this threat, a pregnant woman with pyelonephritis should be urgently hospitalized in a specialized hospital to provide her with qualified medical care.

How to avoid the consequences of cystitis

At the first symptoms of an acute form of the disease, you should not postpone a visit to a specialist doctor.

Self-medication is unacceptable for the reason that the antibiotics prescribed by the doctor are selected according to the existing infection. It can be either bacterial or viral or fungal in origin. In addition, cystitis can be non-infectious etiology. Only a specialist can find out the true cause of the disease, after a series of studies.

Timely visit to the doctor to prevent the occurrence of complications

If the process is not running, then complications can be prevented by following some recommendations:

• Urgently contact a urologist at the first symptoms of the disease (frequent and painful urination, blood impurities, or pus in the urine).
• Do not self-medicate or treat recommended by friends.
• Do not take uncontrolled uroseptics, as this can cause the transition of the acute stage of the disease to the chronic one.
• Do not use herbal medicine or homeopathy without the appointment of a specialist.
• Do not visit steam baths and saunas.
• Get examined by a gynecologist to exclude the presence of possible infections in the genital area.

So, with cystitis, it is worth focusing on timely professional treatment. Acute cystitis is cured without consequences under the supervision of a urologist within 8-10 days. The consequences of the chronic form of the disease last for years, bringing suffering, both physical and ethical. Treatment of complications of cystitis requires an integrated approach - the elimination of the causes of the primary disease and the treatment of an already developed complication.

In the video below you will find more information about the complication of cystitis in the form of pyelonephritis:

Frequent painful urination, pain, burning - this is cystitis. And mostly women suffer from this disease: according to statistics, 35% of the fair sex know firsthand what cystitis is.

It's all about the anatomical features of the female body: the urethra is short and wide, while located next to the vagina. This allows bacteria and viruses to freely enter the bladder and cause inflammation. No one is immune from cystitis: both an elderly woman and a little girl can get sick with it, because everyone has the same physiological characteristics. It is most difficult to detect cystitis in time in women during menopause and in children, because in these categories the disease is almost asymptomatic. In such cases, only tests can reveal cystitis.

What is cystitis?

Cystitis- this is an inflammation of the bladder due to infection or bacteria entering it. It can develop as an independent disease - primary cystitis - or be a complication of other diseases of the genitourinary tract - secondary cystitis.

Primary cystitis is, as a rule, in an acute form: accompanied by sharp pain and tangible discomfort. Secondary often do not have a chronic form: the symptoms do not appear immediately. However, any cystitis needs to be treated.

Causes of cystitis

Cystitis can be caused by bacteria (bacterial) or infections (infectious). In addition, it can develop due to long-term use of drugs or alcohol abuse (non-infectious).

* Bacterial inflammation is provoked by pathogenic microflora of the genitourinary organs, intestinal microflora or respiratory bacteria. In this case, the infection comes from the kidneys - through the urethra, as well as from other foci of infection in the body: from the ears (otitis), the oral cavity (caries), the respiratory tract (), etc. Less often, but still it happens that the pathological microflora brought during surgery, catheterization or examination of the bladder.

* Infectious inflammation is the most common. As a rule, the basis for the appearance of such cystitis is an infection that penetrates the bladder during inflammatory processes in the urethra, external genital organs, as well as kidney diseases, with blood or lymph flow (if the foci of infection are located in other, more distant, organs and tissues).

* Non-infectious inflammation may occur as a result of irritation of the mucous membrane of the bladder with urine containing aggressive chemicals due to long-term use of drugs, consumption of spicy or fatty foods, alcoholic beverages. Hypothermia or hormonal failure can also give impetus to the development of inflammation. In most cases, due to the lack of timely treatment, an infection sooner or later joins non-infectious cystitis.

Symptoms of cystitis

Symptoms of cystitis appear almost immediately. The first symptom is a constant and irresistible desire to urinate. This often causes pain in the lower abdomen, burning in the perineum and a feeling of an empty bladder. A change in the color of urine or its pungent odor should also make you think about going to the doctor.

If you do not pay attention to these "bells" and do not start treatment, the next and more unpleasant symptoms will be blood in the urine, unexpressed fever and chills, soreness during intercourse, urethral pain, fatigue and general malaise. So it is better to consult a doctor in time.

Not procrastinating

For some reason, there is an erroneous opinion about the treatment of cystitis among women: they say, we can handle it ourselves! No one goes to the doctor, and at the same time, the first antibiotic that comes to hand is taken, taken for a couple of days, and the disease “takes away like a hand”. But it only seems. In fact, only the symptoms are eliminated in this way, the problem itself remains and soon makes itself felt again. Even worse, cystitis can become chronic. So self-medication is the same as knowingly harming yourself. Only a doctor can choose the only correct and adequate treatment, having previously determined the nature and cause of the disease on the basis of laboratory tests and examination.

Chronic and advanced stages of cystitis are much more difficult to cure than the initial ones. But, alas, they usually seek medical help when it is no longer possible to fight on their own. However, fortunately, even with complicated forms, well-chosen complex treatment (antibiotics, uroseptics, antispasmodics, as well as drugs that change general and local reactivity) make it possible in most cases to completely get rid of the disease within 2-3 weeks. But in order to achieve such a result, patients must follow a strict diet to help drug treatment: no fried and spicy foods! Plus - plentiful drinking and temporary refusal of sexual relations.

cystitis and pregnancy

In women suffering from chronic cystitis, the disease is almost guaranteed to worsen during pregnancy. And in this case it is much more difficult to cope with it, since the drugs that are usually prescribed for cystitis are contraindicated for pregnant women. A special scheme of bladder instillations comes to the rescue: the introduction of drugs directly into the focus of the disease. Symptoms are eliminated in 1-2 procedures, and subsequent sessions are already restoring the wall of the bladder so that the symptoms do not recur and do not harm the child.

10 ways to prevent cystitis

No one is safe from cystitis, but there are a few simple rules that can reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim of an insidious disease or prevent exacerbation:

1. Avoid hypothermia: dress for the weather, do not sit on cold surfaces and do not swim in cold or polluted water.

2. Carefully observe the hygiene of the genitals.

3. Treat any inflammatory diseases in time.

4. Limit your drinking.

5. Do not get carried away with spicy and fried foods, and if you have "sinned", drink plenty of water after that.

6. Avoid physical and nervous stress - they weaken the immune system, which makes the body vulnerable to environmental factors.

7. Move more, play sports.

8. Avoid forced urinary retention. In other words, do not tolerate when you want to go to the toilet. This negatively affects the function of the bladder.

9. If you suffer from frequent constipation, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

10. And most importantly: listen to your body, do not ignore its signals, do not be afraid to disturb the doctor if you have suspicious symptoms, because, as already mentioned, the sooner a disease is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat it.

And if you do not treat cystitis, what will happen?

Cystitis is already unpleasant, and if it is not treated, the consequences can be generally deplorable. Most often, untreated cystitis becomes chronic and, in the end, leads to irreversible changes in the bladder.

So the infection that caused cystitis can get into the kidneys and lead to pyelonephritis - it will make itself felt with high fever and back pain. It is much more difficult to cure pyelonephritis than cystitis, and as a rule, treatment takes place already in a hospital - mass therapy is used. Remember: pyelonephritis can even make a person disabled, as each new attack reduces kidney function.

With some individual structures of the bladder wall, the inflammatory process provokes an incurable form of cystitis - interstitial, in which only antibiotics alleviate suffering. And that is not always: often they do not give any results at all, or even worsen the condition. In such cases, the only way to end the suffering is with an operation to remove the bladder.

Elena Malysheva talks about the disease cystitis