Chlamydia prevention measures. How to protect yourself from chlamydia - reliable prevention. How does chlamydia become infected?

There are a large number of infectious diseases, the transmission of which occurs primarily through sexual contact. It is considered one of the most common. This disease can affect the mucous membranes of the body and provoke many unpleasant and dangerous symptoms. In view of this, it is necessary to know the main routes of transmission of chlamydia in order to prevent infection.

It is important to note that infection with chlamydia can provoke a whole group of diseases. In this case, it all depends on the type of chlamydia. Their distinctive property is the ability to attach to certain cells in the human body.

According to statistics, about 90 million people become infected with chlamydia every year. About 6-8% of the planet's population are permanent carriers of the infection.

The high prevalence of chlamydia is primarily due to the asymptomatic nature of the disease. A person can become infected with chlamydia, but the disease does not always develop immediately after the infection enters the body. Sometimes several years pass before significant symptoms occur. At the same time, an infected person is a carrier of the infection and spreads it to other partners.

In general, chlamydia is a very common infectious disease caused by chlamydia entering the body.

Transfer methods

Chlamydia infection can occur in a variety of ways. Chlamydia is one of the few sexually transmitted infections, the transmission of which can also occur through household contact.

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There are various routes of transmission of chlamydia, through which the body of a healthy person is infected.

Complications of chlamydia

Despite the fact that chlamydia infection is not a fatal disease, it is considered dangerous due to the possibility of developing complications. The activity of chlamydia inside the body can provoke a number of serious pathologies.

Possible diseases:

• inflammation of the urethra or bladder
• epididymitis
• inflammation of the epididymis
• prostatitis
• vulvitis
• colpitis
• cervix
• inflammation of the fallopian tubes
• inflammation of the ovary

Lack of timely treatment can cause diseases of the genital organs, which lead to infertility. At the same time, their treatment cannot always fully restore reproductive functions. In addition, the course of chlamydia against the background of concomitant diseases of the genital organs is significantly complicated.

When infected with chlamydia through domestic means, damage to the organs of vision often occurs. Lack of timely medical care can cause a decrease in visual acuity. In rare cases, chlamydia causes rare joint diseases, which also require timely therapeutic intervention.

Chlamydia can cause the development of a number of pathologies, the main complication of which is reproductive dysfunction and infertility.

Symptoms

In normal cases, the incubation period after infection with chlamydia lasts up to 3 weeks. However, often the symptoms of the disease do not appear for a longer period of time. At this time, bacteria multiply inside the infected cells, and the infection further spreads.

The most reliable early symptom of chlamydia is. In most cases, this pathological sign is observed in the morning when urinating. The discharge is usually glassy and may have a yellow tint.

Local symptoms:

• drying out of the genital membranes
• severe itching
• burning or cutting sensation inside the genitals
• skin color change
• bad smell

General symptoms of chlamydia appear much less frequently or may be completely absent. A change in the state of the entire body most often occurs after a long period of time from the moment of infection. Patients experience increased body temperature, weakness, and signs of poisoning.

Women regularly experience discharge, often with a distinct unpleasant odor. At the same time, the frequency of urination increases, pain appears in the lumbar region or in the lower abdomen. Unpleasant symptoms may worsen at night.

A peculiarity of chlamydia is that periodically some symptoms may completely disappear for 1-2 weeks, after which they reappear, sometimes in a less pronounced form. This indicates that the disease is becoming chronic.

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In general, symptoms of chlamydia often appear in the later stages of the disease, and in some cases may not occur for a long time.

Diagnostics

To detect chlamydia, as a rule, several variants of diagnostic procedures are used. This is due to the fact that chlamydia has a unique biological cycle, in which these microorganisms can be confused with other pathological bacteria that provoke diseases of the genital organs.

If symptoms of chlamydia infection appear, you should seek the help of a urologist. The diagnostic complex begins with a survey for the presence of characteristic signs of the disease, as well as an external examination. If necessary, the patient is redirected to a gynecologist or venereologist.

Diagnostic methods:

• general urine analysis
• enzyme immunoassay
• polymerase chain reaction
• bacteriological culture
• transcriptional amplification

A suitable diagnostic method is prescribed individually, depending on certain factors, including the gender and age of the patient, the particular course of the disease, the presence of pregnancy, and other sexually transmitted infections.

It is important to note that when signs of the disease appear, not only the patient, but also his partner needs to be diagnosed. Also, the possibility of infection of immediate relatives through non-sexual means cannot be ruled out. It should be remembered that even the absence of symptoms in loved ones does not exclude the possibility of the disease and associated complications.

Treatment

In addition to bacterial therapy, patients are often prescribed medications whose action is aimed at activating immune functions. During the acute course of chlamydia, bacteria suppress the immune system, making the body much more sensitive to other infectious pathologies. When choosing medications, the individual characteristics of a particular patient, as well as the localization of infection, are taken into account.

In general, treatment of chlamydia is carried out by carrying out antibacterial therapy followed by taking immunostimulants, vitamins, and symptomatic medications.

Prevention of chlamydia

To prevent the first infection, or re-infection of the body after treatment, competent prevention of chlamydia is very important. Preventive measures are practically no different from the prevention of any other sexually transmitted infections. Compliance is very important due to the high prevalence of the disease.

Prevention methods:

Undoubtedly, compliance with preventive measures is a way to prevent infection with chlamydia and protect the body from the negative consequences of chlamydia.

Chlamydia is a disease caused by chlamydia. Their transmission can be carried out in various ways, and therefore, when symptoms of the disease appear, high-quality treatment is necessary, as well as subsequent prevention.

Feb 5, 2017 Violetta Doctor

Chlamydia is classified as a sexually transmitted disease. Recently, chlamydia has become one of the most common diseases in the world. A certain role in this is played by the fact that in most cases the disease is asymptomatic for a long time, so the person is not even aware of his condition. In many cases, the reason for the late diagnosis of this disease is the uncontrolled, self-administration of antibiotics by patients without a doctor’s prescription, thus, patients only suppress the manifestations of the infection, which prevents the doctor from identifying the cause and making a diagnosis in time. According to WHO, about 90 million people worldwide are diagnosed with chlamydia every year.

One of the most common forms of this disease is urogenital chlamydia. The incubation period for this infection is from 5 to 14 days, the first symptoms usually begin to appear in the second week.

How to recognize chlamydia?

As already stated, Symptoms of this disease may not appear for a long time, but a little later, the patients still turn to the doctor and present the following complaints:

• The appearance of vaginal discharge, it can be mucopurulent or purulent, often such discharge has an unpleasant odor;
• The appearance of pain in the lower abdomen and in the external genital area;
• Painful urination;
• The appearance of bloody discharge from the vagina after sexual intercourse and in the period between menstruation;
• Symptoms of general intoxication of the body appear, which manifest themselves in increased body temperature, weakness, and fatigue;

During an examination, a gynecologist may detect symptoms of inflammation of the cervical canal and mucous membrane of the cervix - endocervicitis - in a woman; signs of inflammation of the urethra and bladder may also be detected.

However, unfortunately, with There are no specific symptoms that can be used to immediately establish a diagnosis for chlamydia. The only way to determine that a woman has chlamydia is to conduct laboratory tests to identify the causative agent of the disease in the body. Usually, before a doctor diagnoses chlamydia, at least 10 of the most common sexually transmitted diseases are diagnosed, since they also do not have specific symptoms that are characteristic of a particular disease.

Video about symptoms from a doctor

Prevention methods

If we talk about the prevention of chlamydia, then there are no specific measures that need to be followed to prevent chlamydia infection. Disease prevention consists of general recommendations that should be followed to protect against contracting all sexually transmitted infections.

The best way to prevent chlamydia is considered to be a change in sexual behavior and a selective choice of sexual partner. Of course, you should be extremely careful about casual relationships; if you are not sure that your partner is healthy, then you should definitely use a condom. Although this contraceptive does not guarantee 100% protection against infection. People who have more than one regular sexual partner, as well as people who have casual relationships, must be examined by a gynecologist once a year for the presence of dangerous infections. Very often you can hear about so-called “folk” methods of preventing chlamydia, but they actually do not protect a woman from possible infection.

One of the popular ways to prevent chlamydia is to douche the vagina immediately after sexual intercourse. In fact, during douching, healthy microflora is washed out of a woman's vagina, which serves to protect against pathogenic microorganisms that can enter the vagina from an infected partner.

In addition, a nonspecific defense against possible infection with chlamydia and other sexually transmitted infections is maintaining immunity, since a weakened immune system is not able to cope with infections.

If a woman has been diagnosed with chlamydia, she must inform her sexual partner about this, since both will require treatment. In addition, other family members of a person with chlamydia also require treatment, since this infection is transmitted through blood, toilet items and bedding. Until the end of treatment, the patient must use individual hygiene items.

Prevention in pregnant women

As a means of preventing chlamydia, it is necessary to conduct laboratory tests for a married couple who plans to have children. If one of the spouses is diagnosed with an illness, then both partners will need to undergo treatment; only after a complete recovery can they think about pregnancy. This will help prevent the possible occurrence of chlamydial infection in the fetus or newborn, which is very dangerous for the child's life. Recently, chlamydia has been found in many pregnant women; according to statistics, it is detected in every tenth pregnant woman.

Doctors recommend that expectant mothers who have already had miscarriages in their history, as well as women who are being treated for infertility, undergo a laboratory test for chlamydia. The fact is that chlamydia infects the placenta, which is the main source of nutrients to the fetus, Thus, with chlamydia, the oxygen supply to the unborn baby is disrupted. Infection of the fetus in early pregnancy can lead to miscarriage or intrauterine growth arrest.

Chlamydia is also dangerous for the health of the pregnant woman herself, since chlamydia, entering the ovaries and fallopian tubes, causes inflammatory processes.

The sooner the disease is detected, and the sooner you start taking complex therapy, the less likely there will be dangerous complications, since treatment of the chronic form of chlamydia will take a long time. If treatment is not started on time, it can lead to serious complications, such as Reiter's disease, which is characterized by a triad of symptoms: urethritis, arthritis and conjunctivitis. Another dangerous complication of untreated chlamydia is the occurrence of stricture of the urethra, that is, after suffering inflammation on the mucous membrane of the urethra, scars form, as a result of which its lumen is significantly reduced.

When chlamydia affects the fetus in late pregnancy, the liver, pancreas, and kidneys are especially susceptible to infection. In a newborn who was infected with chlamydia in utero from a sick mother, if treatment is not carried out, the following complications may occur:

• The occurrence of chlamydial pneumonia;
• Ophthalmochlamydia - this disease is characterized by the presence of symptoms of conjunctivitis;
• Encephalopathy may develop.

Every year, about one hundred million people worldwide become sick with chlamydia. In Russia, chlamydia affects half of men and a third of women aged sixteen to forty.

Causes of chlamydia.

Most often, infection occurs through sexual contact. During unprotected sex (anal, vaginal), the probability of becoming infected with chlamydia is 70-90 percent.

Newborns become infected when passing through their mother's birth canal. These children develop chlamydia with damage to the eyes - conjunctivitis, lungs - pneumonia, iritis. Extrasexual infection with chlamydia is rare, in most cases through contaminated instruments, hands, hygiene items, and underwear. This is due to the fact that chlamydia quickly dies outside the patient’s body.

The danger of chlamydia is its low-symptomatic course, in most cases asymptomatic. A person may be infected with chlamydia for several years and not know it.

Chlamydia can hide under the guise of pneumonia, conjunctivitis, arthritis, and diseases of the cardiovascular system. In this regard, people turn to rheumatologists, ophthalmologists, therapists, but not to a venereologist, which leads to the progression of the disease. Urogenital chlamydia increases susceptibility to syphilis and HIV infection. These strains of chlamydia are very virulent (aggressive) and are quite difficult to treat.

The incubation period for chlamydia is 5-20 days. Subsequently, the disease often remains asymptomatic, making it not so easy to detect.

Diagnosis of Chlamydia.

First of all, women (non-pregnant and pregnant) need screening for chlamydia:

With inflammatory diseases of the genitals, especially cervicitis and cervical erosion.

With infertility for 1-3 years.

With a pregnancy that is burdened by an obstetric history (premature birth, spontaneous miscarriages, non-developing pregnancy, the birth of low-weight children and with complications of this pregnancy - fetal hypertrophy, fever, polyhydramnios, threat of miscarriage).

It is worth noting that examination for chlamydia in the women mentioned above should be carried out despite the results of a vaginal smear and the presence of accompanying opportunistic microflora, since it has long been known that genital chlamydia forms (in almost 80% of cases) with a normal smear picture ( with types 1 and 2).

A gynecological examination reveals the presence of copious vaginal discharge, colpitis, endocervicitis, and cervical erosion; in addition, genital warts and hyperemia of the external opening of the urinary canal are often detected.

Thanks to extended colposcopy, it is possible to assume the presence of chlamydial infection in patients who have pseudo-erosion of the cervix if they detect: simple typical ectopia with signs of cervicitis, which has smooth, clear boundaries; simple ectopia with signs of cervicitis in combination with the basis of leukoplakia or leukoplakia itself; vascular atypia, which looks like corkscrew-shaped capillaries.

The diagnosis of chlamydia can be made based on medical history, clinical signs of the disease, and laboratory tests. Since genital chlamydia in most cases is characterized by a latent and asymptomatic course, laboratory diagnosis is of great importance for its detection.

The most objective methods for diagnosing chlamydia: culture method, DNA hybridization method, PCR (polymerase chain reaction), indirect and direct immunofluorescence methods, enzyme immunoassay.

Serological methods can be considered as additional if the diagnosis is justified.

To diagnose chlamydia, it is very important to correctly collect material for laboratory analysis.

Treatment of this disease is quite a responsible process.

It is based on some principles:

Antiviral and antibacterial treatment (since chlamydia has the properties of viruses and bacteria). Only antibiotics are used that penetrate well into the cell and act on chlamydia.

Vitamin therapy

Stimulation of the interferon system of a sick organism

Symptomatic treatment: antiallergic drugs, anti-inflammatory drugs

Three weeks after completion of treatment, the patient must undergo a follow-up examination.

Preventive measures for chlamydia are no different from prevention of other STIs. But since chlamydia infection is now very common, and chlamydia in most cases is asymptomatic, it is necessary to pay maximum attention to the prevention of this disease.

The best way to prevent chlamydia, as well as other STIs, is to change sexual behavior. It is necessary to be very selective in choosing sexual partners, using a condom and avoiding casual relationships.

The optimal type of sexual behavior is mutual devotion to one healthy sexual partner. Thanks to this lifestyle, the risk of contracting any STIs, in particular chlamydia, is minimal.

Such protection against STIs, including chlamydia, such as washing the genitals with water, douching, and using chlorine-containing antiseptics, are very unreliable and can even have the opposite effect. The reason is that when douching, microflora is washed out of the vagina, protecting the mucous membrane from pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, indirect prevention of chlamydial infection and other STIs is considered to be maintaining the immune system and proper care of the genitals.

medreality.ru

Emergency methods

Emergency preventive measures are the primary type of protection against illness. Compliance with these rules makes sense only in a situation where prophylaxis is carried out no later than two hours after sexual intercourse.

If much more time has passed, then bacterial agents have time to settle not only on epithelial cellular structures, but also penetrate much deeper.

To prevent infection, you must visit a skin and venereal disease clinic within two hours after sex with an infected person.

Often such institutions operate around the clock. The hospital has a specialized room where emergency care is provided to patients.

Doctors will do several things:

1. They will make you urinate to wash out all the bacteria from the urethral canal.
2. The patient's genitals will be treated with antiseptic agents. In such situations, Chlorhexidine or Miramistin are usually used.
3. They will inject the same Chlorhexidine or Miramistin into the urethral canal of men and women, and then clamp the canal so that the medicine does not leak out.
4. After completing all the manipulations, doctors will advise protecting the genitals with a scarf or gauze. This will avoid contact with stale laundry that contains bacteria.

If it is not possible to visit this institution, then the prevention of chlamydia in men and women should be carried out independently.

To do this, you need to purchase an antiseptic solution at a pharmacy kiosk. Such medications are sold in bottles with a special dispenser tube.

After this, you need to thoroughly wash the genitals, and then inject the solution deeply into the urethra and genitals.

Treatment with Miramistin

Miramistin is considered one of the most effective antiseptics that copes with all types of bacteria, including chlamydia.

If promiscuous sexual intercourse is constantly present in life, then this medicine should always be in the medicine cabinet.

If sexual intercourse has occurred with a new partner, then the following procedure must be followed:

1. After contact is complete, you must urinate. Urine will help remove any remaining bacterial agents.
2. After using the toilet, you need to wash your genitals with a soap-containing preparation. If not only vaginal sex occurred, then it is necessary to treat all organs at once. An enema with water should be administered into the intestinal canal, and the oral cavity should be rinsed thoroughly.
3. After the initial treatment, you should take Miramistin and treat the mucous membranes according to the following scheme: a) approximately fifteen milliliters of solution are injected into the oropharyngeal area. This is five to six clicks; b) three to five milliliters into the urethral canal. In this case, it is worth holding the product by squeezing; c) ten presses on the sprayer must be applied to the rectal area; d) ten to fifteen milliliters are injected into the vaginal area.
4. After such treatment, you need to wipe the skin inside the thighs and pubis with a cotton pad soaked in Miramistin.
5. After all the manipulations, you should not visit the toilet for two to three hours. It is worth remembering that Miramistin acts only locally. The active components are not absorbed into the blood. Therefore, the use of the medication should take place in the first hours after sex.

Miramistin has no side effects. Only in the rarest situations may a patient experience a burning sensation in the urethra. But the uncomfortable feeling goes away within three seconds.

Emergency prevention of chlamydia in women should not be performed more than once a month, since such a procedure leads to the destruction of not only harmful bacteria, but also beneficial ones. If used frequently, thrush may develop.

Preventive measures in the sexually active population

Many people wonder how to protect themselves from chlamydia, in order not to become infected with this disease and other sexually transmitted diseases, you need to follow a number of recommendations in the form of:

• narrowing the circle of sexual partners. The ideal option is one permanent partner;
• using condoms. No method of contraception will help anymore;
• using condoms correctly. If the integrity of the material is compromised, the likelihood of infection increases.

People who are constantly sexually active with different partners should regularly visit a venereologist, gynecologist or urologist.

As an additional preventive measure, experts advise using a medication called Pharmatex.

The active component is benzalkonium chloride. It is recommended as contraception, but its effects are directed towards chlamydial agents.

It is worth noting that vaginal caps and diaphragms will not protect you. They are considered ineffective for implementing preventive measures.

Secondary methods of prevention in adults

The main goal of secondary prevention is to prevent the spread of chlamydia beyond the affected area during the initial invasion.

The exchange of bacterial agents during sexual intercourse between the same partners leads to an increase in the disease in both.

Additional infections change the picture. If after a single contact chlamydia multiplies once every two or three days, then after repeated infection their activity increases significantly. As a result, patients develop complications, and the symptoms become more pronounced every day.

To avoid such a process, hygiene measures should be observed. The main rule when treating an infection is that you cannot be sexually active until it is completely cured.

If we talk about women, then they need to douche. To prevent thrush from developing, you need to alternate the solution with medicinal herbs. This process will eliminate the infection, avoid the inflammatory process and maintain the microflora in a normal state.

parazity-info.ru

Science knows two types of chlamydia - this is an infection that spreads to birds and animals, and the second type poses a danger of infection to humans.

Chlamydia species are single-celled bacteria that can be divided into three groups:

1. Chlamydia pneumoniae - This type of chlamydia causes problems in the respiratory tract. Because of them, a person can get pneumonia or bronchitis. Infection is possible by airborne droplets.
2. Chlamydia trachomatis- a type of chlamydia that can be infected exclusively through sexual contact.
3. Chlamydia psittaci- You can get this chlamydia if you come into contact with sick birds. Subsequently, diseases such as intestinal infection and conjunctivitis may develop.

Causes of chlamydia

The most common cause of chlamydia is sexual intercourse. If sexual contact was not protected, then the probability that a healthy person can get chlamydia is 50%, regardless of whether the sex was anal or vaginal.

If a pregnant woman had sexual intercourse and subsequently became infected with chlamydia, the child may develop pneumonia or conjunctivitis in utero.

It is almost impossible to become infected at home while living with a sick person. Reasons such as sharing a bathroom or bathtub can be excluded from the list of possible causes of chlamydia infection.

Diagnosis of chlamydia

As a rule, chlamydia is diagnosed by urologists for men and gynecologists for women. In order to detect chlamydia, it is necessary to take a smear of the cervix and vagina. You can also take a smear for bacterial culture or enzyme immunoassay. For diagnosis, in the usual case, they donate blood, sperm in men, urine, and scrapings from the affected organ. One of the most reliable tests for chlamydia is the polymerase chain reaction; it gives a 100% accurate result.

Most often people seek diagnostics:

• pregnant women with undeveloped pregnancy;
• women suffering from diseases such as cervical edema, inflammation of the genitals;
• men concerned about prostatitis.

Pregnant women need to undergo a series of diagnostic examinations if:

• if a woman has previously had a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy;
• the presence of a burning sensation when urinating;
• for diseases of the genital organs during pregnancy;
• for chronic diseases such as conjunctivitis and joint inflammation.

In order to cure chlamydia infection, it is necessary to take antibacterial drugs. Chlamydia is treated only with drugs that penetrate into cellular organisms. Possible doctor's prescriptions are macrolites or fluoroquinolones. If not one, but two infections are detected in the body, treatment will be different.

In addition to antibiotics, it was found that chlamydia can be cured with cycloferon or Viferon. It is also necessary to take antifungal drugs, which include flucostat, nystatin(both ointment and tablets).

The course of treatment is three weeks. The doctor, observing the patient, monitors how this or that drug affects the patient’s body and fights infection. If the antibiotic does not help at all, it may be necessary to prescribe local treatment with rectal or vaginal suppositories. During the entire treatment, you must abstain from sexual intercourse, drinking alcoholic beverages, and sweet and spicy foods.

Treatment is prescribed exclusively for each patient individually. It is possible that one course of treatment may not be enough; for this reason, repeated tests and a second course of treatment are prescribed.

Complications of chlamydia

Chlamydia infection in men can cause the following complications:

• Epididymitis- a disease that affects the ovarian appendages. The following symptoms are observed: enlargement of the epididymis, high fever, swelling of the scrotum.
• Urethritis affects the urinary canals. Symptoms: purulent discharge, itching, frequent and painful urination.
• Prostatitis. Symptoms: pain when urinating, cutting pain in the lower back, mucous discharge.

Complications in women:

• Inflammation of the cervix, as well as the formation of adhesions on it, which will further hinder the development of pregnancy.
• Inflammation of the uterine mucosa.
• Inflammation of the fallopian tubes.

The following complications are also possible with the disease:

• rash on the skin;
• keratosis;
• erosion in the oral cavity.

Do not forget that an infected pregnant woman is a threat of illness to the child. At birth, the baby may have damage to the eyes, intestines and other internal organs.

It is better to try to avoid an infection such as chlamydia than to treat it later.

The main types of chlamydia prevention:

• annual examination by a venereologist for both women and men;
• having one permanent partner;
• abstaining from casual sex;
• compliance with the rules regarding the exclusion of sexual contact during treatment for an infection;
• use of contraception (condoms).

The following persons must undergo the examination:

• women after termination of pregnancy;
• women after childbirth;
• couples who are registered with a gynecologist for family planning.

Classification of chlamydia

Chlamydia can be classified according to age:

• An infection that lasts in the body for less than two months is called - fresh chlamydia.
• An infection that has been in the body for more than 2 months - chronic chlamydia.

Urogenital chlamydia can be classified as:

• Chlamydia, affecting the upper genitourinary tract;
• Chlamydia, affecting the lower genitourinary tract;
• Chlamydia, sexually transmitted.

Often the infection does not cause pain. Thus, more than 60% of women and more than 40% of men neglect treatment, which leads to complications of the disease. Even if an infected person does not experience any symptoms, they can infect their partner through sexual intercourse. Signs of the disease are usually observed 10 days after infection.

In males, purulent discharge from the genital organ, a burning sensation when urinating, the first stream during morning urination may be cloudy in color, bloody discharge, and fever are possible.

Women experience vaginal discharge that is yellow-green in color and accompanied by an unpleasant odor. Symptoms such as itching, fever and pain in the lower abdomen are also possible.

In children, the disease occurs with damage to the respiratory tract, ears and eyes.

Consequences of chlamydia

For women, infection without treatment can result in infertility, since after the disease scars remain on the fallopian tubes, which do not allow the woman to bear and give birth to a healthy child, and a malignant tumor can also develop. Depending on how chlamydia multiplies, problems with the fallopian tubes and uterine appendages are possible.

Men develop diseases such as:

• arthritis, with inflammation of the joints;
• Reiter's syndrome - inflammation of the urethra;
• chlamydial conjunctivitis, which is considered a viral infection. Accompanied by pain in the eyeballs;
• prostatitis, if left untreated, this disease can lead to infertility;
• inflammation of the lower appendages of the genital organ.

If this type of infection is left unattended, chlamydia can lead to erectile dysfunction and infertility.

myvenerolog.ru

Reasons for the prevalence of chlamydia

Chlamydia is characterized by an asymptomatic or mild course and high contagiousness. After one unprotected sexual intercourse, the risk of infection for women is 35-50%, for men 50-75%. However, not everyone gets sick, but only a quarter of those infected. About half develop chlamydia carriage; people with good immunity remain in good health. As a result, we get a figure according to which about 1/2 of the world's population either suffers from chlamydia or are carriers - hidden spreaders of the infection.

Mild symptoms and disguised manifestations as other ailments also contribute to the prevalence of chlamydia. Chlamydia is a cause of joint inflammation ( arthritis), conjunctivitis And pneumonia; chlamydial prostatitis account for about 50% of all diagnosed inflammations of the prostate gland.

Up to 85% of identified chlamydia is combined with other sexually transmitted infections (gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomoniasis, ureaplasmosis and mycoplasmosis).

Combined diseases are more difficult to treat and are less tolerated by patients: higher intoxication, more often complications in the form of infertility and purulent processes in the genitourinary system.

The route of infection with chlamydia is predominantly sexual, during genital or anal contact; the infection is also transmitted orally. In children, infection is possible during childbirth from a sick mother or through contact and household contact - through dirty hands, common hygiene items, dishes and towels. The pathogen survives in the external environment for up to 48 hours under conditions of normal or high humidity and temperatures up to 19 degrees. Incubation period on average 14-30 days; in patients with HIV, cases of acute onset of the disease are known, within 24 hours after sexual contact with an infected partner.

The causative agent of chlamydia

Chlamydia is unique in its own way: they could not be classified for a long time, because these microorganisms simultaneously combine the characteristics of viruses and bacteria. Like bacteria, they have certain inclusions in the cell wall, in the nucleus - both RNA and DNA, reproduce by simple division and are sensitive to antibiotics. Similarity with viruses determines the ability to lose its own membrane upon penetration into a cell, the use of host cell resources for rapid reproduction, and the release of new active forms into the intercellular space.

It takes about four hours to penetrate a cell. the full development cycle takes from 2 to 4 days. During this time, one chlamydia forms more than 1000 active bodies, and then events can develop according to different scenarios. If the host cell is sufficiently stable, then chlamydia particles remain inside it and are not activated. When the opportunity arises - mechanical damage to the cell wall, concomitant disease with intoxication, weakened immunity - they leave the host cell and attach to healthy cells. Then they penetrate inside, and the cycle repeats again.

Chlamydia tends to penetrate certain types of cells, namely the epithelium of the genitourinary system, and from there spread throughout the body through the blood and lymph flow. Chlamydial inflammation of the membranes of the heart is known ( pericarditis And endocarditis) and joints ( arthritis), eye ( conjunctivitis). In women and men, the primary manifestations of chlamydia have some differences.

Symptoms and consequences of chlamydia in women

After infection and the end of the incubation period, the first symptoms of the disease appear. Local signs of chlamydia appear depending on the primary site of infection and the clinical periods of chlamydia, which are divided into latent, acute and chronic. In women, the cervical canal (endocervicitis), fallopian tubes (salpingitis) and urethra are more often inflamed. For oral infection chlamydial stomatitis, tonsillitis or pharyngitis appears, with anal– proctitis, inflammation of the rectum.

Endocervicitis determined during a gynecological examination. In the acute period, yellowish-white profuse purulent discharge is visible from the cervical canal, the external pharynx is hyperemic. With chronic chlamydia, the discharge is thick, there are few of them, and the color changes to greenish-yellow. There is practically no pain, but there may be unpleasant pulling sensations in the lower abdomen and lower back, bleeding between menstruation. The main complication is the transition of inflammation higher to the uterine endothelium and tubes. When another infection is attached, inflammation of all layers of the uterus and surrounding pelvic tissues is possible ( pelvioperitonitis).

Salpingitis manifested by pain in the lower abdomen, radiating to the inner thighs. Inflammation can spread to the ovaries and perimetrium, tissue around the uterus. An erroneous diagnosis may result in inadequate treatment and transition to the chronic period of chlamydia, which usually ends with sclerosis of the fallopian tubes. The consequences are ectopic pregnancy or infertility.

Why do problems with the fallopian tubes lead to infertility?

Normally, a mature egg is separated from the ovary, and the fallopian tube, contracting in waves, attracts it to itself and helps it reach the uterus. If the period of ovulation coincides with sexual intercourse, then the meeting of the sperm and egg occurs inside the fallopian tube. After fertilization, the cell begins to fragment and after about 5-7 days it implants (grows) into the functional layer of the uterus.

If the lumen of the fallopian tube is too small or its contractions are insufficient, then the egg can be fertilized in the pelvic cavity or implanted into the wall of the fallopian tube: ectopic pregnancy. Complications include tube rupture, bleeding and shock. With the complete disappearance of the tubal lumen, sperm cannot reach the egg, and accordingly, obstructive infertility.

Urethritis manifests itself as a burning sensation during urination. With an ascending mixed infection, blood and mucus may appear in the urine, which indicates involvement of the bladder and kidneys in the process (cystitis and pyelonephritis). The consequences are narrowing of the urethra, acute or chronic inflammation of the urinary system.

Manifestations of oral chlamydia: white spots with a bright red inflammatory halo appear on the mucous membrane of the mouth and throat. Soft at the base, painful when touched. They tend to merge and suppurate the surface, spreading to the soft and hard palate, tongue and tonsils. Drugs for the treatment of thrush do not work on them.

Transmission of chlamydial infection is possible before and during pregnancy; usually the disease is chronic. Chlamydia can lead to miscarriage, missed pregnancy, stillbirth and infection of the child during childbirth.

In women, in almost 70% of cases, chlamydia is asymptomatic, without much pain or noticeable discharge.

The temperature may rise slightly, you may feel weak and lack of strength. Alas, women do not pay attention to such trifles, and therefore chlamydia often becomes a latent form and carrier state.

Chlamydia in men

The prevailing form is urogenital chlamydia. Chlamydia carriage and asymptomatic variants of the disease occur in almost half of infected men.

In men, the first sign of chlamydia is urethritis, which lasts for a very long time, sometimes up to several months. It manifests itself as standard: burning, itching during and after urination, discharge of glassy mucus from the urethra. The lower back may ache a little, and there may be a dull ache in the scrotum and testicles. An increase in temperature of 37.0 - 37.4 and rapid fatigue are signals of general intoxication.

Most men do not attach any importance to their illness, attributing everything to a cold. However, over time, symptoms may increase, with signs of ascending infection (blood and pus in the urine), inflammation of the prostate, testicles and appendages, narrowing of the urethra and Reiter's syndrome. Complications include infection of the testicles and their appendages, urethral stricture and infertility.

Epididymitis and orchitis: severe pain in the testicles and appendages, the intensity increases with the slightest movement. Local tissue swelling, rapid increase in organ size. In the future, inflammation leads to blocking of the lumen (obstruction) of the seminal ducts, and infertility occurs.

Prostatitis: dull pain, mainly in the lower back, radiating to the hips and perineum. The consequences of inflammation are infertility, since the prostate gland is not able to produce prostatic secretion, which gives sperm motility.

Strictures(narrowing) urethra: difficulty passing urine, a symptom of a weak stream. Treatment of strictures is only surgical. To widen the canal, bougienage of the urethra is used. The procedure is quite painful and is performed in a hospital. The essence is the sequential introduction into the urethra of special rigid probes of different diameters, from thin (5.33 mm) to thick (9 mm). The course of treatment is long, up to several weeks.

Reiter's syndrome, a complication of chlamydia, develops 20 times more often in men than in women. It is expressed in a triad of symptoms - urethritis, conjunctivitis, arthritis. The joints are usually affected on one side. Mostly the process begins with the big toe, so chlamydial arthritis can be confused with gout. Conjunctivitis is mild and goes away within a week. Symptoms of urethritis can last for several months.

Chlamydia in children

It is more often observed in newborns infected in utero or during childbirth from the mother, which accounts for up to 40% of all cases of chlamydia in children. The risk of becoming infected in a family from sick parents reaches 30-40%, in adolescence from the first sexual partners 20-30%.

In early childhood, chlamydia often manifests itself as conjunctivitis and respiratory disorders, including pneumonia, and in adolescents – urethritis and inflammation of the genital organs. The course of the disease is often asymptomatic, which makes diagnosis difficult.

Respiratory chlamydia reminds me of a common cold. A runny nose and sore throat begin about a week after infection, but do not disappear with conventional treatment. A runny nose gradually turns into a cough.

Chlamydial bronchitis: attacks of dry cough after 10-14 days turn into wet cough, with a small amount of mucous sputum. Symptoms may subside; at this stage, chlamydia becomes chronic.

For pneumonia characterized by increased symptoms despite treatment. The cough is dry, attacks become more frequent and are accompanied by suffocation and vomiting. Pulmonary heart failure develops quickly and death is possible.

Chlamydial conjunctivitis occurs in 20% of infected children. Signs: the mucous membrane of the eyes is red, the eyelids are swollen. Pus is released, which glues the eyelashes together after sleep. It hurts the child to blink, he is lethargic and capricious, and sleep is disturbed. Complications – keratitis (inflammation of the cornea), visual impairment.

Widespread chlamydia with inflammation of the lungs, heart, and digestive organs, as well as convulsions and respiratory arrest, occur as complications in newborns.

Diagnosis of chlamydial infection

1. Specific PCR (polymerase chain reaction) has 100% sensitivity against chlamydia. From the moment the material is collected until the result is obtained, 1-2 days pass; if the answer is positive, no duplicate confirmation of the diagnosis of chlamydia is required.
2. Classical culture method(inoculation of material on nutrient media, isolation of chlamydia colonies and antibiotic sensitivity testing) takes time, results are available in 7-10 days. Material - scraping from the mouth of the urethra (in men), from the cervix, vestibule of the vagina and urethra (in women). Simultaneously with confirmation of chlamydia, the doctor receives information about which antibiotic is best to prescribe in a particular case.

The remaining tests have different levels of reliability and are not very suitable for the final diagnosis of chlamydia. Pharmacy mini-tests are accurate in only 20% of cases, RIF (reaction immunofluorescence) – in 50%, ELISA ( linked immunosorbent assay) – at 60%. All these methods must be confirmed by PCR analysis.

Treatment is aimed at destroying the pathogen, eliminating inflammation, preventing and combating complications of chlamydia. The first number is a treatment regimen with antibiotics that are able to penetrate the cell membrane. The drugs of choice are tablets for chlamydia, antibiotics azithromycin and doxycycline.

• Azithromycin prescribed to adults (including pregnant women) once, 2 tablets (1 g). The dosage for children is specially calculated, but the antibiotic can only be used with a body weight of at least 10 kg. On the first day, take 10 mg/kg, then 5 mg/kg, the total course is 5 days. For a three-day course, a single dosage is 10 mg/kg, total dosage is 30 mg/kg.
• Doxycycline It is absolutely contraindicated during pregnancy; it is prescribed to children from the age of 8 or with a body weight of more than 50 kg. Daily dosage for children: 1 day 4 mg/kg, then 2-4 mg/kg, course from 10 days to two weeks. Adults are prescribed 200 mg on the first day, then 100 mg per day, course 10-14 days. Doxycycline has an irritating effect on the mucous membrane of the digestive tract, so it is recommended to take the tablets after meals and drink plenty of water.

Antifungal drugs will help prevent or treat candidiasis, which may develop after a course of antibiotic treatment. Apply fluconazole, usually in capsule or syrup form. Mucosal candidiasis is treated with dosages of 50-100 mg/day, vaginal candidiasis 150 mg/day. Treatment can be long, up to 30 days, with an average of 1 to two weeks.

Local remedies used to destroy infections in the urethra, cervix, conjunctivitis and stomatitis. Apply protargol: 1-5% solution for lubricating the oral mucosa and the external opening of the cervical canal, for instillation into the urethra 1-3%, for chlamydial conjunctivitis - eye drops with protargol. Vaginal suppositories Hexicon, 1 x 2 per day, course from 7 to 20 days. They are also used to prevent chlamydia within 2 hours after unprotected intercourse.

Immunomodulators– aloe, cycloferon (injections); echinacea, lycopid– oral medications. Strengthen the immune response, reduce treatment time.

Proteolytic enzymes, better of plant origin (papain, bromelain) are taken 1-1.5 hours after meals. The goal is the prevention of adhesions after chlamydia, anti-inflammatory effect. Karsil, lecithin will help liver cells recover. Preparations with lactobacilli, including vaginal suppositories, normalize the microflora of the vagina and small intestine.

Traditional treatment as a mono-method is absolutely unacceptable. After a basic course of antibiotics, you can use horsetail and juniper tea, which will have a diuretic and disinfectant effect. This cannot be done while taking antibiotics: due to the diuretic effect, the concentration of drugs in the body will become insufficient, and the load on the kidneys will increase.

Treatment of chlamydia is necessary for everyone who has had sexual contact with a sick or infected person. Efficiency control: repeat PCR 6-8 weeks after the end of treatment. Upon recovery, the PCR test is negative.

Preventive measures

Aimed at preventing chlamydia infection, identifying and treating carriers and all sexual partners who have been in contact with the patient or carrier.

Blocking the spread of chlamydia means protecting sexual relations and eliminating favorable conditions for contact and household infection or infection of a child during pregnancy and childbirth. Sex with chlamydia It cannot be completely safe, even if you use a condom, vaginal suppositories or douching with antiseptics. The best prevention of urogenital chlamydia was and remains pickiness in sexual relations, ideally sex with one partner.

The spread of chlamydia through household items can be avoided by following simple personal hygiene rules. Do not use other people’s toothbrushes, used or unwashed underwear or towels, “public” sex toys, and always wash your hands thoroughly before sexual intercourse. Pregnant women are checked for chlamydia during registration and treated if necessary. It is better, before deciding to become pregnant, to do all the tests for chlamydia and make sure that the future parents are both healthy.

A general preventive measure is to improve health: a proper diet, seasonal intake of vitamins and exercise will increase the threshold of susceptibility to chlamydia.

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Types of chlamydia or chlamydial infection

Chlamydial infection is divided into types of chlamydia, depending on the damage to a specific organ:

• Chlamydia psittaci - this chlamydia causes the disease conjunctivitis;
• Chlamydia trachomatis - this infection in newly born children causes eye diseases, conjunctivitis, otitis and nasopharyngitis, Chlamydia trachomatis in adults causes venereal lymphogranulmatosis and genital chlamydia;
• Chlamydia pneumoniae - this chlamydia infects the cardiac system, blood vessels, respiratory system with the transition to pneumonia, acute and chronic bronchitis, cardiac and bronchial asthma;

Chlamydial infection or chlamydia can be acute or chronic and without symptoms of disease development.

Causes of chlamydia

Chlamydia infection or chlamydia causes the presence of chlamydia in the body. The disease chlamydia causes the entry of this infection into the body preceded by the following factors:

• sexual intercourse with frequent changes of partners;
• use of an intrauterine device;
• lack of hygiene;
• close contact with animals;
• weakened immune system.

Chlamydial infection is also transmitted in the following ways:

• sexual mode of transmission;
• household method;
• intrauterine infection;
• infection of the child at the time of birth.

Symptoms of the infectious disease chlamydia

Symptoms of chlamydia appear only three weeks after infection. At this time, the incubation period of the disease occurs. In its acute form, it is almost impossible to identify signs of chlamydia.

In 90% of cases, signs of infection appear in a latent form or in a silent form that the infected person will not always notice these signs. Symptoms are expressed in:

• discharge of a transparent color, viscous consistency, sometimes yellow in color;
• itching in the perineum, urethra, near the anus and vagina;
• pain in the genital area;
• bleeding between periods;
• pain and burning at the time of urination, pain when pumping urination;
• general weakness of the body;
• elevated temperature.

After the infection has entered the body, and 7 to 10 calendar days have passed, the person develops a fever, general malaise, and muscle weakness. After these signs, the person did not consult a doctor, chlamydia adapts to being in the body and the symptoms decrease, which makes it very difficult to identify them.

At the time of colds, decreased immunity, and the development of diabetes, chlamydia begins to worsen.

Basically, these diseases are associated with the human urinary system and the reproductive system of the body. Diseases that cause chlamydia:

• cystitis;
• urethritis;
• paraurethritis;
• cystourethritis;
• orchitis;
• vulvitis;
• funiculitis;
• chronic prostatitis;
• vesiculitis;
• orchiepidimitis;
• cooperite;
• colpitis;
• endocervicitis;
• erosion.

Protection against chlamydia with Miramistin

In case of questionable sexual contact not protected by a condom, it is necessary to take preventive measures to avoid chlamydia disease and protect yourself from chlamydia entering the body:

• after sexual intercourse, it is necessary to urinate and, in case of infection, remove it with urine from the urethra;
• after urination, wash the genitals well with soap, if in addition to vaginal contact there was anal sex, give an enema;
• after this, the genitals should be treated with miramistin.

The drug Miramistin must be used in those places where chlamydia mainly lives:

• irrigate the oral cavity and larynx (press the spray nozzle 5 times)
• treat the urethra with one press of the spray into the urethra. It is necessary to squeeze the sponges of the urethra for a minute to prevent the drug from escaping;
• treat the rectum with at least 10 spray presses in one procedure;
• vaginal treatment is performed with three spray presses in one procedure;
• apply the preparation to the pubis, perineum and inner thighs.

After the procedure for treating the genitals with Miramistin, it is forbidden to urinate for two hours.

Miramistin is a local antiseptic and should be used only in the first hour after sexual contact, during which time the infection may not yet have entered the mucous membranes of the genital organs.

The drug has a side effect in the form of a burning sensation in the urethra, and its use destroys the entire microflora of the vagina and urethra.

To prevent chlamydia disease, you can use the drug Miramistin no more than once a month.

Treatment of chlamydia disease

If chlamydia does enter the body, then treatment of chlamydia requires a long time, this is a rather complex process.

Urogenital chlamydia is treated jointly by an immunologist and a gynecologist for the female body, and an immunologist and a urologist for the treatment of the male body.

The main drugs used in treatment are antibiotics of different groups and directions:

• macrolites;
• tetracyclines;
• fluoroquinolones.

Along with antibiotics, the following are involved in the treatment process:

• multivitamins;
• immunomodulators;
• drugs karsil, festal;
• antifungal drugs;
• probiotics.

In men, local treatment of the disease is used using iontophoresis, enemas, suppositories and prostate massage.

To treat chlamydia trachomatis in the body, the following medications are prescribed:

• Azithromycin 500 mg once a day;
• Doxycycline 0.1 mg 2 times a day;
• Levofloxacin 500 mg once a day;
• Ofloxacin 300 mg 2 times a day;
• Roxithromycin 150 mg 2 times a day;

If necessary, the patient is prescribed extracts of medicinal herbs that strengthen the immune system: echinacea, eleutherococcus, aralia.

To normalize the microflora in the body, multivitamins and always probiotics are prescribed.

Women who have chlamydia in the genital area are prescribed douching and vaginal antiseptic tampons along with medications.

The treatment regimen is drawn up by a specialist and in this case self-medication is contraindicated. During treatment for chlamydia, sexual intercourse, smoking and drinking alcohol are prohibited, and you must also exclude spicy foods from your diet.

It is very important to maintain hygiene when treating this disease.

Prevention of chlamydial infection

Chlamydia trachomatis, which causes chlamydia, is a bacterium that is better to prevent and avoid infection than to cure chlamydia disease.

Prevention of chlamydia is:

• a permanent and reliable sexual partner;
• using a condom during casual contacts;
• timely examination after sexual intercourse unprotected with a condom;
• when planning a pregnancy, mandatory examination of both partners;
• abstain from sex while undergoing drug treatment for chlamydia.

Prevention also includes timely treatment of diseases of the urinary system and reproductive system.

Constantly strengthen your immune system and avoid unusual and stressful situations.

Prevention of chlamydial infection in children

If a woman is sick with chlamydia while pregnant, then treatment is carried out from the 22nd week of pregnancy.

Medicines taken by a woman in labor are passed on to the unborn child in utero. In this case, these drugs prevent chlamydia for the fetus.

The course of antibiotic treatment for pregnant women is designed to take these drugs for 7 days:

• Erythromycin 500 mg 4 times a day;
• Josamycin 750 mg 3 times a day;
• Spiramycin 3 mg 3 times a day.

Macrolide antibiotics penetrate in utero through the placenta to the fetus and have a detrimental effect on chlamydia infection in the child’s body without causing harm to the body.

If the treatment of a pregnant woman is successful, then the child will be born completely healthy.

At the time of birth, the baby can also become infected with chlamydia. Therefore, one week before the expected moment of birth, tampons with Miramistin are inserted into the pregnant woman’s vagina every day. Remove the tampon from the vagina after 2 hours. This is a good prevention of chlamydia before the birth process.

If the birth process is performed by caesarean section, the vagina is treated with miramistin, and at the time of surgery the incision site and the mother’s uterus are treated.

After childbirth, the vagina is treated with miramistin in the same way as before childbirth. If a child has signs of illness, then emergency measures must be taken.

In the first days of his life, an infected child suffers from conjunctivitis, which is accompanied by sticking of the eyelids and discharge from the eyeball. The development of the disease takes about a month. Treatment of chlamydia in newborns will save the child’s vision.

Some children develop chlamydia of the respiratory tract and lungs at birth. As the disease progresses, such children require artificial ventilation therapy.

Infection entering the stomach and intestines as the baby passes through the birth canal leads to intestinal upset and regurgitation, accompanied by toxicosis. With this disease, the nervous system is affected and a rash appears on the skin.

With timely treatment of newborn children, chlamydia can be completely cured.

Preventive measures for chlamydia in children can only be the following rules of personal hygiene:

• wash your hands constantly;
• do not put dirty hands in your mouth;
• do not rub your eyes with unwashed hands;
• do not put other people's toys and things in your mouth;
• do not drink from someone else's container;
• do not finish eating fruits or candies after others.

Infectious lesions of the genitourinary organs cause many health complications for women. One of the serious consequences is infertility. Some infections quickly spread throughout the body, but the disease is often asymptomatic. Therefore, the patient unwittingly infects her sexual partner. One such disease is chlamydia. Another danger for women is that the infection can manifest itself during pregnancy. It is important to know the signs of infection and consult a doctor as early as possible, rather than engage in useless self-medication.

In women, the pathogen is localized in the vagina, and then spreads upward to the uterus and appendages. In addition, bacteria penetrate the urinary system and intestines.

During oral sexual contact, chlamydia penetrates the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, and from there into the respiratory tract. Gums and tooth tissue, as well as the eyes, may be affected.

Chlamydia is extremely survivable outside the human body. Thus, at average room temperature, even in dry air, they are able to survive for up to 2 days, being on linen, household items, and bath accessories. A humid environment is especially favorable for them.

Routes of infection

The vitality of chlamydia is the reason that they can be infected not only through sexual contact, but also through household contact. In this case, absolutely any family member, even a child, can be infected.

Newborn children can be infected from birth, since chlamydia can be transmitted to the child from the mother. In this case, both intrauterine infection of the fetus and transmission of bacteria during the passage of the baby through the birth canal are possible.

There are known cases where the cause of chlamydia in women was the use of an insufficiently sterile instrument by a doctor during a gynecological examination, abortion, diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.

Video: Routes of infection with chlamydial infection

How does the disease progress?

Chlamydia quite often is asymptomatic, although the bacteria have a destructive effect on the body.

In the normal course, the incubation period ranges from 4 to 14 days. In each individual patient, the severity of the manifestations depends on the state of the immune system and other characteristics of the body. Sometimes there are no signs of the disease until factors that provoke exacerbation appear (ARVI or other diseases, climate change, stress).

Sexual transmission is most often observed in young people, since the development of their immune system has not yet been completed. Teenage girls often become infected due to inexperience, having no idea about the dangers of unprotected sexual intercourse.

Individuals who engage in casual sexual relationships and often change sexual partners are also at risk of infection. The likelihood of contracting chlamydia is increased when engaging in oral or anal sex.

Why is chlamydia infection dangerous?

Even though the signs of chlamydia infection may be subtle, the disease is very dangerous. Many severe complications may develop:

1. Inflammation of the genitals and internal genital organs, which leads to the destruction of the mucous membranes, the formation of scars and adhesions in them, clogging of the fallopian tubes, and damage to the ovaries. Chronic chlamydia causes infertility.
2. The occurrence of cervical erosion, endometriosis, provoked by chronic inflammation of the mucous membranes.
3. The spread of the inflammatory process into the abdominal cavity, which can lead to the development of peritonitis, damage to the liver, kidneys and other organs.
4. Bacterial infection and joint disease.
5. Inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis).
6. Tooth decay.
7. Inflammation of the bladder and ureters. Urethritis (chronic inflammation of the urethra) leads to its narrowing and difficulty urinating.

Chlamydia is extremely dangerous in pregnant women. Chlamydia infection of the uterine cavity mucosa leads to miscarriage. If the pregnancy can be maintained, the birth is usually premature. Congenital infection of a child with chlamydia leads to the development of conjunctivitis, pneumonia, and diseases of internal organs. In girls, such infection can subsequently cause infertility.

Chlamydia provokes the occurrence of an ectopic or frozen pregnancy, as well as the appearance of defects in the formation of the intestines and other internal organs in the fetus, and the birth of a stillborn child.

Symptoms of chlamydia

Signs of infection with such an infection are usually a change in the nature of the discharge, the appearance of symptoms of cystitis (stinging and burning when urinating). Unlike men, whose symptoms are more acute, approximately 70% of women do not experience any particular discomfort at all, and mild ailments do not bother them. But as complications develop and inflammation spreads to the uterus and ovaries, they notice the following symptoms:

• nagging pain in the lower abdomen and lower back;
• an increase in the volume of foamy discharge of a whitish-yellow color mixed with pus and an unpleasant odor;
• slight increase in temperature, general weakness, chills;
• irritation of the external genitalia, perineal area, itching and burning in them;
• the appearance of bleeding between periods.

If the rectum is affected, pain occurs in it. There may be mucous discharge mixed with blood.

With a sufficiently strong immune system, the reproduction of chlamydia is suppressed in the body, so the symptoms of chlamydia in a woman are barely pronounced. Sometimes the disease does not develop at all, while the person is a carrier of the infection.

Video: Signs, diagnosis and treatment of chlamydia

Diagnostics

If you detect suspicious signs of the presence of infection in the body, you should contact a gynecologist. During the examination, a smear is taken from the vagina and a scraping of the cervical canal mucosa for microscopic examination. If signs of conjunctivitis are detected, a smear of the mucous membranes of the eyes is examined.

Typically, indications for referral for analysis and treatment are:

• presence of signs of inflammation of the genitourinary organs;
• changes in the nature of vaginal discharge and simultaneous disruption of the menstrual cycle;
• the appearance of pain during sexual intercourse;
• checking for infections in the genitals before gynecological operations;
• examination of a married couple during pregnancy planning.

The difficulty of diagnosis lies in the fact that chlamydia is located in colonies, and its content in vaginal mucus is not constant. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a false negative result. To clarify the diagnosis, a bacteriological culture of the smear is done.

Even more accurate are studies of smears and blood using DIF (direct immunofluorescence - detection of antibodies to causative agents of chlamydia and other infections) and PCR (polymerase chain reaction - determination of the type of pathogenic microorganisms by their DNA).

Treatment of chlamydia

The difficulty of treating chlamydia in women is associated with the ability of chlamydia to quickly get used to the effects of certain medications. The “hidden” nature of such an infection (that is, the ability of pathogens to penetrate inside cell membranes and become inaccessible to immune cells) is the reason that treatment is delayed and occurs with periodic relapses.

Note: A successful result can only be achieved with simultaneous treatment of sexual partners. Even after complete relief from symptoms, a woman may become infected again.

Medications

During treatment, antibacterial drugs are prescribed to destroy chlamydia. At the same time, a woman should take medications with lactobacilli and means to strengthen the immune system.

Antibiotics are prescribed in the form of tablets (erythromycin, tsifran, doxycycline, ampicillin), aerosol preparations, ointments and suppositories (hexicon, betadine, pimafucin). They are used strictly as prescribed by a doctor.

Self-treatment with antibiotics causes great harm, as it leads to the death of beneficial microflora of the genitourinary organs and suppresses the sensitivity of chlamydia to the action of drugs. In addition, chlamydial infection can affect the body in combination with others. This requires the use of complex action drugs.

Chlorhexidine or Miramistin are used as antiseptic solutions for external treatment of the genital organs. During treatment, control examinations of smears are carried out periodically (after 2 weeks, after 1 and 2 months) for the presence of chlamydia.

The use of folk remedies is permissible only as an additional treatment for chlamydia. In women, their improper use (for example, frequent douching with infusions and decoctions) can lead to exacerbation of inflammatory processes.

Treatment of chlamydia during pregnancy

During pregnancy, a woman's body naturally experiences a decrease in immunity. Therefore, the likelihood of infection with chlamydia is increased. Moreover, as a rule, chlamydia manifests itself much more clearly in pregnant women (stomach pain, pain when urinating). An increase in the intensity of discharge is not an indicative sign, since in a healthy pregnant woman it becomes thin and abundant due to hormonal changes in the body.

If the presence of chlamydia is confirmed, then treatment is mandatory. In this case, antibacterial vaginal suppositories are used or antibiotics are prescribed for oral administration, which are the safest for the child.

During treatment, multivitamin preparations containing iron, vitamin E and other useful components are also used.

Prevention of chlamydia infection

It is impossible to avoid infection with chlamydia through any vaccinations. In addition, the formation of stable immunity to this infection does not occur after illness.

To avoid becoming infected with chlamydia, a woman has only two options. She must either refuse sex altogether, or engage in it in compliance with certain rules.

Firstly, the risk of infection is significantly reduced if the sexual partner is the only one, constant and healthy (that is, he does not have sexual relations on the side, he regularly monitors his health). Secondly, it is advisable to use a condom to avoid accidental infection (for example, the partner may not be sick himself, but may be a carrier of the bacteria).

Traditional sex using a condom is much safer than oral or anal sex. Girls who are starting to become sexually active need to be especially careful and avoid sexual relations with unfamiliar men.

It is necessary to remember that chlamydia can be infected even in a swimming pool or public bathhouse. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully observe the rules of hygiene and not use other people’s washcloths, towels and linen.

If there is at least some possibility of contracting an STD (for example, during casual sexual contact or in a relationship with a partner who has any signs of a sexually transmitted disease), you should consult a venereologist. This can even be done anonymously.

Video: Who are chlamydia in the program “Live Healthy”