The urethra is an elastic urethra through which urinary fluid is excreted from the body. The urethra in women is shorter than the male and has a length of about 8 cm. For this reason, women are more susceptible to inflammatory processes than men. The main disease of the urethra is urethritis. Why does the urinary canal hurt in women?
What is urethritis?
Urethritis is an inflammation of the urethra that occurs as a result of damage to the mucous membrane by viral infections and pathogenic microorganisms. This ailment is very common among the fair sex. It does not belong to the category of diseases that threaten the life of the patient, but can provoke inflammation of other organs of the genitourinary system. So why does the urethra hurt in women?
Causes of the disease
The main causes of urethritis can be divided into two groups: infectious and non-infectious.
An infectious inflammatory process usually occurs as a result of STD infection. In this case, the causes of the disease are:
- Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease. Its causative agent is chlamydia, with signs of both bacteria and viruses. It is difficult to diagnose at the initial stage of infection, since it has an incubation period of about 1.5 months. First of all, it affects the mucous membranes of the urethra, reproductive system and rectum, causing an inflammatory process.
- Ureaplasmosis is a disease that is transmitted through sexual contact with a carrier. Under favorable conditions, it does not cause much harm to the body, but when related factors occur, it passes into the stage of activation and reproduction.
- Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease that provokes inflammation of the urinary tract and reproductive system. The inflammatory process occurs as a result of damage to the body by gonococci. It affects mainly individual organs covered by the epithelium of certain types: cylindrical and glandular. According to statistics, gonorrhea infection occurs from man to woman in 50-80% of cases and from woman to man in 30-40% of cases.
- Trichomoniasis is a disease that takes first place among sexually transmitted ailments, and is leading among the causative agents of diseases of the genitourinary system. The incubation period is from 7 to 30 days.
- Mycoplasmosis is a disease resulting from the multiplication of mycoplasmas and their defeat of the mucous membranes of the genitourinary system. In the human body, several species of mycoplasmas can multiply at once. The disease is transmitted through traditional sexual contact. Oral sex is not a cause of mycoplasma infection.
In some cases, the urethra hurts in women as a result of the active reproduction of microorganisms (fungi, E. coli, staphylococci, etc.).
Related factors for the development of the disease include hypothermia, weakened immunity, lack of vitamins, viral diseases, etc.
Non-infectious causes of urethritis are:
- injuries resulting from medical examinations and the introduction of foreign objects;
- allergic reactions provoked by medication;
- use of unsuitable intimate hygiene products for microflora;
- circulatory disorders of the pelvic organs that occur with a sedentary lifestyle or during pregnancy;
- a burn of the urethral mucosa caused by attempts to independently treat gynecological and other diseases by introducing drugs into the vagina diluted in the wrong proportions;
- unlimited consumption of spicy foods that cause irritation of the mucous membrane of the bladder and urethra, alcohol and fatty foods.
How does the urinary canal hurt in women? Main symptoms
Urethritis is an insidious disease that does not appear immediately. Sometimes a woman may not know about the inflammatory process until he moves to an acute form. In order to determine the disease in time, you need to know how the urethra hurts in women.
Signs of inflammation of the urinary canal are most often manifested as follows:
- frequent or false urge to urinate;
- when urinating in women, the urethra or bladder hurts, pain can be given to the clitoris;
- purulent and bloody discharge, having an unpleasant odor;
- redness of the internal and external genital organs;
- urinary tract irritation and inflammation.
In severe cases, the temperature may rise. Urine becomes cloudy. When pressed, the urethra hurts in women.
Establishing diagnosis
Diagnosis of the inflammatory process in the urethra is carried out by an internal examination of a gynecologist. In most cases, the doctor may order an additional examination, for example, ultrasound, urine and blood tests, bacteriological culture of urine (to determine sensitivity to antibiotics). These procedures are necessary in order to determine the cause of pain in the urinary canal. A gynecologist can take a swab from the vagina to determine the causative agent of the disease. According to the results of the collected tests, the specialist prescribes the necessary treatment. He will also advise on the main issue of why the urethra hurts women.
Compliance with the doctor's recommendations is mandatory to prevent relapse. After completing the course of treatment, it is necessary to undergo a second urinalysis. Based on the analysis, the doctor will be able to judge the results of therapy and give further recommendations.
Urethral pain after childbirth
Often, a woman has an urethra after birth. What is the reason? During childbirth, abrasions form on the walls of the urethra. Urine in injured areas can cause irritation and, as a result, the inflammatory process. In this case, it is necessary to consult a doctor who can choose the right therapy. Another reason for painful urination can be a sedentary lifestyle during pregnancy. Stagnation of blood in the pelvic organs can lead to disruption of the genitourinary system.
To avoid such a problem, women during pregnancy are recommended frequent walks and special gymnastics.
Chronic urethritis in women
An illness not diagnosed in time, as well as non-compliance with the recommendations of doctors, can lead to a chronic course of the disease. And this, in turn, requires a long and comprehensive treatment. What to do if the urinary canal regularly hurts in women? How to treat a disease if it has become chronic? In this case, specialists prescribe drugs of the following groups: antibiotics, immunomodulators, antiseptics, vitamins, etc. In some cases, physiotherapeutic procedures can be prescribed.
As a rule, chronic urethritis goes through several stages. The first stage is characterized by periodic exacerbations. They appear infrequently and pass quickly. In the second stage, the drugs help less and less, but the pains get worse. In women, the urethra hurts after urinating more and more. In this case, only potent drugs help. At the third stage, drug treatment does not bring results: antibiotics do not help, but, on the contrary, cause inflammation. Pain becomes a constant companion. In this case, you must immediately contact a specialist and undergo the necessary examinations. Since chronic urethritis is difficult to treat, there is a risk of relapse. Therefore, it is very important to timely and accurately follow all the doctor's recommendations.
Treatment of pain in the urethra in women
After passing the necessary tests and identifying the causes of the inflammatory process in the bladder, the doctor prescribes the necessary treatment. It usually includes medication and diet. Since, for various reasons, the urethra in women can be sick, the treatment should be comprehensive and individual for each patient. According to the results of analysis on the microflora and bacterial culture of urine, the specialist identifies the causative agents of the disease and the group of antibiotics to which the body is sensitive. The inclusion of antibiotics in therapy is necessary to eliminate foci of infection and relieve the inflammatory process.
To restore the natural microflora in the vagina and increase immunity, a specialist can prescribe immunomodulators, oral probiotics or vaginal suppositories. This is necessary to maintain the natural balance of beneficial bacteria after prolonged use of antibiotics. In case the pains are intense, the doctor prescribes painkillers and antispasmodics.
In addition to drug therapy, it is recommended to adjust your lifestyle for the treatment period. If there is a sexual partner, experts advise to abandon intimacy for a period of about two weeks. You must follow some rules regarding nutrition. First of all it is necessary to abandon the alcoholic beverages (for excretion of they irritate the mucous membrane of the urethra and is not compatible with drugs), to exclude the use of acute and salty foods, to minimize the use of high-sugar products, and also to refrain from receiving smoked , fried and canned foods.
Decoction of chamomile, peppermint, coltsfoot, horsetail and goldenrod grass can be a good help for pain in the urinary canal. Treatment with herbal decoctions is not an alternative to taking medications, but in complex therapy can significantly reduce the inflammatory process.
Preventative measures
The inflammatory process of the urinary canal often has a relapsing character. Therefore, the patient’s treatment tactics are aimed not only at eliminating the acute phase of the disease, but also at preventing the disease. First of all, the patient needs to change the diet. As mentioned above, it is necessary to exclude products that provoke irritation of the walls of the bladder. Inadequate fluid intake can also be one of the triggering factors. A rare consumption of pure still water can lead to an increased concentration of urine, which increases its irritating effect on the mucous membrane of the urinary system. The occurrence of the disease can contribute to wearing tight underwear and tight genie. In this case, air circulation is disturbed, which leads to an imbalance of microflora and promotes the growth of bacteria.
An important point in the prevention of diseases of the genitourinary system is the observance of intimate hygiene. The external genitalia should be regular and thorough. Douching procedures should be carried out only on the recommendation of a doctor, otherwise a woman risks injuring the walls of the vagina and disturbing the microflora.
Possible complications
The chronic course of the disease is not the only complication that can cause untimely and incorrect treatment. In some cases, infection from the urethra can spread to nearby organs. The main complications of urethritis include:
- Complete urinary retention. In some cases, rupture of the bladder is possible.
- Peritonitis is an inflammation of the abdominal cavity that occurs as a result of pathogenic microorganisms entering the peritoneum (Escherichia coli, staphylococcus, pneumococcus, etc.). It is manifested by sharp pains and tension of the abdominal muscles. Vomiting does not bring relief.
- The occurrence of an abscess in the genitourinary system. Treated surgically. It is characterized by elevated temperature.
- Pyelonephritis is a serious inflammatory disease of the kidneys. It occurs as a result of infection in the renal system. Acute development can be a serious threat to life. It requires urgent treatment. In other cases, hospitalization. Hanging temperature is the main alarming symptom.
With the right approach to treatment, such complications can be avoided. To do this, you must follow all the necessary instructions of the urologist and observe preventive measures.
Basic advice of a urologist
In many cases, the disease is easier to prevent than to cure. Here are a few expert recommendations that will help prevent the occurrence of an inflammatory process in the urinary canal:
- Avoid hypothermia. A long stay in the cold can be one of the predisposing factors in the occurrence of urethritis.
- Regular exercise will help strengthen the immune system and avoid stagnation of blood in the pelvic organs.
- With frequent changes in sexual partners, it is necessary to regularly take tests for the presence of sexual infections. As a result of their occurrence, it is necessary to undergo the recommended course of treatment.
- Follow the rules of intimate hygiene and exclude from your wardrobe tight, tight underwear.
- Reduce the use of alcohol and spicy foods.
And, of course, at the first manifestations of the inflammatory process, it is urgent to consult a specialist.