Chlamydia for humans is an unconditional pathogen, normally it should not be present in the body. This bacterium has several varieties. In this case, we are most interested in chlamydia trachomatis. In women and men, it causes such a common infection as urogenital chlamydia. Other varieties of the microorganism affect animals.
Pathogen morphology
Chlamydia trachomatis is a unique bacterium of its kind. Its habitat is living cells. Initially, the action of the microorganism spread exclusively to birds and mammals, but for a long time the mutating form also affects humans. The pathogen has a dual nature. On the one hand, it lives in living cells and is distinguished by its ability to parasitize inside them. By this, it more closely resembles a virus, but in structure it is a bacterium. Infection with the said microorganism now occurs quite often. According to statistics, chlamydia in women (symptoms, causes of infection, we will consider below) are found in sixty cases out of a hundred. I must say that the human body is not susceptible to such an infection, therefore, even after a course of treatment, immunity is not developed.
Infection pathways
Mostly the pathogen is sexually transmitted, both with genital and anal sexual acts. It is difficult to say about the extent of the spread of the microorganism during oral sex. Do you know why chlamydia is so often observed in women? The causes of rapid infection lie in the following:
1) bacteria are able to contaminate sperm, that is, attach to them, and due to this, rapidly disseminate (spread) throughout all parts of the reproductive system;
2) only one unprotected sexual intercourse is sufficient for infection.
With a mouth-to-mouth kiss, provided that there is no sperm in the mouth and lips, as well as kisses of the skin (hands, cheeks, forehead, body, etc.), chlamydia is not transmitted.
In pregnant women infected with a microorganism, a reasonable question arises: "Is chlamydia dangerous in an" interesting "position?" The answer is disappointing. There is a risk of transmission of the disease to the child: transplacentally (during gestation through the placenta) and intrapartum (during childbirth during the passage of the fetus). For a baby, this is fraught with serious consequences: he may develop pneumonia or conjunctivitis.
Note that chlamydia can be earned not only sexually, but also through everyday life. How do chlamydia reveal their presence in this case? Symptoms in women with this infection will be the same as in the case of infection through sexual contact, because, as already noted, the bacteria spread very quickly throughout the body. However, the probability of catching an infection through contact with the skin, a handshake, common household items, and even with petting is extremely small.
The development of chlamydia
The cervical mucosa most often becomes the initial focus where chlamydia spreads. In women, there are no symptoms during this period. Bacteria attach to cells, invade them, multiply inside, and then leave elementary units, not forgetting to destroy their shells. The incubation period averages twenty to thirty days. At this time, it is not possible to identify chlamydia.
Destroyed cells of the cervical mucosa of the cervix begin to secrete cytokines, which increases blood flow, increases the permeability of membranes and increases the migration of lymphocytes in the tissue. As a result, an inflammatory focus is formed. From it, microorganisms are sent to the nearest lymph nodes through the lymphatic vessels, and then spread throughout the body. It is believed that chlamydia can be present in absolutely any tissue and organ. In women, the symptoms, therefore, may be different. Mostly the area of the cervix, urethra, eyes, joints suffers. And indeed, these are the favorite places of pathogens.
How the immune system reacts to bacteria
Depending on various factors, the activity of immunity may vary. So, it decreases five to seven days before menstruation, when taking oral contraceptives, with insufficient sleep, a state of internal dissatisfaction, fatigue after work or physical training. Such conditions help the primary chronicity of pathogens.
Chlamydia symptoms do not always cause symptoms in women. Treatment is sometimes carried out incorrectly, because the infection is mistaken for any other pathology of the urethra. Typically, the lesion begins with the cervix, then can go directly to the uterus, and then spreads through the fallopian tubes to the peritoneum and ovaries. There are cases of infection with bacteria of the rectum. An acute reaction to inflammation was rare.
Chlamydia in women: symptoms
Urogenital chlamydia does not have specific manifestations. Most often, it proceeds hidden, in this case there are no signs. Chlamydia in women, unfortunately, in seventy percent of cases "sleep". As a result, the disease is diagnosed late, and treatment begins late. Nevertheless, doctors sometimes recognize symptoms that suggest the presence of pathogens in the body.
So, how do chlamydia occur in women? Firstly, you can feel itching in the urethra, secondly, the process of urination itself can become painful (but slightly), and thirdly, you may find mucopurulent discharge from your vagina. In addition, severity and pain in the lumbar region, severe moisture of the genitals, damage to the cervix of an erosive nature, pulling pains in the lower abdomen, disruptions in the menstrual cycle and frequent urination are often observed. There are other signs. Chlamydia in women can provoke general malaise, an increase in temperature, the development of conjunctivitis (if the eyes were involved in the infection process).
Chlamydia in pregnant women
As already mentioned, an infected mother, depending on the focus of inflammation, can transmit the infection to the baby either during childbirth or in utero. During pregnancy, the disease also does not manifest itself, although some women show inflammation or pseudo-erosion of the cervix. But complications are very serious. The presence of chlamydia in the body can lead to an ectopic pregnancy, early miscarriage, polyhydramnios, fetal hypoxia. If bacteria infect the placenta, the baby’s breathing and nutrition are disturbed.
Chlamydia and after childbirth can cause many problems. Infected children suffer from diseases of the heart and blood vessels, pathologies of the respiratory tract, nervous system, intestines. In addition, they become regular patients of the optometrist. It also happens that parents for a long time try to cope with the poor vision of the child, but they cannot even imagine where the true reason for such an ailment lies. Cases have been recorded when family members in two and even three generations were infected by chlamydia from each other in different ways, even if only through ordinary towels and washcloths. And this is already fraught with infertility in children.
Diagnosis of the disease
If bacteria were detected in one of the partners, both should be tested. Chlamydia tests in women are taken after taking an anamnesis: information on the presence of chronic inflammation of the genital organs, cases of miscarriage, infertility, inflammation in the partner of the genitourinary tract, and the pathological course of pregnancy in the past is found out. Also, the gynecologist must inspect the genitals of a woman in order to detect manifestations of the inflammatory process, for example, hyperemia, edema, discharge.
If during the collection of the patient’s history and examination the patient showed signs of urogenital infection, and in the past there were miscarriages, pregnancy pathologies, there is infertility or it turns out that the partner suffers from urogenital inflammation, a comprehensive examination is prescribed. It includes general blood and urine tests, a bacterioscopic analysis of vaginal discharge (smear), culture for dysbiosis and determination of susceptibility to antibiotics, as well as PCR diagnostics (smear from the affected area of the genital mucosa).
Chlamydia is diagnosed if antibodies to chlamydia are found in the blood, and the bacteria themselves are detected in a smear taken from the affected area. Sowing is designed to identify concomitant chlamydia microflora. It is also recommended to conduct studies on mycoplasmas, HIV, ureaplasmas, hepatitis and other infections that can be transmitted through sexual contact for an overall assessment of the clinical picture.
PCR analysis
This is the most sensitive study for chlamydia. PCR is a time-tested molecular diagnostic method. The analysis makes it possible to detect pathogenic flora, even if the sample contains only a couple of Chlamydia DNA molecules. With proper conduct, the accuracy of the study reaches one hundred percent. The presence of microorganisms can be detected even when they exist in a latent form. This allows you to start treatment earlier.
Chlamydia in women, however, may be misdiagnosed. PCR analysis with all its advantages does not always give the correct results. The fact is that if a sample of material is contaminated or if the study was carried out after a course of chlamydia therapy, false-positive results can be obtained. But this is not so bad. Worse, when the analysis is false negative: bacteria that are actually present in the body are not detected, as a result, treatment is not carried out.
Chlamydia in women may not be detected if:
- failed to take material for research;
- less than a month before the analysis, the patient took antibiotics that are active against pathogens or used suppositories:
- urinated less than an hour before collecting material for research.
Also, PCR diagnostics can show a negative result if the inflammatory process is localized in the deep parts of the reproductive system (fallopian tubes, ovaries). In this case, the genome of the microorganism will be absent in the sample.
Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that you can not be limited only to PCR analysis and solely based on it to make a diagnosis. It is recommended to combine various research methods, and with dubious results re-examination. It is necessary not only to determine the pathogen itself, but also to evaluate the immune response (body reaction) using serological tests, for example, ELISA.
Chlamydia in women: treatment, drugs
After carrying out diagnostic measures and confirming the diagnosis, a course of therapy is prescribed. Be patient, because treating chlamydia in women is quite difficult. These microorganisms, unlike other pathogenic bacteria, are very difficult to treat. Pathogens are able to adapt to the effects of medications or even hide from drugs. But still, doctors know how to cure chlamydia in women. And the sooner therapy is started, the lower the risk of complications. In no case should the infection become chronic.
The course of therapy is prescribed only by a specialist. Do not self-medicate! Chlamydia trachomatis can easily go into deep cells, then complications can not be avoided. Between themselves, doctors call chlamydia a disease of young people, because the age of those infected usually varies from seventeen to thirty-five years. Improper therapy is fraught for very young women with terrible consequences: infertility, intrauterine infection, disability. Such an outcome can ruin the life of any girl. Therefore, regularly undergo examinations, if there is reason, and do not hesitate to contact a specialist if you find inflammation of the genital organs.
Combination therapy
For each patient, the doctor individually selects a treatment regimen. But treatment should always be combined. Firstly, antibiotics with a wide spectrum of action are prescribed. Among these drugs can be distinguished "Tetracycline", "Sulfanilamide", "Penicillin", "Azithromycin". Secondly, therapy is carried out aimed at maintaining immunity during the period of the disease and facilitating its course. For this, immunostimulants are used, for example, Cycloferon is administered intravenously or intramuscularly. In addition, the patient must follow an appropriate diet: eat rationally and correctly, take multivitamins, completely abandon the use of alcoholic beverages. In some cases, experts advise laser irradiation of blood. This procedure can increase the effectiveness of antibiotics taken and have a beneficial effect on the state of the immune system.
Now you know how to treat chlamydia in women. But it is worth noting that therapy will be useless if it is carried out only with one partner. Two must be treated! After passing the therapeutic course, the necessary tests should be repeated. Even if the results are negative, over the next two months you still need to conduct control tests (once a month to conduct a study for relapse). Only after this time will it be possible to say with confidence that the treatment was successful, and your body is no longer populated with parasites such as chlamydia.
Consequences of the disease
As we already said, if you consult a doctor in a timely manner, then complications can be avoided. However, due to the fact that chlamydia often has an asymptomatic course, a running disease is not uncommon. What threatens a woman who did not start treatment on time? A whole bunch of different sores:
- Cervicitis is an inflammatory process in the cervix.
- Hemorrhagic cystitis - develops when bacteria penetrate the walls of the bladder.
- Urethritis is an inflammatory process in the urethra.
- Endometritis is an inflammatory process in the endometrium of the uterus.
- Inflammation lining the entrance to the vagina of the bartholin glands.
- All kinds of pathologies of the inflammatory nature of the pelvic organs (ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes).
- Obstruction of the fallopian tubes.
- The appearance of chronic pain in the region of the pelvic organs.
- The inflammatory process in the liver.
- Infertility.
Complications that may occur in pregnant women include:
- ectopic pregnancy;
- inflammation of the uterine mucosa;
- spontaneous abortion;
- premature rupture of the amniotic fluid;
- premature birth.
Chlamydia Prevention
As you probably already understood from the material presented, the penetration of chlamydia into the body entails many health problems. We all know the common truth that the disease is easier to prevent than to cure. No doubt it is. What should be done to protect yourself from such an unpleasant and dangerous ailment?
Firstly, you need to have a permanent sexual partner whose health status you have no doubt about. Secondly, it is necessary to refuse casual sexual contacts with different men. Many people ask: “Why deprive yourself of pleasure, because you can protect yourself?” Of course, the use of contraceptives will reduce the risk of infection, but will not completely protect against it. Unfortunately, contraceptives that give a 100% guarantee of protection against infection by any disease do not exist today. Also, do not forget to regularly visit a specialist and undergo scheduled examinations. And, of course, follow all personal hygiene requirements: use only your towel and your washcloth; when you are not alone, treat the bath before washing.