Pregnancy in a woman’s life is often a long-awaited and exciting period of expectation of a baby. Usually it is associated with pleasant emotions, but sometimes they are disturbed by unpleasant sensations, one of which is cystitis.
Why does cystitis develop during early pregnancy?
Statistics show that every 10th woman experiences cystitis during pregnancy. Cystitis during pregnancy in the early stages occurs most often. It's all about the increased susceptibility of the pregnant woman's body to various adverse factors, including infections. This occurs for physiological reasons occurring in the body of a woman during pregnancy:
- In order to prevent immunological rejection of the embryo or the so-called immunosuppression, inhibition of immunity occurs in pregnant women.
- A constantly growing uterus exerts pressure on the bladder and pelvic organs, and, accordingly, on the vessels supplying them with blood. Blood supply is disturbed, and any infection that enters the body does not meet much resistance.
- Progesterone, also called the "pregnancy hormone", is able to reduce the tone of the bladder.
These factors make it difficult to drain fluid from the bladder and cause it to not empty completely. Residual urine is an excellent medium for the development of bacteria. Their number is constantly increasing, and the inner walls of the bladder become inflamed. Cystitis develops during pregnancy.
Symptoms
Usually, one who has at least once encountered this disease will not confuse him with anything else. How to recognize cystitis during pregnancy? Symptoms of this infectious disease appear almost immediately:
- patients feel a pulling pain in the lower abdomen;
- pain and burning sensation during urination;
- there may be frequent false urge to urinate;
- urination is frequent and in small portions;
- urine may be cloudy due to the large number of leukocytes or bacteria, and sometimes there is a red tint in case of the appearance of red blood cells in it (blood in the urine);
- subfebrile temperature sometimes rises.
An experienced doctor can easily detect cystitis during pregnancy by the symptoms and test results. The symptoms of this disease are difficult to confuse with something else.
Diagnostics
After collecting an anamnesis and identifying the symptoms that bother the woman, the doctor will prescribe a series of studies to clarify the diagnosis. This is a standard examination for suspected cystitis in early pregnancy:
- general urine analysis;
- urine analysis according to Nechiporenko;
- bacteriological culture of urine in order to identify opportunistic microorganisms;
- general blood analysis;
- if necessary, an ultrasound of the genitourinary organs is prescribed in order to detect concomitant diseases;
- cystoscopy and cystography can reveal the nature of the disease, as well as the degree of the inflammatory process and the presence of tumors in the bladder;
- DNA diagnostics of major infections can be prescribed.
Cystitis during pregnancy sometimes occurs without any symptoms. For this reason, pregnant women need to take urine for analysis at every visit to their supervising doctor.
Treatment
Self-medication during pregnancy is strictly contraindicated. Even seemingly harmless folk methods of treatment during pregnancy can lead to irreparable consequences. Some herbs can not be used for treatment during pregnancy, and thermal procedures (warming up) can provoke an early miscarriage or premature birth at a later date.
Traditional medicines intended for the treatment of cystitis cannot be taken without control by pregnant women. Treat cystitis during pregnancy in the early stages (in the first trimester) with drugs should be especially careful. Medications can be taken only after consulting a doctor.
The main treatment, even during pregnancy, remains only the most sparing antibacterial and uroseptic drugs. Modern antibacterial agents that can treat cystitis during early pregnancy are, for example, Amoxiclav and Monural drugs.
In some cases, drugs are applied topically, i.e. they are introduced through a catheter directly into the bladder. This method is called instillation, but in acute inflammatory process it can not be carried out. Instillations are carried out only in medical institutions.
After the drug treatment is carried out and all the acute processes of cystitis have been removed, a rehabilitation course with safe herbal remedies of traditional medicine can be carried out.
Folk remedies for cystitis
- a good and safe folk remedy for the treatment of cystitis is cranberry juice;
- you can use the infusion of leaves of blackcurrant;
- infusion of birch leaves;
- infusion of drug collection from red rowan berries and lingonberry leaves with the addition of honey;
- juice of black radish with honey.
A good cure for cystitis in women during pregnancy is drugs that include herbal ingredients. In fact, these are the same herbs, but in tablet form, for example, this is the drug "Kanefron". This drug has an antimicrobial, diuretic and antispasmodic effect and does not have a harmful effect on the fetus, therefore it is safe during pregnancy.
Cystitis Prevention
If a woman already once had cystitis, and she is prone to relapse of this disease, then even before planning a pregnancy, it is advisable for her to undergo a complete medical examination and find out the cause of these relapses. Some gynecological diseases, such as chlamydia, mycoplasmosis and ureaplasmosis, can provoke the development of the disease. They must be treated before pregnancy.
The prevention of cystitis can be the intake of a large amount of liquid, especially fruit drinks and cranberry juice. Cranberries can increase the acidity of urine, and an acidic environment is detrimental to bacteria and prevents the development of infection.
Tight clothing can also trigger the development of this disease. During pregnancy, it is better to wear comfortable underwear that will not interfere with normal blood circulation in the pelvic area.
Constipation can cause cystitis. Fighting constipation during pregnancy will help prevent the onset of the disease. You need to drink a sufficient amount of liquid and eat plant foods rich in fiber.
How does cystitis affect the body of a future mother?
If cystitis is treated in time, then its consequences are nullified. But if the process took a severe form, then the inflammation can rise higher, and then the infection affects the kidneys. A very dangerous complication is pyelonephritis. This inflammatory kidney disease, which is purulent in nature, is characterized by fever to high numbers and severe pain in the kidney area. This condition requires immediate hospitalization.
Damage to the kidneys can cause arterial hypertension, and this, in turn, is dangerous because of the possible development of preeclampsia and eclampsia - a very dangerous condition during pregnancy.
How does cystitis affect fetal development?
The effect of cystitis on pregnancy can be very detrimental. A strong inflammatory process can lead to a deficit in the body weight of the newborn, because the mother’s body was depleted, and the child did not receive enough nutrition. In severe cases, a neglected inflammatory process can lead to fetal death or an abnormality. Some experts say that a bacterial infection provokes the development of cerebral palsy in a child.
Untreated cystitis in the early stages can lead to a miscarriage, and in the latter to premature birth. Even if the birth takes place in due time, passing through the birth canal, the child is able to swallow pathogens, which will lead to general intoxication of the baby.
At the first signs of cystitis, you must always consult a doctor. Only a specialist can choose the drugs that are allowed during pregnancy. Self-medication can also be detrimental to the health of the unborn baby.