Nowadays, rarely does anyone listen to the recommendations of doctors and turn to medical facilities just for examination. As a rule, they go to the clinic only after any health problems have arisen, and some even prefer self-medication in such cases. Such an irresponsible attitude to your health can cause a lot of trouble. And given that many diseases at the initial stage do not manifest in any way, preventive measures become even more important. So, the timely presence of Ureaplasma spp. will prevent many diseases of the pelvis in both men and the fair sex. And if a couple of decades ago, ureaplasmosis, according to experts, was not dangerous to health, today it is considered the root cause of many disorders of the genitourinary system.
Excursion into the past
At the beginning of the last century, ureaplasmas detected in humans did not cause concern among specialists and were considered as one of the types of benign mycoplasmas. But over time, through multiple studies, it was proved that this type of microorganism has the ability to ureolysis, and therefore is the causative agent of many diseases. Until 1958, it was believed that men could not have ureaplasmosis, since this is an exclusively female disease, but this was found in a very clear refutation.
What should everyone know about ureaplasma?
The first question that people have when identifying Ureaplasma spp is what is it? How dangerous is this disease and how to treat it? There are answers to all these questions.
So, the first thing to know: this type of microorganism is present in almost every person, and can quite easily get along with other bacteria without causing harm. But this does not mean that it is not necessary to diagnose the presence of such “cohabitants”. After all, the slightest excess of the quantitative indicator of these bacteria in combination with an individual reaction of the body can cause a mass of diseases.
Secondly, you need to know what Ureaplasma spp is. What is it, any expert can tell. This is the name of a group of certain microorganisms, but for their specific typing, additional examination will be required. Only such additional diagnostics will allow us to determine the belonging of the detected bacteria to one of the two existing types and their exact quantitative indicator. Only after this, the doctor will select the appropriate treatment with antibiotics and auxiliary medicines.
Types of Ureaplasma Spensis
To date, scientists know 14 serotypes of ureaplasmas, which are divided by pathogenic properties into two main types: parvum and urealyticum. The first includes 1, 3, 6 and 14 serotypes. As previously thought, it is he who is able to cause non-gonococcal urethritis in men, the second causes inflammatory processes of the genitourinary system in women and pathological changes in newborns. However, these data for years of research and practice have not been confirmed, so scientists continue to study Ureaplasma spp, parvum, urealyticum (t960).
Methods of infection
Since ureaplasmosis refers to infections of the genitourinary system, unprotected sexual contact is the most common way to transmit the disease. As a rule, if a healthy partner has a good immune system, the probability of infection and the development of diseases is quite small, but it still exists. As for people with weakened immunity, the risk increases several times.
The second way of transmitting Ureaplasma spp. (parvum, urealyticum) is the so-called vertical path from mother to newborn. It should be emphasized that this method of infection has several infection schemes.
1. In the early stages of pregnancy - through the amniotic sac, subject to the presence of an intrauterine infection. In such cases, ureaplasmas settle in the lungs of the embryo, and then begin to multiply intensively and exert their pathogenic effect on the fetus.
2. Throughout pregnancy, the infection can enter the fetus through the hematogenous route: both through the placenta and through the vessels of the umbilical cord. Infection of the embryo can cause chorioamnionitis, the spread of pathogenic microflora to other organs and congenital pneumonia.
3. Infection can also occur when the baby passes the birth canal of the mother. In such situations, colonization of microorganisms occurs on the skin of the newborn, as well as on the membranes of the mucous membranes and in the respiratory tract.
4. The last, but one of the rarest ways to transmit DNA of Ureaplasma spp., Is organ transplantation. Despite the maximum precautions and examinations, unfortunately, such cases have already been recorded.
Diagnostics
To determine the presence of ureaplasmas in the human body today, you can use the 5 available diagnostic methods. The first and most commonly used is bacteriological culture. In everyday life, they used to call him a smear. It is taken from the vagina or urethra. Such a diagnostic method is as simple and economical as possible, but it is far from the most effective. After all, the presence of ureaplasmas in the genitourinary tract does not give a specific diagnostic picture of the development and pathogenicity of these pathogens throughout the body. But if the result of such an analysis is positive, the examination should be continued with better diagnostic methods. To do this, doctors recommend contacting the laboratory and taking an analysis of the reaction of direct or indirect immunofluorescence. If the doctor believes that a more informative diagnostic method is needed, then it is better to undergo an ELISA or PCR procedure. The result of this study will not only confirm the presence of Ureaplasma spp (Qual.) DNA in the body, but also provide data on the extent of infection. And accordingly, the doctor will be able to more accurately choose the treatment.
What are the risks of ureaplasma during pregnancy?
Since this type of pathogenic microorganism has not been fully investigated, there are many conflicting opinions of experts on how ureaplasmas affect pregnancy. However, from all this long discussion of world scientists, several similar opinions of the effect of this type of bacteria on the organism of a future mother and child can be deduced.
The first confirmed fact suggests that Ureaplasma urealyticum is directly related to the pathological change in the fallopian tubes and significantly increases the risk of ectopic pregnancies.
With regard to practice, ureaplasma spensis is the cause of chorioamnionitis, and, accordingly, premature birth in the later stages and termination of pregnancy in the first trimester. There are also known cases of postpartum endometritis even after cesarean section. But it is worth noting that such complications can occur only with intrauterine infection with ureaplasmas, and not with vaginal colonization of bacteria.
Some doctors attribute the presence of these pathogenic microorganisms to low birth weight. In most cases, the weight of newborns does not exceed 2.5 kg, and Ureaplasma spp is to blame. It is impossible to say that this is an established and proven fact or assumptions, since research is ongoing.
The development of infection in the body
As a rule, infection and reproduction of ureaplasmas in the body is completely asymptomatic, but this applies only to healthy people. That is why many people think, getting the result of “Ureaplasma spp.”, That this is some kind of mistake or an evil joke. However, the reality is more severe, and if the doctor recommends treatment, you should immediately start therapy until the microorganisms have begun to harm health.
Undoubtedly, a person with stable immunity may not be aware of his illness for a long time. However, with the slightest malfunction in the immune system, the first manifestations of the development of ureaplasma and violations of the genitourinary function will not take long.
The manifestation of ureaplasmosis in men
In men, the first manifestation of the active activity of ureaplasmas, as a rule, is urethritis, indicating an inflammatory process in the urethra. Initially, this causes mild discomfort during urination, which in a couple of days can turn into a sharp burning sensation and pain. Then there are liquid mucous discharge from the urethra in combination with symptoms characteristic of prostatitis, indicating the progression of the infection. If in such a situation you do not urgently start treatment, it will be extremely difficult to restore the functionality of the reproductive system. In the absence of necessary therapy, a man is threatened with impotence and infertility.
How are ureaplasmas in women
As for women, the development of ureaplasmas in their bodies occurs similarly. Initially, pains appear in the urethra, then mucous secretions with a sharp ammonia odor appear. During sexual intercourse, a woman can experience not only discomfort, but also pain, which is due to the increased sensitivity of the inflamed mucous membrane to mechanical stress. Manifestations of pain in the lower abdomen a little later indicate the spread of infection in the uterus, which can lead to adnexitis and endometritis.
Ureaplasma treatment
When starting treatment, do not forget about what Ureaplasma spp is. That this is serious enough, the attending physician will tell you. He will also explain that ureaplasma is a disease of both partners. Therefore, everyone will need to undergo comprehensive diagnostics for typing microorganisms and identifying concomitant infections. After that, the doctor will prescribe an individual treatment regimen. Throughout the entire period of taking medications, it is necessary to completely abandon sexual contact, even with the use of barrier contraceptives.
As a rule, with ureaplasmosis, antibiotic therapy is prescribed, but there is also a catch. The thing is that these microorganisms very easily adapt to these drugs, so the effectiveness of treatment is sometimes reduced to zero even after several courses of medication. To avoid this kind of trouble, it is worth taking an analysis of the sensitivity of ureaplasmas to antibiotics. And only after this, patients can be prescribed tetracycline drugs "Doxycycline", "Tetracycline", macrolides "Vilprafen", "Azithromycin" or fluoroquinolones "Pefloxacin", "Ofloxacin".