A variety of infectious diseases of the urinary tract are not unique to the adult population, they are often found in children. One of these pathologies is urethritis. In children, the disease is more often observed in boys than in girls, and all because of the structural features of the genitourinary system. Urethritis is an inflammatory process with localization on the urethra (wall of the urethra).
Disease classification
There are several types of classification of pathology, in particular, according to the nature of the course:
- the acute form, characterized by the sudden appearance of pain during urination, is accompanied by false urge to the toilet;
- chronic form, is a consequence of untreated acute form of the disease.
According to the factors that provoke the development of urethritis in children, several types of the disease are distinguished.
Bacterial | Microbes become a provocateur |
Candidiasis | A fundamental factor in the development of this type is a fungus from the genus Candida |
Allergic | For the development of this urethritis, it is necessary that the allergen is exposed to the mucous membrane of the urethra |
Post-traumatic | The disease is the result of an injury, for example, after surgery or non-traditional sexual comforts. |
Primary and secondary urethritis are also distinguished, in which an infection or a bacterium enters the urinary tract from other organs through the blood or lymph pathways, that is, in fact, is a complication of another disease.
Causes of pathology
The risks and causes of the development of urethritis in children are much greater than in adults, since the child’s body is much more vulnerable and harder to resist infections.
Doctors identify a number of main reasons:
- Hypothermia, it is unacceptable to wear the baby out of weather or to allow a long stay in the draft.
- Inadequate hygiene procedures, in other words, the baby should always have clean diapers and dry diapers. The child must be accustomed to the fact that it is necessary to wash hands before and after visiting the toilet. The kid should learn to wash regularly from a very young age. In 85% of cases, the development of urethritis in children is associated with non-compliance with usual hygiene rules.
- Infection inside the womb. This is a rather rare occurrence, but it still occurs in medical practice. Pathology may appear if the mother had pathogens in the genitourinary system during the period of gestation;
- Weakened immunity. This reason is also quite rare and characteristic of children under 3 years old. It is during this period of life that the activity of blood cells in babies is still very low, so they are not able to protect the body from infection. In this case, only microbes or viruses can act as a causative agent of the disease, which directly cause an inflammatory process on the mucous membrane of the urethra.
- Chronic diseases It is understood that in the presence of an infectious or bacterial disease in the child’s body, microbes can constantly penetrate the urethra and thereby become a source of the inflammatory process.
Characterization of the course of the disease
Symptoms of urethritis in a child largely depend on the type of urethral lesion, age and gender, as well as on the duration of the disease. Although doctors still distinguish a number of symptoms that can generally characterize the pathology.
First of all, when urinating, the child feels discomfort, up to itching and irritation. Kids are worried about frequent urges. Girls may complain of itching in the internal genital organs. Boys may complain that after emptying the bladder they feel a burning sensation and itching in the genitals.
In children of both sexes, discharge may be observed, mucous or purulent, even with impurities of blood. The smell of such secretions is usually unpleasant and sharp. Some children even have a fear of going to the toilet, as they are afraid that there will be pain again. Perhaps there will even be an involuntary delay in the act of urination. Very rarely, but still there are cases when the child also has signs of a viral disease, that is, overall health worsens, the temperature rises.
Diagnostics
Before determining how to treat urethritis in a child, the doctor interviews the baby and parents. One of the important indicators is lifestyle and the presence of chronic pathologies. After collecting an anamnesis, it is required to undergo some examinations and examination of a highly specialized doctor. Boys visit a urologist, and girls visit a gynecologist.
A smear microscopy, urethroscopy, urethrography, bacteriological culture, ultrasound and other studies are performed. All diagnostic methods are applied that can give a complete picture of the child’s health status.
Therapeutic measures
Therapy is prescribed depending on the form, provocateurs and symptoms of urethritis in children. For the most part, treatment involves the use of antibacterial drugs and drugs that increase the body's immune forces. Local treatment is also justified: douching, baths with special formulations. It is usually prescribed for the acute form of the disease.
Preparations
The choice of drug depends entirely on the cause of the development of the disease, the form of pathology. If we are talking about candidal urethritis in children, then “Clotrimazole” or “Fluconazole” can be prescribed. The main drugs for treatment in childhood are Cefix, Augmentin and Cephalox. Immunocorrectors are also prescribed, it can be "Cameton" or echinacea. Depending on the factors that influenced the onset of the disease, in addition to standard drugs, medications that relieve the inflammatory process may be added: “Cistan” or “Urolesan”.
The most difficult thing to choose drugs is when the urethritis in a child is 3 years old or younger. Then the choice of antibacterial agents is very small. If the clinical picture makes it possible to abandon them, then treatment is carried out with immunomodulators, vitamin complexes, anti-inflammatory drugs and antiseptics. But such treatment is still possible provided that the disease does not have an infectious nature of origin, that is, urethritis appeared due to hypothermia, or there was an injury earlier.
Treatment of an allergic form of pathology occurs with the help of antihistamines, it can be Zirtek, Zodak or Fenistil. As a rule, hospitalization in the fight against urethritis in childhood is not required.
Phytopreparation Therapy
Recipes of traditional medicine are well suited as an adjunct treatment in the presence of urethritis and cystitis in children. You can use monocepts and multi-component herbal preparations. With these diseases, sage, chamomile, horsetail and bearberry are suitable. You can make a collection of aloe and chamomile, this will improve the immune system. Cranberry juice and blackcurrant can be added to the herbal collection.
The use of bathtubs (sedentary) will not be superfluous. They may include calamus, mint, St. John's wort and juniper. Such procedures can be done three times a day, duration - 20 minutes. The course is about a week.
What else can parents help?
In addition to treatment with traditional drugs and herbal medicine, it is necessary to provide the baby with diet food during treatment. From the diet, it is necessary to eliminate salting, smoked meats, fatty and fried foods. During the day, the child should drink a sufficient amount of water, as it will allow as quickly as possible to remove all microbes from the bladder and the body. In the acute form of the disease, until the inflammatory process is reduced, the child needs to ensure bed rest.
Possible complications
Lack of treatment can lead to the fact that urethritis will take a chronic form. In such cases, any weakening of the immune system will lead to a new inflammatory process in the urethra. Against the background of urethritis, other diseases may appear: kidney pathology, cystitis, vaginitis, urinary incontinence. In the future, problems may arise with conceiving a child in both girls and boys.
If we talk about good, then in cases where the disease is detected on time and the correct treatment is carried out, the child will not have any health problems in the future.