Trichomoniasis is a disease of the genitourinary system, the causative agent of which is vaginal trichomonas. Pathology is transmitted sexually and is characterized by the ability to persist for a long time inside the urogenital organs. What types of disease is this, how to treat it? Consider this later in the article.
Where does Trichomonas dwell in the body?
How can this simplest parasite enter the body? Trichomonas from a sick person to a healthy one penetrates as a result of unprotected sexual contact. First, it enters the urethra, and then it can penetrate the epididymis or prostate gland.
In some cases, it was noted that Trichomonas was found in human organs and blood. Infection has a non-specific clinical picture. Immunity to this disease in humans is not produced. However, getting rid of Trichomonas is quite real. We will talk about treatment methods a little later.
Types of disease
Before treating trichomoniasis in women or men, it is necessary to find out its form. Now in medical practice, the following stages of a similar disease are distinguished:
- Fresh trichomoniasis. Such a diagnosis is made to those who have become infected with the infection no more than two months ago. In women, this form is manifested by abundant vaginal discharge, severe itching and burning in the external genital area. Men experience pain and burning during urination.
- Chronic trichomoniasis. Such a diagnosis is made to people in whom more than two months have passed since the infection. This form of disease is characterized by a long course and periods of exacerbations.
- Trichomonas carriage. The manifestation of the disease is absent, but trichomonads are found in the vagina. A person is a carrier of infection and passes it to a healthy partner.
If fresh trichomoniasis is detected, treatment should be carried out immediately, since the ailment quickly becomes chronic. Just a few weeks is enough for this.
Symptoms
The main symptoms that indicate a disease are:
- white or yellow vaginal discharge having an unpleasant odor;
- redness of the external genitalia;
- genital itching;
- the appearance of pain during sex;
- soreness and burning during urination;
- discharge from the urethra of white or yellow shades;
- violation of ejaculation;
- difficulty urinating;
- pain in the bladder;
- constant pulling pain in the lower abdomen.
The severity and combination of the above characteristics may differ in each individual case.
Causes and ways of infection
Trichomoniasis is a fairly common disease. It is diagnosed equally in both men and women of different age groups. As already mentioned, the disease is transmitted mainly through sexual contact, as a result of unprotected sexual contact.
Transmission by contact-household method is also possible, but in this case, the probability of infection is minimal, since the infection can live outside the body for only about 15 minutes. The main causes of trichomoniasis infection are:
- menstruation;
- bearing a child;
- frequent occasional sexual intercourse;
- non-observance of personal hygiene.
Regardless of the cause and method of infection, the pathology should be diagnosed and treated professionally as soon as possible. Only in this case can you get rid of the disease and prevent further infection of healthy people.
Features of the course
The incubation period for infection with trichomoniasis is from two to four weeks. At the end of this period, the first signs of pathology begin to appear in a person. The inflammatory process is acute and is characterized by severe pain and copious discharge.
If the treatment is prescribed late or incorrectly, the pathology becomes chronic. Such situations are observed quite often. As a result of this, a person may develop urethritis, colpitis, as well as a violation of sexual function and the menstrual cycle in women.
Diagnostics
When the corresponding symptoms appear, before treating trichomoniasis, you need to undergo an examination to make an accurate diagnosis and identify the stage of the disease. When making a diagnosis, certain difficulties may arise, which are explained by the fact that the ailment is asymptomatic for a long time, and it is almost impossible to detect it without special laboratory tests. In addition, this disease often disguises itself as other diseases.
It is easier and faster to diagnose trichomoniasis in women, since their symptoms are more pronounced. To make a diagnosis, the doctor first conducts a thorough examination and questioning of the patient, and then prescribes the following examinations:
- light microscopy;
- DNA diagnostics;
- direct immunofluorescence;
- sowing on the flora.
Based on the results of the above studies, the specialist at a professional level makes an accurate diagnosis and selects an effective treatment in each individual case.
Pathology treatment
Unfortunately, many ignore the symptoms and do not begin to treat trichomoniasis. This leads to the fact that the disease becomes chronic.
Treatment of trichomoniasis in men at home is practically no different from therapy in women and consists of general and local procedures. Treatment must necessarily be comprehensive and selected personally in each case:
- it should be carried out simultaneously, that is, it is necessary to treat both partners at once;
- for the entire time of treatment of the disease, it is necessary to abandon sexual contacts;
- anti-trichomonas drugs should be taken in conjunction with local remedies and hygiene procedures.
Many people mistakenly think that it is necessary to treat trichomoniasis with Metronidazole. This is not true. Therapy must be comprehensive and prescribed by a qualified specialist. In the course of treatment, the following medications must be used:
- antibiotics
- antiprotozoal;
- immunostimulating agents.
Also, in some cases, therapy can be supplemented by hormones, massage and physiotherapeutic procedures. In order for trichomoniasis treatment at home in men and women to be carried out properly, you must follow all the recommendations of your doctor. This is the only way to overcome the disease.
Drugs that treat trichomoniasis are selected by a specialist in the required dosage. It is strictly forbidden to replace them with analogues or change the dosage, as well as independently stop taking them.
Is herbal treatment possible?
Many people, when making a diagnosis, ask themselves - how to treat trichomoniasis at home without medications? Unfortunately, to cope with the infection only with herbs and infusions will not work. Thanks to them, you can only speed up the healing process.
Before treating trichomoniasis at home with medicinal herbs, you should definitely consult a doctor and exclude the likelihood of allergic reactions. For effective treatment of infection, experts recommend using the following fees:
- calamus root, buckthorn bark, dioecious nettle leaves, St. John's wort and thyme;
- dried birch leaves, yarrow, ripe red rowan berries, stigmas of corn, stalks and leaves of mint, nettle and knotweed, as well as immortelle inflorescence;
- eucalyptus leaves, tansy inflorescences, sophora berries and yarrow grass.
Please note that in each collection there are certain components that can cause allergic reactions. If signs of an allergy appear, you must immediately stop taking and seek medical help. For complex therapy, patients are often recommended to use chamomile infusions, as well as treatment with aloe and garlic.
What could be the consequences
Having heard the diagnosis, many patients who have begun to treat trichomoniasis are worried about whether it is possible to get rid of it. It should be noted that the described disease is a treatable disease. Fortunately, it does not lead to irreversible consequences. Its danger lies in the complications that may develop as a result of insufficient or incorrect treatment.
How and with what to treat trichomoniasis in men and women, the doctor decides. But unfortunately, people do not always seek medical help in a timely manner. This leads to the development of negative consequences. The most dangerous complications of this ailment include:
- prostatitis;
- vesiculitis;
- chronic epididyimorchitis;
- male infertility;
- the development of the inflammatory process in the vagina and cervix;
- endometritis;
- infertility;
- the appearance of problems with conception;
- miscarriage;
- spontaneous abortion;
- ulceration;
- the formation of erosion of the genital organs;
- exacerbation of chronic urinary tract infections;
- pyelonephritis;
- cystitis;
- anemia;
- exhaustion;
- oxygen starvation;
- destruction of lymphoid and hematopoietic tissues.
If the pathological process is not treated, then there is a significant increase in the likelihood of a person becoming infected with HIV. To avoid negative consequences, it is important that the doctor professionally select the drugs. How to treat trichomoniasis in men and women, only he determines, after making an accurate diagnosis.
Disease prevention
No matter how effective and aimed at a positive result, treatment is not, it is much easier to prevent the development of any pathology than to get rid of it later. Therefore, measures aimed at prevention are important.
Since trichomoniasis is transmitted primarily through sexual contact, the best way to protect your body from damage is to maintain a clean relationship. Random and erratic sexual relations, which in most cases have a negative effect on the body, are strictly prohibited.
We should not forget about the rules of personal hygiene. At the first signs and abnormalities, you should immediately consult a doctor, since timely detection and correctly selected treatment contributes to a quick recovery and prevention of complications.
Trichomoniasis during pregnancy
Most doctors are of the opinion that trichomoniasis is not a disease that can have a fatal effect on the condition of the fetus. But, despite this, infection with an infection during pregnancy is considered an extremely undesirable condition. Trichomoniasis during pregnancy can provoke the following negative consequences:
- premature birth;
- lead to premature discharge of amniotic fluid.
Despite the fact that Trichomonas does not cross the placenta to the fetus, a child from an infected mother can still become infected. This occurs during its passage along the birth canal.
Trichomoniasis in children
When the child is infected from the mother, trichomoniasis should be treated as early as possible. Therapy is allowed to be carried out already in the first week from the moment of the birth of the baby. Despite this, the use of drugs at such an early date is not the best option. But as practice shows, it is much worse when the child’s body is exposed to Trichomonas. Therefore, it is better not to delay the treatment in this case.
Conclusion
So, we found out what trichomoniasis is. It is an inflammatory disease in which the human urogenital system is affected, regardless of gender. Symptoms of the disease at the initial stage of development are poorly expressed, which complicates the diagnosis and timely treatment.
When the first signs appear, you should immediately seek medical help. Only a qualified doctor can tell how to treat trichomoniasis in women. The drugs, as well as their dosage, are also determined by the doctor. Self-medication is strictly prohibited, as this can provoke the transition of the infection into a chronic form and the development of other complications.