Chlamydia In Women - Symptoms, Treatment, Signs, Consequences

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Chlamydia in women

The content of the article:

1. Causes and risk factors
2. Forms of the disease
3. Chlamydia symptoms in women
4. Diagnostics
5. Chlamydia treatment in women
6. Possible complications and consequences of chlamydia in women
7. Forecast
8. Prevention

Chlamydia in women is an infectious and inflammatory disease characterized by damage to the genitourinary, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems.

The causative agent of chlamydia - Chlamydia trachomatis

Genitourinary (urogenital) chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs), along with syphilis, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis.

Genitourinary chlamydia is most common in sexually active individuals aged 20–40, as well as in adolescents. Women are more susceptible to disease. The prevalence of infection is extremely high - chlamydia is diagnosed in about half of all cases of inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary tract in women.

Chlamydia in women is often combined with other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In this case, infections aggravate each other, acquire resistance to antibacterial effects, and increase the duration of the disease. In the presence of genitourinary chlamydia, the body's susceptibility to syphilis and HIV infection increases.

The high prevalence of chlamydia in women is due, among other things, to the fact that chlamydia is often asymptomatic or its manifestations are mild.

Causes and risk factors

The causative agents of chlamydia in women are intracellular microorganisms Chlamydia trachomatis. These bacteria can be in the human body for a long time without causing clinical manifestations, but in the case of weakening of the body's defenses, chlamydia begins to increase vital activity and growth, causing signs of chlamydia in women. The most common route of transmission of chlamydia is sexual - both with traditional and non-traditional types of unprotected intercourse. In addition, transmission of chlamydia can occur during intrauterine development or during childbirth from mother to child when the fetus passes through the birth canal. There is also a contact-household route of transmission of the disease - through hands contaminated with infected secretions, personal hygiene items, bedding, etc. Such cases of infection are rare,since chlamydia outside the body quickly die. There are known cases of transmission of chlamydia during blood transfusions.

Most often, chlamydia is transmitted during unprotected intercourse

Forms of the disease

Depending on the localization of the pathological process, the following forms of chlamydia in women are distinguished:

• chlamydia of the lower genitourinary system;
• chlamydia of the upper genitourinary system;
• chlamydia of other localization.

Along the course, chlamydia in women is divided into acute (duration of the disease up to 2 months) and chronic (more than 2 months).

Chlamydia symptoms in women

As a rule, the incubation period for chlamydia in women lasts 1-2 weeks. The latent course of the disease is observed in about 65% of patients, which complicates the diagnosis and contributes to the development of complications. There are no specific symptoms of chlamydia in women, the clinical picture of the disease resembles the course of other STDs (most of them have similar manifestations) or urethritis.

As a rule, the primary focus of chlamydia lesions is the mucous membrane of the uterus or urethra.

The main symptoms of chlamydia in women are vaginal discharge of a mucous (vitreous) or mucopurulent character with an unpleasant odor. In some cases, the appearance of pathological discharge is accompanied by burning, itching, soreness in the genital area, as well as pulling pains in the lower abdomen, sacrum and an increase in temperature to subfebrile values (no higher than 38 ° C). Before menstruation, and during or immediately after intercourse, pain may worsen. Frequently, there is an increased urge to urinate, burning and soreness during urination.

With chlamydia, women are worried about vaginal discharge, itching and burning

After about 1.5-2 weeks from the moment of the first manifestations of the disease, the symptoms may disappear even without treatment, but this is not a sign of recovery - after a while the disease appears again, but in this case they are less pronounced. Thus, chlamydia in women becomes chronic, periodically reminding of itself by recurrent relapses and / or involvement of other internal organs in the pathological process.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis of chlamydia in women is considered confirmed if chlamydia is detected in the focus of infection.

In order to diagnose the disease, a detailed laboratory examination is carried out:

• polymerase chain reaction (allows you to identify a latent or low-symptom form of the disease);
• linked immunosorbent assay;
• study by direct immunofluorescence method using monoclonal antibodies (allows detecting antibodies to chlamydia in the patient's blood serum);
• methods of DNA diagnostics;
• cytological examination of the discharge of the vagina, urethra, cervix (the method allows to diagnose the disease only in 10-15% of cases);
• culture analysis with bacterial inoculation of biological material on McCoy's medium;
• antibioticogram.

To diagnose chlamydia, a bacterial inoculation of biological material is carried out on McCoy's medium

If the test results for chlamydia of one of the partners are positive, it is recommended to be diagnosed with the other (other) sexual partner, even in the absence of signs of the disease.

Chlamydia treatment in women

The main method of treating chlamydia in women is medication. Antibacterial drugs are prescribed that can penetrate into cells (tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, macrolide antibiotics). When choosing a drug, the presence of a secondary infection, the state of the patient's immunity, as well as the microflora of the genitourinary and digestive tract are taken into account. In the case of chlamydia in pregnant women, treatment with antibacterial drugs is started after the 14th week of pregnancy. The choice of an antibacterial drug for the treatment of chlamydia in women during pregnancy is limited to those drugs that do not have a fetotoxic and embryotoxic effect.

For local treatment of chlamydia in women, instillations of drugs into the urethra, baths, tampons, vaginal and rectal suppositories are used.

Patients with chronic chlamydia are shown antimycotic drugs, immunomodulatory drugs (since chlamydia suppresses the immune system) and vitamin complexes, drugs that improve the process of tissue repair.

For the treatment of chlamydia in women, local remedies are used - rectal or vaginal suppositories

In the treatment of chronic chlamydia, physiotherapy methods are often used: electrophoresis, iontophoresis with drugs, infrared radiation treatment, magnetotherapy, ultrasound therapy.

Chronic chlamydia in women often requires repeated courses of treatment.

During treatment, sexual intercourse, excessive physical activity, alcohol consumption, as well as spicy and spicy foods should be excluded.

Chlamydia therapy is also indicated for the other sexual partner (s) in order to prevent re-infection.

A control study is carried out 3-4 weeks after the end of the course of treatment.

Possible complications and consequences of chlamydia in women

In the absence of timely treatment of chlamydia in women, serious complications may develop:

• inflammation of the mucous membrane of the cervix (endocervicitis);
• inflammation of the endometrium (endometritis);
• inflammatory process in the fallopian tubes (salpingitis);
• inflammation of the fallopian tubes and ovaries (salpingo-oophoritis);
• Reiter's syndrome (inflammatory lesion of the conjunctiva of the eyes, joints, urethra);
• inflammatory processes in the pharynx, bronchi, lungs, kidneys, rectum; and so on;
• malignant neoplasms of the cervix.

Inflammatory processes occurring in the uterus and appendages can cause such consequences of chlamydia in women as the formation of scars and adhesions in the fallopian tubes with the subsequent risk of ectopic pregnancy, non-developing pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, tubal infertility. If the pathogen enters the amniotic fluid, intrauterine infection is possible with the subsequent risk of fetal pathologies.

The consequence of chlamydia in women can be adhesions in the fallopian tubes, causing problems with conception

Chronic inflammation in the urethra can lead to a stricture (narrowing) of the urethra.

With repeated infection with chlamydia, the risk of complications increases.

Forecast

In the case of acute uncomplicated chlamydia with timely diagnosis and simultaneous treatment of all sexual partners, the prognosis is favorable.

Chronic chlamydia, advanced forms of the disease often show resistance to therapy, treatment in this case is longer and more complex, the risk of complications increases.

Prevention

In order to prevent chlamydia in women, it is recommended to adhere to the following measures:

• avoidance of promiscuous, especially unprotected sex;
• diagnostic examination for the presence of infection in case of accidental unprotected sexual contact;
• notification of sexual partners in case of a positive test result for chlamydia;
• examination of couples planning pregnancy for latent infectious diseases (including chlamydia).

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Anna Aksenova Medical journalist About the author

Education: 2004-2007 "First Kiev Medical College" specialty "Laboratory Diagnostics".

The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!