Chlamydia is one of the most dangerous bacteria for the human body, causing such a disease as chlamydia. Disappointing statistics show that 95 million people come across this pathology every year. Most often the disease affects young people. The whole danger lies in the fact that the disease can lead to infertility and other unpleasant consequences.
Disease description
Chlamydia is a series of infectious pathological processes that are caused by chlamydia microorganisms. They can not be attributed to viruses or bacteria, it is parasites that spread inside the cells of the body. Because of this, the disease is quite difficult to diagnose.
Moreover, in 55% of cases, this pathology in men proceeds without pronounced symptomatology. With strong immunity, chlamydia is difficult to penetrate into the human body and begin to multiply in it. Parasitic agents can affect the respiratory tract, cause conjunctivitis, arthritis and so on. However, they most often affect the urogenital system.
It should be noted that it is possible to diagnose urogenital chlamydia only in special laboratory conditions. However, the disease is not always asymptomatic, so you can promptly seek medical help.
Ways of Chlamydia Transmission
This disease can be transmitted from a carrier to a healthy person through sexual contact. However, you can become infected in other ways:
- through daily use items on which microorganisms are present;
- through bed linen;
- through toiletries and so on.
However, this method of infection is extremely rare. In addition, chlamydia can be transmitted to a newly born child from the mother. Of course, this does not apply to the male half of the population, but this fact should be taken into account.
As a rule, the main causes of the appearance of pathology are lowered immunity due to diseases or unprotected sexual intercourse.
In other words, if a person changes partners frequently and does not use contraceptives, chlamydia is likely to become infected.
What is chlamydia in men: signs
As mentioned earlier, in 55% of cases the pathology is not accompanied by pronounced symptoms. Because of this, the carrier infects chlamydia of healthy people, of course, unaware of it. After chlamydia has entered the cell, the so-called incubation period begins, after which the bacterium begins to parasitize. The incubation period lasts up to 35 days.
After this time, the first disturbing symptoms of pathology appear:
- Slight increase in temperature. As a rule, the value does not exceed 37.6 degrees. Increased temperature is accompanied by general fatigue and weakness.
- When urinating, you can see the characteristic discharge. Most often these are glassy masses, sometimes containing elements of pus and mucus. Particularly abundant discharge can be observed with morning urination.
- Burning or itching may also be present when the bladder is empty. Primary urine has a hazy shade or sediment.
- The entrance to the urethra is red.
As the disease progresses, pronounced symptoms may disappear completely. This happens after 10-15 days. If a man does not give special attention to the symptoms that have appeared, he will then completely forget about them, and the disease will take on a chronic form.
It is worth noting that the symptoms of chlamydia are very similar to the signs of other genital infections. The most basic symptom of pathology is unpleasant, painful sensations during emptying the bladder or during intimacy.
Features of chronic chlamydia
The hidden course of the disease is much more difficult to notice than the acute form of chlamydia. But against the background of seriously weakened immunity, chronic chlamydia in men is manifested by the following symptoms:
- vitreous discharge changes color, becomes more abundant and acquire an unpleasant odor;
- in severe cases, there may be blood clots in the discharge;
- during the emptying of the bubble, the burning becomes unbearable.
It is worth noting that the latent form of the disease is very similar in manifestation to such pathologies as: gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, mycoplasmosis and some other diseases.
Possible consequences
This pathology is very dangerous for health, especially if you ignore it and do not resort to effective methods of treatment. The possible consequences are quite serious, they are as follows:
- Prostatitis. Chlamydia contribute to the development of inflammatory processes of the prostate gland. As a result, there are discomfort in the groin and lower back. Potency also suffers.
- Urethritis. You can observe the discharge with elements of mucus and pus. As a rule, this phenomenon is observed during the morning emptying of the bladder.
- Epididymitis. If the epididymis is involved in the pathological process, this circumstance can lead to a rise in temperature to high values. The appendage itself is significantly increased in size. Epididymitis can lead to male infertility or disrupt the structure of spermatogenesis.
- Reiter's disease. This disease is expressed by the following symptoms: conjunctivitis, urethritis, arthritis.
- Vesiculitis and funiculitis. Inflammatory seminal vesicles and seminal cord.
It can also affect the testicle with an appendage, which causes infertility. In addition to the above complications, chlamydia can also affect other internal organs: the liver, kidneys and peritoneum.
Diagnosis of chlamydia in men
It should be noted that in view of possible complications, high-quality and, most importantly, timely diagnosis is very important. Conducted diagnostic procedures for men should be particularly thorough, because the microbe has a specific biological cycle and is often combined with other common infectious diseases.
Primary take in all district clinics. But, unfortunately, this diagnostic method is not able to detect chlamydia in men.
The fact is that the bacterium Chlamydia is too much like a virus and too small. For this reason, the following methods are used to identify pathology:
- ELISA method, through which the pathogen can be detected in the blood;
- highly sensitive method of PCR, thanks to which it is possible to obtain test results in the shortest possible time;
- transcriptional amplification is a fairly new technique, but reliable.
Drug treatment regimen
It is worth noting that the treatment of the disease is associated with a number of difficulties. First, patients most often do not immediately turn to a specialist for help, as a result of which a chronic form of pathology has to be treated. Secondly, choosing an antibiotic, it is worth considering that the pathology affects the cell from the inside.
It is necessary to choose the drug that will have an effect. This unique ability has some antibacterial agents.
For the treatment of chlamydia most often used:
- Antibiotics. As a rule, it can be Doxycycline, Azithromycin, Ofloxacin and others. Moreover, in some cases, several antibacterial drugs can be administered at once, in order to improve the effect of therapy. Only the attending physician can prescribe a safe combination of antibiotics, this is important.
- Immunomodulators are included in the required course of therapy. Thanks to them, you can improve the immune system and the body's resistance to disease. Most often appointed Timalin, Neovir, Derinat. Also, in some cases, herbal immunomodulators are prescribed. For example, Pantocrinum, tincture of Aralia.
- Systemic enzyme therapy. In specific cases, the attending physician prescribes the administration of Fotogenzym, Wobenzym and others.
- Hepatoprotectors. As a rule, this group of drugs is prescribed to maintain the liver and kidneys.
- Acceptance of antioxidants.
- Eubiotics are prescribed after undergoing a course of antibiotic treatment in order to restore the normal intestinal flora.
- Physiotherapy. Also, an experienced physician is obliged to prescribe such treatment regimens that include physiotherapy techniques, ultrasound therapy, electrophoresis, and so on.
It should be noted that self-treatment is strictly contraindicated. The attending physician builds therapy individually, taking into account the characteristics of a particular organism. A single scheme in this case does not exist.
Before you assign a specific method of treatment, the doctor must take into account such factors as: individual intolerance to drugs, the nature of the disease, the time of the first symptoms, the state of the immune system and much more.
Preventive measures
Well, as you know, it is easier to carry out a number of preventive measures that will prevent infection with chlamydia than to treat this pathology later. In addition, following the recommended rules is not so difficult, the main thing is to get acquainted with them. So, preventive measures are as follows:
- having a permanent partner for intimate relationships;
- total absence of the casual unprotected sexual contacts;
- use of contraceptives (although it is worth noting that a condom cannot provide 100% protection against known sexually transmitted diseases);
- if the first alarming symptoms of chlamydia appear, in this case you should immediately consult a doctor for help.
Unfortunately, the number of patients whose doctors diagnose chronic chlamydia increases from year to year. This information should be taken into account.
Unfortunately, not every man behaves responsibly in this matter, neglecting the health of his sexual partners, infecting them with chlamydia. Special attention should be paid to the first signs indicating the presence of the disease, and to take the necessary measures. This is the only way to ensure the health of yourself and your sexual partner.
