Urethritis is a disease during which a person becomes highly inflamed by the urethra (the channel connecting the bladder and penis). Today, urethritis and its forms are very common. Let us consider in more detail the causes of urethritis in men, symptoms and treatment methods for this ailment.
Causes of urethritis in men
Urethritis in men can occur in different forms and types. All of them develop for their individual reasons.
Thus, the following causes of urethritis in men are distinguished:
1. The defeat of the human urethra by pathogenic bacteria that penetrate the urethra. Most often, prolonged use of a urinary catheter leads to this condition. This type of urethritis is called bacterial.
2. The defeat of the urethra with chlamydial infection and other sexually transmitted diseases usually leads to chronic urethritis.
3. Gonorrheal form of urethritis occurs when it is affected by gonococcus. A very high risk of contracting this infection through unprotected sexual contact with the carrier of the disease. You can catch gonococcus less often through household items that you need to use individually (underwear, towels, washcloths, etc.).
4. The defeat of the urethra with fungi (candidiasis) leads to a long inflammatory process. These fungi themselves are not so dangerous, but their complications can cause a lot of problems to a person. This form of urethritis in men is called candidiasis.
Candidiasis can be caused by taking antibiotics, lowering immunity, drinking alcohol, malnutrition, or direct infection of a person from a pediatric fungus.
In addition, the following factors and diseases are distinguished, in which a man at times increases the risk of getting urethritis:
1. The effect of various genital infections. In this condition, the disease easily penetrates the urethra of a person and causes severe inflammation. Also, cases of the transition of urethritis along with a sexual infection to a chronic course are quite common. Those men who often change sexual partners and practice unprotected intimate relationships are most at risk of catching such infections.
2. An acute form of urolithiasis, which affects men more often than women. In this state, a person develops an acute traumatic form of urethritis, because the stones and "sand" that come out irritate and literally scratch the urethra.
3. Earlier injuries of the penis can cause acute urethritis, which will be accompanied by circulatory discharge during urination.
4. Severe hypothermia of the body can lead to acute and chronic inflammation of the urethra. Also, it is hypothermia that very often causes an exacerbation of existing sluggish chronic pathologies.
5. Improper diet (especially frequent consumption of salty, sweet, spicy and sour foods) irritates the mucous membranes, making them more susceptible to infections. In addition, smoking and alcohol abuse reduces the body's defenses, which makes a man even more vulnerable to urethritis.
6. Inadequate observance of intimate hygiene leads to the spread of pathogens in the genitals and a strong inflammatory process.
7. Drinking an insufficient amount of fluid provokes rare urination, due to which the urethra cannot independently wash out all the pathogens that enter it.
Urethritis in men: the first symptoms and signs
The following signs of urethritis in men are distinguished:
1. At the very beginning of the disease, a person will experience discomfort when urinating. As the inflammatory process progresses with urine output, the patient will suffer from pain and pain in the penis.
2. Very often, urethritis is accompanied by severe itching.
3. A man may be disturbed by the frequent urge to urinate, which are often false.
4. During sexual intercourse, there may be a feeling of discomfort and pain.
5. The penis becomes more sensitive. On the face there will be severe irritation and redness of the head of the penis.
6. For urethritis, characteristic mucous (in more severe cases purulent) discharge. Especially clearly they will be observed in the morning.
7. An increase in body temperature.
8. Chills and severe weakness.
9. A small amount of blood may be visible in the urine.
As a rule, signs of urethritis in men develop a week after infection. Despite this, there are cases of asymptomatic inflammation of the urethra, when a man does not even suspect his problem. In this case, urethritis can be detected only through a series of diagnostic procedures.
It is also worth noting that if the urethritis is chronic, then with each exacerbation of a man, new sections of the mucosa will be affected, that is, the disease will constantly progress. This threatens with dangerous complications.
Urethritis in men: treatment
Treatment of urethritis is aimed at eliminating the infection and the inflammatory process. In many ways, therapy depends on the specific cause of the ailment. Thus, treatment is selected individually for each patient.
The basis for the treatment of urethritis is the use of antibiotics. The best drug in this group is Monural. It is prescribed both for bacterial (purulent) forms of urethritis, and for inflammatory infectious types of the disease.
Additional drugs that are used for urethritis are:
1. Anti-inflammatory drugs, which can be in the form of tablets, gels and ointments.
2. Antipyretic against temperature.
3. Anesthetics.
4. Medicines that improve the functioning of the kidneys and urinary system.
In addition, sedentary baths with medicinal herbal decoctions also help very well with urethritis.
If urethritis was detected in the initial stages, then it can be treated at home. If the disease is started and caused complications, then the patient needs to be hospitalized.
Also, during therapy, the patient needs to follow a diet, abandon bad habits and temporarily stop sexual intercourse.
In the event that a person does not treat an acute form of urethritis, it will go into a chronic course. In this state, the symptoms of the disease will be less pronounced, however, the person will become more susceptible to the following diseases (complications):
1. The chronic inflammatory process is able to hurt the prostate gland, which threatens problems with potency and even infertility.
2. Urethritis can cause testicular inflammation.
3. The development of balanoposthitis.
4. Inflammation of the urethra can impair kidney function and cause cystitis in men. This, in turn, threatens even more dangerous complications.
In order to prevent the development of complications, when the first symptoms of the disease appear, you should consult a doctor in time. To delay the treatment of urethritis is also not worth it, because the disease progresses very quickly and causes a lot of unpleasant sensations and symptoms in a person.
Prevention of urethritis in men
Prevention of urethritis in men is the obligatory observance of such advice of a urologist:
1. A man needs to carefully monitor intimate hygiene. Natural cotton underwear is also recommended.
2. You can’t use other people's things for personal consumption (towels, linen, etc.), because through them a person can easily pick up all kinds of fungi and infections.
3. You should have one permanent (verified) sexual partner and not practice promiscuous intimate relationships. In the event that a man has sex with a new partner, he must use the barrier method of contraception (use a condom).
4. Every six months, a man must undergo a routine examination by a urologist, even if he does not have problems in this area (some infections can be asymptomatic for a long time, and only manifest itself when it becomes chronic).
5. It is important to treat all genital infections and fungal diseases on time, because they can easily give a complication in the form of a severe form of urethritis.
6. A man should avoid hypothermia and physical overwork. It is also worth protecting yourself from genital injuries.
7. Eat well and minimize alcohol consumption.
8. At times, the risk of developing urethritis will be reduced by heavy water intake.
9. The first time you urinate, you need to empty the bladder. This process cannot be delayed.
10. Avoid stress and nervous strain.
11. Regularly take vitamins to strengthen immunity.
