Prostatitis in women is not a joke, but a colloquial name for inflammation of the glands of the vestibule. These glands are also called Skene's glands, and their inflammation, pyelitis, manifests with the same symptoms as prostatitis in men. What are the characteristics and danger of this disease?
Does prostatitis occur in women?
The insidious thing about pathology is that it is poorly detected by doctors and is rare.
Prostatitis in women occurs, but the disease is called skinitis. The glands that become inflamed in this pathology are located slightly below the urethra and are made up of sensitive tissue.
Skene's glands are believed to be a rudimentary prostate that forms in the embryo before the genitalia appear. Simply put, Skene's glands are a kind of blank that develops into a complete prostate gland in a male fetus and remains in its infancy in a female fetus.
It is interesting that these glands are capable of producing a specific secretion, which is identical in composition to the secretion of the prostate gland in men. In addition, the PSA antigen, which is the most important tumor marker, can be found in this fluid.
Interesting! The jet orgasm that occurs in some women is the result of the activity of the Skene's glands.
Skineitis is rare. The problem is that female prostatitis is difficult to diagnose, it is often misdiagnosed, so there are no exact statistics on the prevalence of this disease.
Reasons for the development of skinite.
Most women are not even aware of the presence of these glands near the urethra, but when they become inflamed, acute symptoms appear reminiscent of the signs of prostatitis in men.
Pyelitis is usually caused by an infection of the glands. The main reasons for the development of the disease:
- damage to the urethra;
- lack of hygiene;
- Infection of the glands due to the spread of infection in other diseases of the genital organs.
Most often, skinitis is caused by opportunistic microorganisms that inhabit the female body. They can enter the glands in the urine when urinating or from the vagina. Under normal conditions, such microorganisms do not cause an inflammatory process, however, when the Skene's glands or urethra are injured, female prostatitis occurs. This is due to a decrease in local immunity.
Skineitis can be allergic in nature. The use of inferior quality intimate hygiene products can cause an allergic reaction and a decrease in local immunity, as a result of which the risk of infection of the glands increases.
Another reason for the development of pyelitis in women is trauma to the urethra due to surgery or rough sexual intercourse. It is also possible to damage the opening of the urethra due to urolithiasis, when sand passes through the urethra.
"Prostatitis" in a woman is associated with an irregular sex life. Frequent change of sexual partners and neglect of barrier contraception increase the risk of developing urogenital infections.
A factor that increases the risk of developing this disease is a general decrease in immunity. Skineitis can be associated with recent serious infectious diseases, hypothermia, exacerbation of chronic diseases.
Symptoms of the disease.
With the pathology, constant weakness and "weakness" are felt throughout the body.
Once you have found out if a woman has prostatitis, she should know how pyelitis manifests itself. The disease is called "female prostatitis" largely because of symptoms that resemble inflammation of the prostate in men. When ruling out, the symptoms are as follows:
- frequent need to urinate;
- urination in small portions;
- pain and pain in the urethra when using the bathroom;
- pain during intercourse;
- increased body temperature;
- spasms in the bladder area;
- general malaise, loss of strength.
Skineitis in many ways resembles cystitis in women. With this disease, the urge to urinate is constantly felt, but this urge cannot be fully satisfied. Urine is excreted in small portions and this is accompanied by severe discomfort. The feeling of a full bladder persists even when using the bathroom.
You can distinguish pyelitis from other diseases of the genitourinary system with similar symptoms by the presence of pain during intercourse.
There is no intense heat with skinite, but the body temperature can go up to 37. 5-38 degrees.
Why is prostatitis dangerous in women?
Having understood the peculiarities of this disease, patients wonder whether such prostatitis is dangerous for women. This disease can lead to dangerous complications, therefore, it requires timely diagnosis and treatment.
Among the probable complications of skinitis:
- gland abscess;
- cystic neoplasms;
- secondary infertility;
- adhesions in the small pelvis;
- deformation of the area where the swollen glands are located;
- spread of infection to other organs of the small pelvis.
The disease is infectious and can be caused by pyogenic bacteria. In severe cases, the inflammation can develop into a glandular abscess, which is accompanied by severe symptoms and requires surgical treatment. An independent advance of an abscess is potentially dangerous with the development of sepsis (blood poisoning).
The infection can spread through the bloodstream to all the organs of the small pelvis. There is also the risk of upward spread of disease-causing agents with consequent kidney infection. Also, with extensive infection, a woman can infect her partner through unprotected intercourse. In men, bacterial urethritis can turn into prostatitis.
Diagnostics
Ultrasound diagnostics are done to make sure there are no other diseases.
Having found out if there is prostatitis in women and for what signs and symptoms pyelitis can be suspected, it is recommended not to self-medicate, but to seek medical help immediately.
The main problem with skinitis is complex diagnoses. Due to the specific location of the glands, their inflammation is accompanied by symptoms of inflammation of the bladder or urethral mucosa, therefore, a wrong diagnosis is often made and the wrong treatment regimen is prescribed.
Skene's gland is located in a place that is difficult to access, so it is impossible to examine it completely. In this sense, the diagnosis is made by excluding other diseases with similar symptoms. Required exams:
- Ultrasound of the bladder to rule out cystitis;
- Ultrasound of the uterus and appendages to exclude inflammation;
- smear from the cervical canal;
- bacterial culture of the cervix;
- general and biochemical urinalysis;
- a smear from the urethra.
After the exclusion of other diseases, the treatment of skinitis is prescribed. Often the most informative diagnostic method is urinalysis, which detects pathogenic microorganisms.
Treatment characteristics
With skinning, a conservative treatment is practiced. Therapy includes taking medications from the following groups:
- antibiotics to cure the infection;
- anti-inflammatory drugs used in urology;
- antispasmodics to reduce pain;
- immunomodulators.
Generally, broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed or antibacterial drugs are used in the treatment of cystitis. Since it is often impossible to accurately determine the causative agent of the disease, the doctor can prescribe several drugs from this group at once. Cephalosporins of the third generation have proven their efficacy.
Acute symptoms subside one day after the start of antibiotic treatment. However, it is important to take the drugs in one course, the duration of which is set by the doctor individually.
To eliminate pain, it is recommended to use antispasmodics. Simple pain relievers are ineffective because pain is associated with spasms of the urethra and bladder.
In addition, herbal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed, which are used in the treatment of cystitis and kidney diseases. These drugs reduce the inflammatory process, normalize the urination process and facilitate general well-being in various diseases of the urinary tract.
Immunomodulators are required. They use both drugs for the prevention of diseases of the genitourinary system and fortifying agents, for example, echinacea purpurea extract.
Precautionary measures
After you have figured out how to cure pyelitis, you need to pay attention to important preventive measures. This disease is similar to cystitis: once you get sick, the possibility of relapse remains for many years. To avoid this, you must:
- observe personal hygiene;
- use barrier contraceptive methods;
- have a permanent sexual partner;
- strengthen immunity.
When the first alarming symptoms appear, you should immediately make an appointment with a gynecologist and urologist. Self-medication for pyelitis is dangerous with chronic inflammation.