In medical practice, there are a wide variety of diseases of the genitourinary system in men, the symptoms of which may be similar. The genitourinary system performs a number of important functions in the body: it participates in the formation, accumulation and excretion of urine, promotes the production of seminal fluid, and performs a reproductive function. During inflammatory processes, organ function is disrupted. Some diseases, such as chronic prostatitis, can lead to serious consequences (infertility development). What are the causes, symptoms and treatment of genitourinary diseases?
In men, the genitourinary organs include the prostate gland, testes (testes), epididymis, seminal vesicles, penis, urethra, ureters, bladder and kidneys. The most commonly diagnosed diseases are:
In most cases, the symptoms of the disease are caused by the penetration of various microorganisms into the organ. These can be bacteria, chlamydia, mycoplasma, viruses, fungi. Of the bacteria, the most common diseases are caused by Escherichia coli, streptococcus, staphylococcus, Klebsiella, and Listeria. There are specific and nonspecific diseases. The first group includes diseases caused by gonococci, Treponema pallidum, and Trichomonas.
Male diseases can occur at any age. In older men, benign prostatic hyperplasia most often develops; at a young age, infectious or congestive prostatitis is often detected; in adolescence, the most common pathology is varicocele. Diseases of the genitourinary system can be contagious. Pathogens penetrate organs in the following ways:
Sexual transmission occurs through unprotected sexual contact. This can be either traditional or non-traditional sex. Very often, the genitourinary organs are affected due to chronic colitis, proctitis, anal fissures, and chronic tonsillitis.
Male diseases develop for various reasons. The cause of congestive prostatitis is irregular sex life, blood stagnation due to low physical activity, and a sedentary lifestyle. The reason is frequent interrupted sexual intercourse. For the same reasons, vesiculitis can develop. Inflammation of the bladder develops against the background of sexually transmitted infections (chlamydia, gonorrhea), tuberculosis. Etiological factors include the penetration of infection from the urethra. Predisposing factors include hypothermia, untimely emptying of the bladder, stress, smoking, alcoholism, and unbalanced diet.
In the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia, a predisposing factor is an imbalance between male and female sex hormones. The appearance of a testicular tumor is possible due to exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation, traumatic injuries, cryptorchidism, and phimosis. The cause of pyelonephritis can be urolithiasis, hypothermia, or the presence of benign prostatic hyperplasia. The development of glomerulonephritis is promoted by sore throat, pneumonia, ARVI, influenza, streptoderma, and impaired renal morphology.
Diseases of the genitourinary system in men include prostatitis. This is inflammation of the prostate gland. There are 2 forms of the disease: acute and chronic. Chronic prostatitis is most often diagnosed. It is characterized by the following symptoms:
Less commonly, patients complain of itching and burning. With congestive prostatitis, paleness of the skin is often observed. Chronic prostatitis often leads to sexual dysfunction. In this case, premature emission of seminal fluid, pain during sexual intercourse, and impaired orgasm may occur. In some men, chronic prostatitis is asymptomatic. Acute inflammation of the prostate occurs most violently. It is characterized by general malaise in the form of weakness and headache, difficulty urinating, pain in the groin or perineum. In severe cases, anuria may develop.
Urological pathologies in men include vesiculitis and epididymitis. Vesiculitis is inflammation of the seminal vesicles. Often this pathology is combined with prostatitis. The seminal vesicles are located above the prostate. Their main function is to utilize sperm and ensure the safety and nutrition of sperm. Men of any age are susceptible to the disease. Vesiculitis can be infectious and stagnant. Acute vesiculitis can be recognized by the following signs:
In chronic vesiculitis, dysuric phenomena, sexual dysfunction, and involuntary release of sperm predominate. Rarer symptoms of vesiculitis include the presence of pus in the urine or seminal fluid. In the absence of treatment, spermatogenesis is impaired. Against this background, the number of sperm decreases, which can lead to infertility. With epididymitis, inflammation of the epididymis occurs. The disease develops very rapidly. Patients are concerned about high temperature, pain in the scrotum, and swelling.
With chronic epididymitis, sick men experience discomfort in the groin.
In urological practice, a disease such as urethritis is often diagnosed. The male urethra is longer and narrower than the female. This explains the more severe course of urethritis in men. The most common infection is infectious urethritis. The disease occurs in acute, subacute and chronic forms. Urethritis has the following symptoms:
Most patients have no symptoms of intoxication. With urethritis of bacterial etiology, the nature of urine changes. It becomes cloudy. Symptoms of the disease include pollakiuria (frequent urination). If the urethra is injured, blood may be released in the urine.
Treatment of pathologies of the urinary and genital organs is carried out after examining the patient. It includes a general and biochemical blood test, urine test, a three-glass test, examination of prostate secretions, taking a smear from the urethra, ultrasound of the genitourinary organs, determination of antibodies or the pathogen itself in biological material, computed tomography, cystoscopy. Treatment is aimed at destroying infectious agents, eliminating symptoms of disease and inflammation.
The choice of antibiotics is determined by the pathogen. The most commonly prescribed fluoroquinolones, penicillins and macrolides. For congestive prostatitis, treatment involves maintaining regular sex life, increasing physical activity, and playing sports. In case of viral etiology, antiviral drugs are prescribed. For urethritis, local and systemic treatment is carried out. For cystitis, uroseptics can be prescribed. If pyelonephritis is detected, treatment includes taking antibiotics and herbal medicines (Canephron, Cyston). Thus, there are a large number of diseases of the genitourinary organs in men. You should consult a doctor immediately when the first symptoms appear.
When a trip to relieve yourself causes acute pain and other unpleasant sensations, this may indicate genitourinary infections in men. Damage to the urinary system organs develops with the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms. An infectious and inflammatory disease can manifest itself in the penis, urinary canal, testicles and appendages. Men should see a urologist as soon as possible, since the disorder progresses rapidly and a chronic form of infectious disease develops.
Infections of the genitourinary system in men can appear for various reasons and cause a lot of trouble in everyday and intimate life.The main reason why a man’s genitourinary system becomes infected is a weakened protective function of the immune system.
Infection on the male genitals appears after sexual intercourse without using a condom. Chronic or acute inflammatory reactions in the body also become a source of infectious disease. But a man does not always show symptoms of deviation. For the progression of genitourinary infections, special reasons are required:
Infectious diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract in adults are observed quite often, and the pathogenic microorganisms differ. Fungus and other pathogens invade the lower regions of the urinary system. The most common sources of infectious diseases are:
Among the provocateurs of infectious diseases of the genitourinary system in men are fungi, protozoa, bacteria, and viruses. Different infections of the genitourinary system manifest themselves with different symptoms and require an individual therapeutic approach. It is customary to distinguish 2 subgroups of infectious lesions:
Based on the location of the inflammatory process, the following diseases are distinguished, presented in the table:
Infections of the genitourinary system in men progress slightly differently than in women, which is explained by the special anatomy of the urinary tract. The male body is more difficult to tolerate infectious diseases of the urinary canal and bladder. If the disorder occurs, the patient experiences acute pain that is difficult to treat. The main reason for this course of infectious diseases is associated with a long urethra. Unlike women, men rarely get viruses and bacteria into their kidneys and bladder.
Infections of the genitourinary system in men most often cause itching, hematuria, temperature, frequent, purulent or false diuresis. Problems in the genitourinary system develop rapidly and cause a lot of anxiety for a man. Fungal infections and other abnormalities come in 3 forms:
Often, inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system in men do not manifest themselves for a long time, which is why timely treatment is not undertaken and the disease becomes more complicated. As the infectious disease progresses and damage to the genitourinary tract, the following symptoms appear:
The male population suffering from urinary tract infections often encounter problems in their sexual life. With acute pain in the genitals, normal erection and ejaculation are disrupted.
Determining the provocateur of infection of the genitourinary system in men includes laboratory tests, and sometimes MRI and CT. Diseases of the genitourinary system in men can be identified by a urologist who will examine the male genitals. It is also important to collect a complete history of the disease and find out the source of the genitourinary infection. Comprehensive diagnostics includes a number of laboratory and instrumental examinations:
Inflammation of the urinary tract in men requires an individual therapeutic approach, depending on the type of pathology, location and characteristics of manifestation. It is especially difficult to eliminate a recurrent form of an infectious disease. If you do not complete a treatment course in time, which includes anti-inflammatory drugs and other medications, the infection will spread from the urinary canals to the bladder and kidneys.
Complex treatment of the genitourinary system involves the use of drugs of different spectrum of action. It is strictly forbidden for men to independently use any drug in case of an infectious disease without a doctor’s prescription, since such actions will only aggravate the problem. Modern medicine has many medications that help cure even recurrent infections. The most commonly used drugs are:
Treatment of genitourinary system infections in men who have become chronic takes much longer than at the acute stage. Long-term use of medications can eliminate unpleasant symptoms and restore the microflora of the urinary organs. If the doctor has identified an advanced case of the disease or complications have developed, then surgery is prescribed. During surgery, the affected area or stone that has caused severe inflammation is removed. The radical method prevents the spread of infection to other organs of the urinary system.
Update 05/01/2017.
Infections of the genitourinary system in men are slightly less common than in the fair sex, which is due to anatomical features. But this does not make such diseases any less dangerous, and require special and urgent treatment. Often these diseases lead to infertility and severe complications in men.
This pathology can manifest itself in the form of various diseases, so the list is as follows:
All infectious diseases in men are divided into two groups:
Some diseases in men occur slightly differently than in women. This is due to the fact that there are differences of an anatomical and physiological nature. This fact must always be taken into account when treating the disease and diagnosing it.
For example, a man’s urethra is longer, so urethritis in its pure form is more common and more difficult to cure. But this also has a positive side, since the infection of the genitourinary organs is less likely to spread upward. Therefore, women more often experience complications in the form of cystitis, adnexitis, and pyelonephritis.
The stronger sex is more susceptible to inflammation of the prostate, or head of the penis. Their urethritis occurs in a more severe form.
There are some features of the manifestation of infection in men:
If such symptoms develop, you should immediately contact a specialist and begin treatment immediately, since such processes tend to synchronize quickly.
During the acute period, the patient should be at rest; bed rest is recommended. You should also follow a certain diet, excluding fried, spicy and pickled foods, which can irritate the mucous membrane of the urethra and bladder. If edema develops, salt intake should be limited. You cannot drink strong coffee or alcoholic beverages.
Drugs for infections should be selected only by a doctor, based on the cause of inflammation, its location, the general condition of the patient, age, duration of the disease and severity.
To provide full assistance, the cause of the disease must be addressed. Various laboratory methods are used for this. After identifying the pathogen, appropriate therapy is prescribed.
First of all, uroantiseptics, antibiotics or sulfonamides are used. If we are talking about a nonspecific form of the disease, the doctor selects remedies empirically, using medications that have the widest spectrum of action.
Depending on the severity of the process, drugs are administered parenterally or orally. The course of such treatment ranges from 5 to 10 days. Under no circumstances should it be extended or interrupted.
If there is no result (determined by clinical positive dynamics) in the first three days, the antibiotic should be changed or the dosage increased.
In addition to systemic treatment of genitourinary tract infections, assistance is also provided with antiseptic solutions for local use.
In case of a chronic process, a longer course of treatment is used, since it takes more time to destroy the flora.
Antispasmodics and analgesics are used to relieve pain and dysuria. In addition to general therapy, long-term use of natural remedies that have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and analgesic effects is recommended. NSAIDs relieve pain well.
At high temperatures, antipyretics are used. The increase in blood pressure can be controlled by taking antihypertensive drugs. Swelling due to infection in men is relieved with diuretics. To eliminate sensitization during antibiotic therapy, antihistamines are necessarily prescribed.
The cause of infection is often reduced immunity. In this case, you need to take vitamin complexes and immunomodulators. It is especially important to do this in case of mycotic infection or viral infection.
In order to avoid problems with the genitourinary system in men, the following rules should be followed:
Inflammatory diseases of the urinary and genital organs in men can lead to serious and sometimes irreparable consequences. But with a timely and competent approach to treatment, they can be completely eliminated.
Inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system in women include a whole group of diseases that can be localized in different organs. These diseases are united by similar symptoms, causes, and the ease with which the process moves to another part of the system.
That is why these diseases are often considered in unity - because of the common approaches to treatment, prevention and the possibility of joining one pathology to another.
Inflammation of the genitourinary system develops much more often in women than in men (almost 5 times). The reason for this is the proximity of the anus, vagina and urethral outlet, as well as the short ureter. Therefore, bacterial infection and the inflammatory process easily spread to a neighboring organ.
Inflammation is the body's way of fighting invading pathogens. An increase in temperature is a protective reaction and evidence of the immune system working against infection.
Inflammation of the genitourinary system is caused by:
Infection often occurs while swimming in open water or visiting public baths. The infection easily penetrates the vagina and spreads further. An easy way for infection is created by wearing short skirts and thongs together. With such a union, the outer part of the MPS is open to all infections.
The most dangerous causes may also be cancer.
Attention: untimely initiation of treatment provokes a rapid spread of inflammation to neighboring organs, increasing the volume of damage.
Signs of the disease appear some time after the infection enters the body. They have some specific features, depending on the pathogen and location. However, we can say that there are general symptoms of inflammation of the genitourinary system in women.
These include:
Many women experience discomfort during sexual intercourse and lack of desire.
Diseases that are classified as inflammation of the MPS can be divided into two groups:
These and some other, less common diseases are classified as inflammation of the MPS.
To prescribe effective treatment for inflammation of the genitourinary system in women, it is not enough to determine the symptoms; it is necessary to identify the causative agent and the location of the process.
Due to the relationship between the genital and urinary organs, you may have to be treated by more than one specialist. Diseases are treated by a gynecologist, nephrologist, urologist, venereologist, neurologist.
Before deciding how to treat inflammation of the genitourinary system in women, the following examinations may be prescribed:
After the research, it will become clear which specialist will treat inflammation of the genitourinary system.
Diagnostics allows you to identify the causative agent of the infection and select drugs to eliminate it. Taking antibiotics is mandatory.
Drugs for inflammation of the genitourinary system in women:
Attention: during treatment it is necessary to take blood and urine tests to determine the effectiveness of the drugs used and timely adjustment of methods.
Which often develops in women, drugs from the penicillin group (Amosin), fluoroquinolones, and the tetracycline group are prescribed. The course of treatment is 5-10 days, depending on the amount of inflammation.
In severe cases, if paresis (partial muscle paralysis) of the bladder develops due to inflammation of the genitourinary system, treatment may be replaced with more effective ones.
For pyelonephritis, cephalosporins (Cephalexin), fluoroquinolones, and penicillins are prescribed.
Inflammation of the genital organs:
When treating inflammation of the genitourinary system in women, suppositories are often used - rectal and vaginal.
They are an additional means of local therapy. Suppositories reinforce the action of antibiotics and have the following effects:
They are recommended to be used at night, but in severe cases, during bed rest, administration every 4 hours is possible. Using suppositories instead of taking oral medications reduces the load on the digestive tract.
Only a doctor can decide whether it is worth replacing tablets and injections with suppositories.
When treating MPS diseases, diet must be followed. It is aimed at reducing salt consumption and obtaining the required amount of clean water (up to 1.5 liters). Instead of water, you can drink rosehip infusion or fruit drinks. Recommended diets are Nos. 6 and 7.
Medicinal herbs, as well as fruits, vegetables and berries, are widely used in folk medicine to reduce inflammation and pain.
Diseases are treated with conservative methods, medications and injections. If during hardware examinations (ultrasound) no urolithiasis or dangerous pathologies in the structure of the MPS are detected, surgical treatment will not be required.
Failure to see a doctor in a timely manner and poor quality treatment can lead to dangerous diseases. Women often refuse to take antibiotics for inflammation of the genitourinary system, hoping to get by with folk remedies.
However, these funds are not enough to destroy the pathogen. As a result, you may develop:
An untreated disease will certainly return again and may become chronic. After treatment with antibiotics, it is necessary to restore the vaginal microflora.
The prescribed treatment must be completed. Many women stop taking medications immediately after relief occurs, not wanting to overload the body with unnecessary chemicals.
However, you should know that the timing and dosage of the drugs are designed to completely extinguish the inflammatory process. Early refusal of treatment is fraught with the return of the disease.
In addition, women need to remember that after treatment for inflammation of the genitourinary system, extreme caution must be exercised. Prevention measures:
A good way of prevention is walking, exercising without fanaticism, light sports, and an active lifestyle. The overall tone of the body promotes good blood circulation, improved metabolic processes and resistance against infection. Then you won’t have to deal with inflammation of the genitourinary system and take antibiotics.
One of the most unpleasant medical pathologies for representatives of the stronger half of humanity are diseases of the genitourinary system. It is noteworthy that some of the diseases can be asymptomatic until they become chronic. We will discuss below what types of diseases of the genitourinary system there are in men and how they are characterized.
It is worth understanding that the human genitourinary system is one of the most vulnerable due to the penetration of infections through the open canal - the urethra. Women more often suffer from such pathologies due to the shorter length of the urethra. However, men are also affected by genitourinary pathologies. If the disease is detected in a timely manner, you can receive quality treatment and return to your normal lifestyle. If the pathology is detected late, it can lead to infertility, decreased erectile function and even sepsis or oncology. It is very important to understand that male diseases of the genitourinary system can be infectious and non-infectious. Let's look at the most common of them.
The list of infectious diseases of the genitourinary system in men can be divided according to the type of pathogen into the following:
This type of pathology can form either independently or under the influence of infectious processes already occurring in the patient’s genitourinary system. Symptoms of genitourinary system disease in men in this case look like this:
Important: cystitis requires urgent medical treatment. Otherwise, inflammation can spread to the ureters and then to the kidneys.
The disease is transmitted exclusively through sexual contact. With this disease in a man, the following clinical picture emerges:
Another common genitourinary pathology that affects men of any age. Balanoposthitis can be either infectious or non-infectious. A common cause of the development of this disease is failure to comply with personal hygiene rules. Also, the causes of the disease are fungal infections of the mucous membrane of the glans penis (streptococci, staphylococci, etc.). In this case, the symptoms of inflammation of the genitourinary system in men look like this:
Balanoposthitis is treated inpatiently, since even oncology can develop against its background.
The following bacteria take an active part in the development of this pathology:
With prolonged infection with such bacteria, an inflammatory process progresses in a man’s body, which later affects the prostate gland. Symptoms of chronic infectious prostatitis are:
Important: you should not delay the treatment of diseases of the genitourinary system in men in the form of prostatitis, since the condition itself will not go away, but will only worsen. As a result, the outflow of urine may be seriously impaired, which will require urgent full-fledged surgical intervention.
A disease that is also infectious in nature. Moreover, here bacteria can penetrate into the patient’s kidneys along with the blood flow from other inflamed organs or be transmitted during sexual intercourse through the urethra and further into the bladder. Pyelonephritis can occur in acute and chronic forms. In the first case, the symptoms will be as follows:
Important: if the acute form of pyelonephritis is not treated or treated but not completely, then the disease will become chronic. In this case, the kidneys will gradually lose their functions and eventually fail sooner or later.
The chronic form of pyelonephritis is characterized by the following symptoms:
This disease of the genitourinary system, symptoms and treatment of which should be developed by a doctor, is expressed by the fact that the seminal vesicles become inflamed in the prostate. As a rule, vesiculitis is a consequence of prostatitis, urethritis or another infectious disease in an advanced state. Pathology can also arise as a complication after suffering from influenza, sore throat, etc.
Important: vesiculitis is most often detected in men with chronic prostatitis.
Symptoms of the disease include:
Important: if the disease is not treated, then you can wait for the seminal vesicles to fester. And this can lead to sepsis. Advanced vesiculitis is radically treated surgically.
If the disease is infectious in nature, then it develops as a consequence of any chronic infectious process. With epididymitis, the epididymis suffers. If the pathology is non-infectious, it develops due to injury to the perineum or scrotum. The symptoms of the pathology are:
Non-infectious diseases of the genitourinary system of a non-bacterial nature include:
It is important to understand that all types of infectious pathologies are treated medicinally by taking antibiotic tablets or antibiotic injections. If the disease is detected at an early stage, the prognosis for the patient is favorable.
Before prescribing drug therapy, a urologist or andrologist must prescribe the patient a series of clinical studies to identify the causative agent of the disease. Modern urology allows a patient to be diagnosed quickly and accurately. And only after an accurate diagnosis is made, a treatment regimen is developed. The therapy complex includes the following tablets or injections:
The patient is also indicated for bed rest (as in the case of epididymitis). Here, along with antibacterial therapy, the patient is prescribed treatment with cool compresses on the affected area of the scrotum.
Every man should understand that infectious diseases, as well as non-infectious pathologies of the genitourinary system, should be treated only under the supervision of the attending physician using the necessary medications. Folk remedies in the treatment of such pathologies are very dangerous. They can only be used in combination with the main therapy and only in consultation with the doctor. Remember, self-medication can lead to incomplete therapy. In this case, the infectious process may enter a chronic stage, which seriously worsens the prognosis for the patient.
It is also very important to prevent all pathologies of the genitourinary system in the form of limiting promiscuity, using barrier contraceptives and observing personal hygiene rules.
