Can herpes cause urethritis

Herpetic urethritis

Genital herpes is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections.

It is transmitted through any sexual contact (oral, vaginal, anal).

The disease provokes the herpes virus of the first (less often) or second (more often) types. The pathology is chronic and worsens from time to time.

Herpes can affect any part of the genitourinary system, including:

• penis;
• vagina;
• urethra;
• prostate;
• bladder.

If the main symptoms are localized in the urethra, the doctor diagnoses herpetic urethritis.

Causes of herpetic urethritis

The herpes virus is sexually transmitted. Most often, urethritis is caused by the herpes virus type 2. It is characterized by a chronic course and a relatively high frequency of exacerbations.

Without treatment, symptoms appear from 1 time in 2-3 months to 2-3 times a month. The virus remains in the nerve ganglia, and it is not possible to cure the disease completely by means of modern medicine.

Herpetic urethritis can be primary or secondary.

The primary form of the disease is diagnosed if, according to the anamnesis, it is established that the patient has never previously experienced symptoms characteristic of genital herpes.

The period when a person can infect others lasts from several days to 2-3 weeks. Then the virus "hides" until the next exacerbation. In immunocompromised or debilitated patients, the contagious period can be up to 5-6 weeks.

Symptoms of herpetic urethritis

The main clinical signs of herpetic urethritis:

• stinging in the urethra, especially at the beginning of urination;
• highlights - mainly in the morning, in a small amount;
• itching or feeling hot;
• hyperesthesia (increased sensitivity) of the urethra;
• difficulty urinating due to swelling of the walls of the urethra (more often observed in men, since the urethra is wider in women);
• increased inguinal lymph nodes.

Herpetic urethritis in men

It is often combined with rashes on the penis. Bubbles appear with a total of 5-15 pieces. They are formed on the head, foreskin, in the coronal groove, on the skin of the body of the penis.

With herpetic urethritis, the formation of vesicles in the region of the sponges of the urethra is often noted.

Often before the onset of the main symptoms, the patient experiences general symptoms:

• fever;
• weakness;
• muscle pain;
• malaise, etc.

Symptoms of intoxication can be quite severe. Body temperature often rises to 39 degrees and above. Fever may be accompanied by severe headache and vomiting.

These symptoms usually last about 2-3 days. After that, rashes form on the genitals. And in the case when the urethra is involved in the pathological process, symptoms of herpetic urethritis appear.

In women, the disease manifests itself in a similar way.

When does the disease worsen?

Urogenital herpes is characterized by a relapsing course.

Herpetic urethritis in women

Most often aggravated after menstruation or before it.

For men - after intercourse.

For secondary herpes, the same symptoms are characteristic as for the primary. The same organs (urethra) are affected, a rash appears in the same places.

But the symptoms are usually less pronounced. This is due to the fact that the immune system is already "aware" of the danger and responds adequately to the pathological process.

The self-healing period for secondary herpetic urethritis is reduced to 5-7 days. The period of contagiousness also decreases.

Infection often occurs without general symptoms of intoxication or with a slight increase in body temperature. The pathology proceeds much more severely and longer against the background of immunodeficiency, in aged and weakened patients.

Severity of herpetic urethritis

Manifesting herpetic urethritis, depending on the frequency of relapses and the severity of clinical symptoms, has four degrees of severity:

• mild - no more than 4 relapses per year, no fever, no pain, only single elements of the rash appear;
• medium - 5 or more relapses per year, pain is mild, single elements of the rash, no severe intoxication, a slight increase in body temperature is possible;
• severe - up to 5 relapses per year, severe pain in the urethra, thick rash, fever up to 38 degrees and above, severe intoxication;
• extremely severe - more than 5 relapses per year, proceeds in two stages (first intoxication, then rashes and pain in the urethra), accompanied by high body temperature (up to 39 degrees and above), damage to several organs of the urogenital tract at once.

Based on the dynamics of the clinical course and the frequency of exacerbations, the following forms of herpetic urethritis are distinguished:

• arrhythmic - exacerbations occur randomly;
• monotonous - relapses occur at regular intervals;
• fading - exacerbations occur at gradually increasing intervals (the duration of the remission period increases).

Diagnosis of herpetic urethritis

Laboratory tests are required to diagnose genital herpes.

Virus identification is usually done in one of two ways:

Enzymatic immunoassay is the determination of antibodies in the blood.

Antibodies are immune system factors that are produced in response to a pathogen entering the body. Their presence confirms the presence of the herpes virus in the body.

The PCR method of the pathogen can be determined in the following clinical material:

• scraping from the urethra (most informative if herpetic urethritis is suspected);
• urine;
• blood.

The essence of the study is to determine the DNA of the herpes virus type 1 or 2.

Herpetic urethritis: treatment

So far, no treatment has been developed that would completely get rid of the herpes simplex virus. However, there are effective drugs that improve the patient's quality of life.

At one time, G.B. Elion, the pharmacologist who discovered acyclovir in 1988, received the Nobel Prize. This drug, as well as its analogues (famciclovir, valaciclovir) are used to date in the treatment of herpetic urethritis.

They have the same clinical efficacy. But they differ in the frequency of administration - some drugs are more convenient for the patient.

Purposes of their application:

• reducing symptoms;
• prevention of the spread of infection in the population;
• reducing the frequency of exacerbations.

Many treatment regimens for herpetic urethritis have been developed.

The choice of dosage and duration of treatment depends on a number of factors:

• a form of herpetic urethritis (primary or secondary);
• its severity;
• presence of concomitant pathology;
• the patient's condition (somatic diseases, immunodeficiency, age, pregnancy, etc.);
• previous treatment experience;
• laboratory data;
• prevalence of herpes (the number of organs that are affected by the pathological process).

If you experience symptoms of urogenital herpes, please contact our clinic. We can take tests to confirm the infection. After receiving their results, an experienced venereologist will prescribe a quality treatment.

Herpetic urethritis

Herpetic urethritis is a disease characterized by a vivid clinical picture, capable of becoming chronic over time. Pathology is becoming more and more common today. Therefore, it is necessary to know exactly what symptoms it manifests itself and how to treat it.

What are the causes of herpetic urethritis, patients are often interested in their doctors, and how to recognize the disease in a timely manner.

What pills to take with this disease, and how can you protect yourself from this disease?

• Herpetic urethritis: causes of pathology
• Symptoms of herpetic urethritis
• Classification of herpetic urethritis
• Herpetic urethritis: diagnostic approaches
• Methods of treatment of herpetic urethritis
• Basic prevention of herpetic urethritis

Herpetic urethritis: causes of pathology

The main cause of the pathology is herpes type 1 and type 2 with herpetic urethritis. Herpes simplex virus infects a large number of people today, and the prevalence of infection continues to grow. But why someone develops a disease, and someone lives their whole life, not even knowing that they are sick, patients are interested.

It is impossible to exaggerate the role of immunity in the development of the disease.The fact is that herpes is an infection that can be in the patient's body for a long time without manifesting itself.

For the first time, a pathogenic microorganism usually makes itself felt if, for some reason, the body's immune defenses are reduced. A drop in the level of immunity inevitably leads to the manifestation of clinical symptoms.

Today, doctors identify the following factors that contribute to the onset of symptoms of the disease:

• frequent, long-term and high-intensity stressful effects that adversely affect the immune system;
• rhythm of life, leading to disruption of sleep and wakefulness, due to which the immune system cannot fully recover;
• malnutrition, abuse of harmful products that adversely affect the general condition of the body;
• contact with respiratory viruses that cause a sharp drop in immunity;
• the presence of congenital or acquired immunodeficiency (for example, in HIV-infected people, herpetic urethritis is diagnosed as one of the manifestations of an immunodeficiency state);
• hormonal shocks, which are especially characteristic of women during the period of childbearing, menopause, and monthly before menstruation;
• Chronic diseases of the liver, lungs, heart and other organs and systems that have a debilitating effect on the human body can contribute to the development of symptoms of the disease.

The appearance of symptoms of herpetic urethritis in most cases indicates that the patient's immunity has suffered serious damage for some reason. In healthy people, signs of the disease are not detected.

Symptoms of herpetic urethritis

You can get infected with the herpes simplex virus that causes the disease in many ways.

In the first place in terms of implementation is sexual contact, especially if it is not protected by barrier contraceptives.

Sexual contact can be dangerous even if people use a condom. Since the virus can, among other things, be transmitted by touch, and not only through body fluids. In addition to the sexual way, the contact-household way is often realized. In this case, transmission occurs through shared hygiene items such as towels. It is also possible to infect a small child during childbirth.

The symptoms of herpetic urethritis are usually pronounced, especially if the clinical picture develops for the first time. The patient complains about:

• appearance of a rash in the genital area, causing considerable discomfort;
• a strong burning sensation that accompanies every urination;
• an increase in body temperature to subfebrile values, and sometimes even higher;
• a sharp deterioration in general well-being, complaints of fatigue, decreased performance;
• apathetic mood, lack of interest in things that previously aroused interest;
• a feeling of pain in the urethra, which is episodic (often patients describe the pain as unbearable, sharp);
• frequent urge to empty the bladder, which may not always result in the release of urine;
• complaints of a feeling of fullness in the bladder, even if the patient has just gone to relieve himself.

Herpetic urethritis in women and men may differ in localization.

In the fair sex, the presence of pathological formations on the external genital organs is usually not noted. All of them are located exclusively in the urethra. With men, the situation is different.

In the representatives of the stronger sex, rashes can cover not only the inner part of the urethra, invisible to the eye, but also the penis itself. As a result, rashes can be injured by rubbing against clothing while walking or making other movements. Therefore, herpetic urethritis in men may be accompanied by a small release of blood.

Classification of herpetic urethritis

Infection is divided by doctors into 4 main forms. The division into forms is based on the severity of the symptoms of the disease.

The first episode is easy. The patient may complain of a small number of rashes localized intimately, but there are no complaints of fever and deterioration in general well-being, indicating general intoxication. The pathology recurs no more than 4 times a year.

Medium form The first episode is somewhat more difficult. The rash is characterized as more widespread, very thick, conspicuous. Localization is possible not only in the genital area, but also in other places. Fever, deterioration of health and other symptoms of viral intoxication are still absent. Relapses occur 5 or more times a year.

When the infection is severe, the initial episode is considered severe.In the urethra, dense, numerous rash, causing a strong discomfort, which is difficult or impossible to ignore the patient. It is possible to distribute rashes to other parts of the body. There are complaints about the symptoms of general intoxication, although weakly sprinkled. The patient shakes the attention of the doctor on raising the temperature, the deterioration of general well-being.

Very severe form is characterized by frequent relapses, which are difficult to control even with medicines. The patient complains about the pronounced spread of the rash, which is easy to notice the doctor when inspection. Also, it is also impossible to ignore the high temperature and pronounced symptoms of intoxication. The frequency of the recurrence of the disease directly depends on the form of the disease and the peculiarities of the patient's immunity.

Herpety urethritis: approaches to diagnostics

How to take analyzes in herpetic urethritis, many patients are interested in their attending doctors. In most cases, smear and blood tests are performed under herpetic urethritis. If it is decided to conduct a study with a smear, it is recommended to take it in the localization zone of the rash. There may be scales.

With a pronounced course of infection, good results and evaluation of blood, which is closed from veins, as in a classical study. Next, the patient can be carried out three variants of diagnostics:

• ELISA - the most common and cheap option, during which antibodies isolated to the body to combat viral particles are found in the blood or discharge;
• PCR - more expensive, but also a more reliable method in which the DNA of the pathogen is distinguished even in the slightest concentrations;
• Highlighting antigens in which blood treated with special reagents is highlighted, and pathogenic parts are highlighted in a special color.

Immunogram and the role of the immunologist with herpetic urethritis, if it often recurrences, huge. Using the immunogram, it is possible to determine if there are no disorders in the activity of immunity. And the immunologist will help to decipher the data of the immunograms and will treat the patient if the immunity is broken.

Methods of treating herpetic urethritis

Treatment is selected by the doctor in each case individually. The choice of drugs, their dosages and features of application depends on the severity of infection, the overall state of the patient's health and a number of other features. Most often the following treatment scheme is possible:

Three times a day, the patient is assigned acyclovir inside, the course is up to 10 days; Suppositories Viferon in the dosage of 1 million meters are prescribed rectally as a means that enhances immunity; Acyclovir is also recommended in the form of ointments, if there are rashes available to local processing, it is applied to the skin 6 times a day with a thin layer as an alternative to acyclovir, it is possible to use phambyclovir or valacticlovir. The first drug is drinking 5-6 times a day during the same period, and the second is used twice a day the same course. Preparations are similar, the differences in them are explained only by different auxiliary substances.

An alternative to acyclovir in the form of ointments can be zovirax with similar effects. It is important to remember that if the patient has concomitant infectious diseases, therapy should be directed not only to eliminate the east herpes virus.

What doctor to turn, ask many patients. First of all, it is recommended to visit the urologist or dermatovenerologist. Which will be able to diagnose and choose the right therapy. Additionally, an infectious examination of an immunologist-allergist can be recommended.

Basics of preventing herpetic urethritis

Prevention of the disease is very simple, although nonspecific. First of all, it is necessary to exclude sexual and domestic infection with herpetic urethritis. This is recommended for this:

• comply with the safety rules when having sex using barrier means of contraception, especially if partner is unreliable;
• Comply with simple personal hygiene rules;
• refuse to apply common hygienic objects such as towels, washcloths, etc.;
• lead a healthy lifestyle, normalizing sleep and wake mode, preferring useful food;
• regularly undergo prophylactic examinations in a dermatovenerologist, urologist or gynecologist;
• Do not tighten with the appeal to the doctor if there are any alarming symptoms.

Compliance with preventive measures will help significantly reduce the likelihood of infection with this unpleasant infection. However, unfortunately, it will not exclude it completely.

If symptoms have appeared that may indicate the contamination of pathology, you can not hide with the appeal to the doctor. Ureteretic type urethritis is dangerous for both men and women. Representatives of the strong floor, the launched disease leads to a decrease in sexual activity, infertility.And women, in addition to infertility, with severely neglected pathology, may encounter fusion of the labia minora.

If you suspect herpetic urethritis, contact competent venereologists.

Prostatitis and urethritis of a viral-herpetic nature: aloud about a delicate problem

People from all over the planet have heard about the herpes virus. Maybe some do not know the correct name, but more than 85% of the world's population are familiar with the "cold" on the lips.

Unfortunately, few people realize that such a disease also spreads inside the body, even to the genitourinary system.

Moreover, an infected person may well know about the disease that has begun, dangerous with its complications. Only when the condition has become unbearable, patients run to the doctor to solve their delicate problems and get into a long treatment.

Genital infections

The well-known "cold" on the lips is caused by the herpes simplex virus type number one. But there is also the herpes simplex virus of the second type, which causes unpleasant and disturbing infections of the genitourinary system. It calls:

As soon as the right moment comes, HSV 2 is activated and begins to be active: it multiplies and lives to the fullest. The more active the virus, the worse the condition of the person and the organ affected by the infection.

Herpetic prostatitis is not a sentence!

Now television is full of advertisements about the treatment of prostatitis, so only the lazy have not heard about this disease. Men already from a young age know that in adulthood such an unpleasant thing as prostatitis can await them. It can be caused by both viral and bacterial organisms. Here we will talk about viral prostatitis. Not just about viral, but herpetic.

It turns out that the herpes virus can cause male prostatitis and bring a huge number of problems. The culprit is HSV 2 and herpvirus type five - cytomegalovirus.

An antigen enters a healthy body most often during sexual intercourse, less often - from the toilet bowls of public toilets, from towels and when personal hygiene is not observed. He is insidious in that he may not show himself for some time. The virus settles in nerve cells and falls asleep for the time being.

Herpetic prostatitis in men is such a rare disease that it is little studied and difficult to diagnose. The most susceptible to infection are representatives from 26 to 56 years old.

Manifestations of the disease

Herpetic prostatitis, although it occurs very rarely, but it does occur. It never goes unnoticed. The only thing is that the infection can simply be misdiagnosed. And the men themselves, in general, are not in a hurry for medical help. The incubation period of the virus lasts about five days, but in a very weakened body, it can appear within a few hours.

Many people take the symptoms for a manifestation of the common cold and are treated only for not. Herpetic prostatitis can be recognized by the following signs:

• discharge from the nose, runny nose;
• possible cough;
• weakness in the whole body;
• apathy, loss of appetite;
• high temperature;
• Head hurts a lot;
• burning sensation in the perineum;
• severe pain in the pelvic and sometimes in the lumbar region;
• Defecation processes may be disturbed (constipation, diarrhea);
• severe pain when urinating;
• temporary sexual dysfunction;
• loss of libido.

According to the latest symptoms of herpetic prostatitis, men generally think that age-related changes are beginning, for which they have already prepared and tuned in to them, and many take the first manifestations for SARS and treat accordingly.

This is how the infection starts, and in severe cases, complications appear. Still, the main reason for the appearance of the disease is a very weak immune system, which is unable to resist the invasion of enemy antigens.

There are two forms of infection:

Viral urethritis in women and men

Herpetic urethritis is also caused by the herpes simplex virus type 2. Infection of a healthy person occurs through sexual intercourse, less often through a toilet and a shared towel, possibly through dirty hands. The symptoms of primary infection are very acute:

Diagnosed with herpetic urethritis using ureteroscopy, it looks like a cluster of small erosive formations.

Another distinctive phenomenon in herpurethritis is mucous discharge from the urinary canal, especially in the morning. When the infection is started, bacteria join, then the discharge becomes purulent.

Forms of infection

Depending on the symptoms, the course of the infection is divided into four main categories:

Where is immunity?

During the development of an infection, many people wonder why the immune system cannot cope with the disease.And the reasons for the lack of immunity in the person himself:

• lack of sleep;
• overwork;
• alcohol and smoking;
• frequent hypothermia;
• overheating;
• travel to a country with a sharply different climate;
• avitaminosis.

It is very important to know that the herpes virus is so dangerous and omnipotent that it is not only able to penetrate the nuclei of human cells, change their structure and live there permanently, the herpesvirus suppresses human immunity during periods of its activation.

Diagnosis of both diseases

Since these are diseases of the genitourinary system, their diagnosis may differ only in the type of biomaterial taken and a number of devices.

For both women and men, a not very pleasant procedure is necessarily performed - ureteroscopy, in which the specialist accurately determines the presence of a rash, its prevalence and localization.

In addition to these procedures, biomaterial is taken for laboratory research:

• scrapings from the urethra of women and men;
• urine;
• blood from a vein;
• sperm;
• mucus secreted from the urethra;
• purulent discharge.

The main methods for determining the virus in the laboratory are as follows:

Effective therapy

Like any other disease, herpetic urethritis and prostatitis are treated depending on the form of the infection. In this case, only a doctor can make a diagnosis, so self-medication is strictly prohibited here.

Treatment for primary infection

If the infection first entered the body and immediately manifested itself, they act like this:

Treatment of relapses

Mild and moderate relapses are also treated with complex therapy.

Suppressive therapy

Protracted, severe herpetic urethritis and prostatitis are treated in this way. It takes a whole year to suppress the effect of the virus. In this case, write out:

The treatment of such diseases begins immediately, no matter how severe the disease is. In a neglected version, an infection from a mild stage can turn into a severe one and bring bacterial complications with it.

You should know that antibiotic therapy for herpetic urethritis and prostatitis is prescribed only in severe cases complicated by an associated bacterial infection.

What will help in the treatment?

First of all, you should not lose heart, but tune in to a good treatment.

• get enough sleep;
• more rest;
• lead a healthy lifestyle;
• adjust your diet;
• avoid stress.

Consequences of insidious diseases

Unfortunately, it is impossible to say that these infections are harmless. They entail a series of unpleasant moments. If effective and correct therapy is not started in time, diseases are fraught with:

Doctors recommend that for any discomfort in the genitourinary system, do not wait until it passes, but be sure to seek medical help. We ourselves are the guarantors of our own health and longevity.