Symptoms of bacterial vaginitis in children and adults. Treatment tactics

Symptoms of bacterial vaginitis in children and adults

Despite the improvement of diagnostics and treatment methods, the number of colpitis in women is constantly increasing. Detection of the disease, treatment of candidal colpitis during pregnancy, possible consequences of various forms of colpitis and other issues remain among the most relevant in the field of women's diseases.

Definitions and general information

Vaginitis (aka colpitis) is an inflammatory lesion that develops in the mucous membrane of the vagina. Pathology occupies one of the first places among gynecological diseases in general. In the modern world, vulvitis is observed in every third woman of reproductive age (that is, able to conceive and bear a child).

In the last 8-10 years, this disease has become "younger" - signs of vaginitis are found in girls of school and even preschool age.

The constant growth of morbidity is associated with the following factors:

increasing incidence of venereal diseases;
ignoring intimate hygiene;
deterioration of the ecological situation;
weakening of immunity.

Nonspecific vaginitis constantly accompanies a woman - when it occurs:

sexual activity worsens;
pains are observed during intercourse;
an unpleasant smell arises;
feels uncomfortable.

More serious consequences of this pathology are also observed:

infectious lesions of the cervix and body of the uterus, ovaries and tubes;
infectious and inflammatory diseases of the external genital organs;
failure of menstruation;
ectopic pregnancy;
secondary infertility.

Why does specific and nonspecific vaginitis occur

The main direct cause of the development of vaginitis is the activity of pathogenic microorganisms that have entered the vagina. The spectrum of microflora that causes colpitis is very wide.

Study factors, against the background of which colpitis progresses faster:

involutional (age) changes - due to them, atrophic colpitis develops in menopausal women;
weakening of the body;
stress;
endocrine failures;
casual intercourse without condoms;
uncontrolled intake of some medicines (in particular, hormones and antibiotics);
suppression of the normal microflora that lives in the vagina - for this reason, symptoms of bacterial vaginitis in children appear;
infectious pathologies of the urinary tract;
climax;
long-term mechanical trauma to the vaginal mucosa (due to medical procedures, a partner, vaginal foreign bodies, etc.)

Medical procedures in which the vaginal mucosa is injured with the subsequent development of colpitis are most often:

artificial termination of pregnancy (abortion);
diagnostic and therapeutic scraping of the uterine cavity;
its probing;
procedures for installing and removing an intrauterine spiral.

Colpitis often occurs when tampons (hygienic and medicinal) are used incorrectly. Before thinking about how to treat acute vaginitis, you should ask the patient about the use of tampons - often abandoning them in favor of sanitary pads improves the condition of the woman.

Course of the disease

For convenience, colpites are classified as:

according to the age of the process - acute, subacute, chronic;
by age - colpitis of girls, women of reproductive and climacteric period;
by the nature of secretions - serous, purulent, mixed;
according to the nature of the infectious agent - non-specific and specific.

Nonspecific vaginitis develops when staphylococci, streptococci, Escherichia coli, Proteus, fungi (the cause of yeast colpitis) enter the vagina. Specific vaginitis develops when affected by tuberculosis mycobacteria, spirochetes, chlamydia and other pathogens. There is no clinical difference between them - the following signs of inflammation are observed:

redness of the mucous membrane of the vagina;
swelling of the tissues of the vaginal walls;
secretion of exudate;
pronounced soreness during mechanical action.

If vaginitis is not treated, the risk of the following pathological conditions increases:

development of ectopic pregnancy;
spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) - that is why the question of how and what to treat chronic vaginitis in pregnant women remains relevant;
premature discharge of amniotic fluid;
premature birth;
infection of the child at birth.

In addition, vaginitis can provoke:

metritis – inflammation of the muscular lining of the uterus;
endometritis – inflammation of its inner lining;
peritonitis is an inflammatory lesion of the peritoneum;
sepsis – spread of infection throughout the body.

Signs of vaginitis in girls and women

Regardless of whether the patient was diagnosed with "age-related colpitis" or another type was found, the following symptoms appear:

change in the nature, color, smell and amount of secretions;
itching in the vaginal tissues;
sensation that something is distending the vagina;
pain during urination and sexual intercourse;
sometimes – minor bleedings that occur during mechanical contact with the mucous membrane of medical instruments, partner's penis, devices for masturbation (sex toys);

These are general signs of non-specific vaginitis. But with the development of different types of this pathology, their difference is noted - the peculiarities of secretions:

with gonorrheal lesions - purulent, white-yellow;
with trichomonas vaginitis - greenish-yellow, foaming;
with a coccal lesion - whitish-yellow, in large quantities;
with candidal invasion - in the form of "cheese" flakes.

Even discharges that smell like fish have been described - they are formed during vaginitis caused by Gardinella.

With acute vaginitis, the symptoms develop sharply, suddenly, they are more pronounced, with chronic - slowly, the manifestations are more moderate.

Diagnosis of the disease

Diagnosis of vaginitis is not difficult. It is based on patients' complaints and the results of additional examination methods (they will be needed even if there is no doubt about the diagnosis - for example, if it is a diagnosis of "age-related colpitis").

Diagnosis of vaginitis can be made already when examining the vagina with the help of mirrors. Swelling of the walls of the vagina, redness of its mucous membrane, secretions smeared on the inner surface, sometimes erosions are revealed.

For the final confirmation of the diagnosis, the following diagnostic methods are used:

bacterioscopic examination of a vaginal smear;
bacteriological research - inoculation on nutrient media;
blood test by PCR (polymerase chain reaction).

How to treat acute vaginitis and its chronic form

In open sources there is a lot of information on the topic "colpitis: treatment, drugs". But the treatment is dangerous - consult a specialist. Even if the symptoms of vaginitis are manifested at the level of discomfort, it should still be treated, because infertility can occur due to the secondary impression of the ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus.

How to treat acute vaginitis and its chronic form? The general scheme is as follows:

dietary nutrition. You should eat fermented milk food, fresh vegetables and fruits, and also limit the use of sweets. Such a diet contributes to the development of normal microflora of the vagina;
observing intimate hygiene;
exclusion of sexual intercourse during acute manifestations;
antibacterial and antimycotic drugs;
drugs that correct the state of the immune system;
hormonal drugs - used in the treatment of atrophic vaginitis.

Treatment for vaginitis is general (pills, injections) and local (candles, irrigation).

Make an appointment on our website (https://dobrobut.com/) for a consultation with experienced gynecologists, and they will tell you more about trichomonad colpitis - what it is, what the symptoms are and how it is treated.

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