Mycoplasma is a microorganism that occupies an intermediate position between bacteria, viruses and fungi, the smallest microorganism existing in the world.
It cannot exist independently. Therefore, parasitize on the cells of the host organism.
Due to the lack of a cell wall, experts believe that mycoplasma is still more a virus.
It mainly lives on the epithelial cells of the genitourinary tract, intestines and respiratory tract.
What is mycoplasma in women
The disease that causes mycoplasma - mycoplasmosis - occurs with damage to the genitourinary tract, joints, respiratory system and others.
There are three types of pathogens of urogenital
mycoplasmosis:
- Mycoplasma genitalium;
- Mycoplasma hominis;
- Ureaplasma urealiticum.
In 40 - 80% of young women who do not have any complaints and symptoms of the disease, Ureaplasma urealiticum is isolated in a vaginal smear. Similarly, Mycoplasma hominis is determined in 21 - 53%. Therefore, the opinion of most scientists at present is inclined to the fact that mycoplasma is a conditionally pathogenic microorganism. This means that this pathogen can be latently in the human body for a long time without causing any disease. And it is activated only under the influence of some external or internal influences.
As can be seen from statistics, mycoplasmas, without possessing pathogenic properties, live in the body for a long time without symptoms, but can provoke the development of diseases when pathogenic agents enter the body.
Mycoplasma in women - causes
Ways of transmission of mycoplasma:
- sexual - in contact with the patient or carrier;
- vertical - from mother to fetus: through amniotic fluid or at the time of birth;
- household - is extremely rare due to the extremely small
the stability of mycoplasma in the environment and its short life
existence. There are discussions about this.
If mycoplasma is detected in women with the inflammatory process, the causes of its occurrence can be varied:
- unprotected sex;
- The beginning of sexual activity at a young age;
- different sexual partners;
- transferred gynecological diseases;
- STIs are sexually transmitted infections.
The cause of mycoplasma in a woman can be any event that leads to a decrease in immunity:
- deterioration in the quality of life;
- abortion, pregnancy;
- taking medications that reduce general immunity - hormones, antibiotics, immunosuppressants, etc .;
- constant stress;
- radiation therapy, etc.
Mycoplasma in women - symptoms
Diseases that cause the development of mycoplasmosis in women:
- gardnerellosis - bacterial vaginosis (pathogen - Mycoplasma hominis);
- urethritis (pathogen - Mycoplasma genitalium);
- pyelonephritis (pathogen - Mycoplasma hominis);
- inflammatory diseases of the uterine appendages (pathogen - Mycoplasma hominis).
With the spread of infection beyond the genitourinary tract, joints (arthritis), meninges (meningitis), and lungs (pneumonia) are affected.
Genitourinary mycoplasmosis in women does not have any specific clinical manifestations, on the basis of which it is possible to make a confident diagnosis.
According to some sources, mycoplasma is detected in 80% of women with urogenital infection, in 51% of women with infertility.
Mycoplasma in women is manifested by non-specific symptoms that are characteristic of all infections of the urogenital tract.
Symptoms of mycoplasma in women:
- vaginal discharge - colorless, scarce or abundant;
- itching and burning, pain or discomfort during intercourse;
- dysuric phenomena (burning sensation during urination);
- bleeding of varying intensity between menstruation;
- pain in the lower abdomen and lower back;
- General manifestations of intoxication: headaches, weakness, lethargy, fatigue, poor sleep.
The incubation period is from a few days to a month, but in most cases the symptoms after its expiration do not bother the patient much and are lethargic. But in most cases, mycoplasmosis in women is asymptomatic. A vivid exacerbation and symptoms of mycoplasma in women occur when a concomitant infection or external factors occur. Chlamydia, fungi, some bacteria provoke the development of mycoplasmosis. Therefore, the diagnosis of mycoplasmosis is not made according to complaints and clinical symptoms.
Mycoplasma in women - diagnosis
The main findings in the final diagnosis are laboratory tests. As a rule, if there is no reason to suspect mycoplasmosis, tests for the detection of mycoplasma are prescribed last. First, the most dangerous pathogens of urogenital infection - chlamydia, gonococcus - are excluded.
Specific research methods for mycoplasma include:
- PCR - diagnostics (polymerase chain reaction) - determines the presence of mycoplasma DNA fragments in the smear from the vagina, the fastest (the result is after 30 minutes), but very expensive;
- the bacteriological method - growing microflora in the patient’s biomaterial, long-term (4-7 days), but the most accurate;
- immunofluorescence - carried out with a special dye to detect antibodies to mycoplasma.
The bacterioscopic method - the study of biomaterial under a microscope - is irrelevant due to the negligible size of the microorganism. It is invisible even at maximum magnification of an electron microscope.
To obtain an accurate result, one of these research methods is sufficient. Research data can be false positive and false negative. Therefore, it is necessary to duplicate the tests two to three weeks after treatment.
Some dangerous complications of mycoplasma in women
Pyelonephritis can become complications, in more severe cases - infertility.
Mycoplasmosis is especially dangerous during pregnancy. It is fraught with the development of endometritis, which can lead to infection of the fetus, an increased tone of the uterus, which causes bleeding, early abortions, a frozen pregnancy. Severe bleeding with loss of consciousness can cause death.
Mycoplasma in women - treatment
Drug treatment of mycoplasma in women begins only in those cases if it is reliably known that the direct cause of the inflammatory disease is mycoplasma. The prescription of drugs is done only after tests confirming the presence of mycoplasma in the body of a woman.
Treatment of mycoplasma in women is a rather complicated process due to the lack of a membrane in mycoplasma and resistance to certain antibiotics. When mycoplasma is affected, antibacterial drugs that treat almost all infections due to the destructive effect on the wall of the microorganism are useless (penicillins, cephalosporins). Therefore, modern antibiotics of the last generations of other groups and with a different mechanism of action are used to treat mycoplasmosis.
Therapeutic regimens are used using tetracyclines (Doxycycline), macrolides (Azithromycin, Sumamed), fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin), protected aminopenicillins, aminoglycosides. Doses, duration of treatment are determined individually.
The timely appointment of antibiotic therapy leads to a cure in almost 95% of cases. But in some cases, “overcome” mycoplasma at the first attempt fails. Repeated courses of treatment with antibiotic replacement are needed.
It is necessary to treat the disease, and not the "result of the analysis", given the high percentage of asymptomatic carriage. The sexual partner will also have to undergo a course of treatment, otherwise re-infection cannot be avoided: resistance to mycoplasmosis in the body does not develop after treatment. Short-term clinical improvement may occur, in the future the disease is again activated. The impetus may be the accession of another infection, reduced immunity, hormonal disorders.
As additional methods of treating mycoplasma in women, the following are used:
- local preparations in the form of candles and douching (effective
Chlorhexidine, Miramistin, Veromistin as a solution for
douching);
- immunomodulators (Cycloferon or Likopid, echinacea, aloe)
multivitamins;
- physiotherapeutic methods of treatment;
- diet.
To avoid the development of local dysbiosis, suppositories with lactobacilli are recommended. Systemic probiotics (for oral administration) are prescribed after examination for dysbiosis.
Folk remedies mycoplasmosis is not treated.
During treatment, it is necessary to refrain from sexual intercourse.
Two weeks after treatment, it is necessary to re-examine both sexual partners in order to prevent relapse.
Mycoplasma in women - prevention
To avoid infection with mycoplasma will help:
- the use of barrier contraceptives (condoms);
- timely treatment of mycoplasmosis;
- the presence of one trusted sexual partner;
- preventive examination by a gynecologist every six months;
- maintaining immunity.
Do not self-medicate, because Mycoplasma is an insidious pathogen that can cause a lot of trouble with improper therapy: delay the treatment or lead to serious complications.
