Clamidiosis – what you should do?

Clamidiosis is a disease, caused by Chlamydia bacteria. Nowadays we know severaltypes of chlamidia. Two of them – Сhlamydia trachomatis and Сhlamydia pneumoniae cause diseases in human. Chlamydia pneumoniae is a rather frequent reason of pneumonia, bronchitis, angina, and pharyngitis. Chlamydia trachomatisaffects genital system of both men and women, causing the development of urogenital clamidiosis. Among the whole spectrum of sexually transmitted diseases caused by Chlamydia, doctors pay most attention to the diseases of urogenital tract - cystitis, urethritis, cervicitis, erosion, vulvovaginitis, endometritis, and prostatitis.

 Ways of clamidiosis transmission

Clamidiosis is mostly sexually transmitted. Seldom chlamydiae are also transmitted by contact and social way (via hygiene articles of joint use): there are cases when children of people suffering from clamidiosis also had this disease.

 How clamidiosis is manifested

Incubation period of clamidiosis lasts from 1 to 3 weeks. The most typical symptom of genital clamidiosis is appearance of glassy discharge. There may be noted itching or unpleasant feeling at urination, adhesion of urethra lips. Sometimes general state changes – there is weakness, insignificantly increased body temperature. These symptoms very often are fairly insignificant and terminate quickly. At the same time clamidiosis becomes chronic.

 Diagnostics of clamidiosis

Insidiousness and secrecy of clamidiosis is conditioned by the fact that chlamydiae are not simply bacteria, they are intracellular parasites. They cannot be found with general smear from genitals. That is why more precise methods are used for diagnostics of clamidiosis, as well as for diagnostics of other sexual infections, such as polymerase chain reaction, immunofluorescence test, immune-enzyme analysis, etc.

 Treatment of clamidiosis

Treatment of clamidiosis includes antibacterial, immunomodulatory, polyvitaminic therapy, life-style normalization, diet, abstinence from sex life during treatment period. Treatment should be applied to all sexual partners. At the end of treatment course it is necessary to carry out control analyses. Reasonableness of use of one or another medicinal preparation is to be determined only by the doctor according to the results of examination and laboratory analyses. Basing on results of numerous investigations, nowadays three main groups of antibiotics are used for treatment of chlamydia infection, such as tetracyclines, macrolides (Aziclar®), and fluoroquinolones (Gatilin).

 Complications of clamidiosisа

Clamidiosis is dangerous for its complications. In men chlamydiae may cause complications as chronic prostatitis. In women chlamydia infection often causes obstruction of Fallopian tubes, extrauterine pregnancy, and puerperal or postabortive endometritis. Pregnancy in clamidiosis patient is often accompanied by complications. In the process of delivery, mother, who is suffering from clamidiosis, may infect her child. In addition to different complications connected with genitals, clamidiosis may cause eye lesion (chlamydia conjunctivitis), joints (more often of ankle, knee and spinal column), and skin.

  Prevention of clamidiosis

 It is much easier to prevent clamidiosis than to treat it. The rules of clamidiosis prevention are the same as the rules of prevention of all sexually transmitted diseases. The main rule is the hygiene of sexual life, which will secure against different sexually transmitted diseases:

• Permanent sexual partner, who you trust

• Refuse casual sexual affairs or use condom

• In case of the slightest suspicion of the infection, it is necessary to turn to the doctor – venereologist, urologist or gynaecologist.