Symptoms and treatment of cystitis during early pregnancy

What to do with cystitis

Cystitis during pregnancy is a common phenomenon. This is due to a change in the location of the growing uterus, which involuntarily puts pressure on the urinary tract. Decreased immunity during pregnancy and the altered composition of the vaginal microflora contribute to the occurrence or exacerbation of chronic cystitis. What to do at the first manifestations of pain in the bladder area and frequent visits to the toilet?

Be sure to get an appointment with a specialized doctor as soon as possible. Only laboratory tests and a detailed survey can help formulate the correct diagnosis of inflammation of the bladder lining. Self-medication of cystitis can always have unforeseen consequences, and being in an “interesting situation”, all months a woman is responsible not only for her life and health, but also for her child.

During the period when treatment has not yet been prescribed, and acute pain haunts you, you need to remember about those measures that will prevent the growth of bacteria, as this is fraught with infection of the kidneys and a deterioration in the general condition of the woman and child. Here are some general recommendations during pregnancy:

• legs and stomach should be kept warm;
• repeat personal hygiene in the shower - several times a day;
• exclude synthetic underwear;
• if you have the urge to urinate, do not tolerate it, even if it is false;
• exclude strongly spicy, fried, salty dishes from the menu;
• drink more water or acidified fruit drinks.

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Preventive measures

Future pregnant women with a high risk of developing or exacerbating cystitis should start taking care of their health even before planning a child. In this case, you need to undergo a gynecological examination on time and treat acute and chronic diseases of the urinary system.

The diet should consist of foods rich in vitamins (fresh vegetables, fruits).

Clothing should be loose, or at least not tight, for good blood circulation in the pelvic organs.

Preventing constipation is also a point for pregnant women and women with cystitis.

Basic conditions for preventing cystitis:

• daily intimate hygiene (neutral products);
• timely urination;
• warm clothes against hypothermia;
• active lifestyle;
• sanitation of the oral cavity;
• natural and comfortable underwear;
• use of contraception (to protect against bacterial flora and irritation of the vaginal mucosa);
• urination after sexual intercourse is desirable;
• avoidance of stressful situations;
• drinking a satisfactory amount of fluid.

How to treat cystitis during pregnancy

Treatment for cystitis prescribed by a doctor will depend on what form of the disease is detected. If infected, antibiotics are prescribed to destroy microbes as the source of the disease. These drugs should be taken very seriously, with great responsibility, so as not to harm the unborn baby. For the uninfected form during pregnancy, the doctor will prescribe painkillers and medications that will relax the muscles of the urinary tract and bladder, reducing the frequency of going to the toilet.

Diagnostics

To establish a diagnosis of cystitis, a gynecologist must examine a pregnant woman and refer her for additional laboratory and instrumental diagnostic procedures.

Research methods:

1. General urine analysis. The inflammatory process in the bladder is indicated by the appearance in the sample of a large number of transitional epithelial cells, leukocytes, erythrocytes, and bacteria.
2. Bacteriological culture of urine. It makes it possible to identify the pathogen that provoked the development of the disease and establish its sensitivity to the action of antibacterial drugs.
3. Ultrasonography. With inflammation of the bladder, thickening of the walls is visualized, as well as the presence of residual urine at the bottom of the organ.

Folk remedies for cystitis in women

The use of folk remedies for the effective treatment of cystitis during pregnancy is permissible only after consultation with your doctor. It is difficult to completely get rid of the disease with herbs, but you can alleviate the condition. Infusions and decoctions are recommended after taking a course of medications, as a way to consolidate the therapeutic effect. They are used in combination with medications. Plants and herbs used for decoctions for cystitis in women are available at any pharmacy. Here are some recipes for herbal drinks that will help overcome cystitis during pregnancy at home:

1. Dried dill seeds in the amount of two large pinches, pour 300-350 ml of boiling water. After half an hour of infusion, strain. For cystitis, drink 70-80 ml before each meal 15-25 minutes several times a day.
2. Pour 2.5-3 large spoons of rosehip or its dried root into a glass of boiling water. Heat in a water bath until it boils again, leave for about an hour. Drink ½ glass before meals.
3. Pour black currant leaves (9 tablespoons) into one and a half liters of boiling water. Cover with a lid and let sit until completely cooled. Use several times a day, adding a little honey if desired.
4. Pour about 10 grams of birch leaves with hot water (500 ml) and boil for 1-2 minutes. After settling for cystitis, drink 40-50 ml with meals.
5. Prepared fruit drinks based on cranberries or lingonberries will help not only alleviate the condition of cystitis, but also replenish the body’s vitamin reserves.

Is it dangerous

Cystitis in the early stages of pregnancy can provoke not only a deterioration in the well-being of pregnant women, but also have an adverse effect on the development of the fetus. Therefore, if signs of cystitis occur, you should immediately seek medical help.

In the first days after implantation of the embryo to the uterine wall, there is a high probability of spontaneous miscarriage. During this period, a pregnant woman should monitor her health and, if her health worsens, seek medical help. Inflammation of the bladder itself cannot harm the development of the fetus. However, if the disease is accompanied by fever and a pronounced infectious-inflammatory process, you should resort to medications that are prohibited for use during pregnancy.

Cystitis during pregnancy is a disease that requires immediate medical attention. This determines how quickly the expectant mother will recover and minimize the risk of adverse reactions and complications.

At the same time, untreated cystitis is extremely dangerous.

The infection can spread to other pelvic organs and provoke the occurrence of urethritis, pyelonephritis and other pathologies.

Medicines for cystitis

Having the results of laboratory tests, taking into account the woman’s condition, the duration and course of pregnancy, the doctor prescribes treatment with medications. The choice of medications that will stop cystitis in pregnant women is very limited. At the same time, they must be local. The doctor must take into account what trimester the pregnancy is in, so as not to disrupt the development of the fetus, but at the same time, alleviate the suffering of the expectant mother, which is inevitable when cystitis appears.

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Suppositories for cystitis

A highly effective remedy for the treatment of cystitis during current pregnancy are suppositories, which, like any medications in this group, are divided into antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial. The most commonly prescribed suppositories for cystitis for pregnant women are:

• Hexicon is an antiseptic that is effective at the initial stage of the disease.
• Betadine is an antiseptic, broad-spectrum antibacterial drug.
• Polygynax is highly effective, quickly relieves inflammation, but can only be used in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Pills

Treatment of bladder inflammation with tablets during pregnancy is convenient. You can calculate exact dosages, adjust the time and place of administration. Tablet medications should be taken in the course prescribed by your doctor. Interrupting or completely stopping taking the pills at your own discretion risks relapse and the transition of cystitis to a chronic form. Tablets commonly used by pregnant women for cystitis:

• Canephron. An antimicrobial drug that is safe during pregnancy and has a good diuretic effect, relieving spasms of the bladder walls. Has a plant base.
• Cyston. Anti-inflammatory effect, plant based.
• Furagin. Furadonin. Old generation tablets with time-tested effectiveness. They are classified as uroseptics that destroy microbial cells, while delaying the growth of harmful microorganisms.
• 5-NOK (Nitroxoline). It is highly absorbable from the digestive system, reaching the kidneys and bladder unchanged, which increases its medicinal properties.

Antibiotics for cystitis

Having an acute form of the disease during a woman’s pregnancy, the doctor decides that an antibiotic for cystitis is necessary during treatment. These medications must be taken strictly according to a schedule, deviation from which can cause addictive viruses and microorganisms. This leads to the fact that sensitivity to the antibiotic disappears and makes it ineffective. The doctor, after examining the patient, must determine which antibiotics are appropriate during pregnancy in a particular case. The following drugs are often prescribed:

• Nolitsin. The big advantage is that the accumulation of a broad-spectrum drug occurs in the urine, and not in the blood or muscle tissue.
• Monural. Quick effect, reducing pain symptoms within the next 2.5 - 3 hours after the first dose.
• Palin. Available in the form of tablets, suppositories, capsules. Has a powerful bactericidal effect.
• Amoxiclav. An antibacterial drug approved for use not only during pregnancy, but also during breastfeeding.

Symptoms of the disease

To suspect the disease, the following symptoms must be evident:

• fever up to 38° C, chills;
• constant pain in the abdomen, perineum, pubic area, also during and at the end of urination (the more pronounced the inflammatory process, the more intense the pain will be);
• frequent (every 5–15 minutes), accelerated urination (the amount of urine is very small, sometimes there may be a few drops);
• changes in the properties of urine (it is cloudy, sometimes with blood, contains many leukocytes, has a pungent odor);
• burning sensation in the urethra and discomfort;
• pain during sexual intercourse;
• weakness.

The diagram shows what a normal and inflamed bladder looks like

Doctor's note: after exposure to provoking factors, acute cystitis develops very quickly and suddenly.

Chronic cystitis is characterized by erased and mildly expressed symptoms.

Cystitis and pregnancy

During pregnancy, a responsible woman must closely monitor her health, which is directly related to the future well-being of the child. Failure to follow the doctor’s recommendations for cystitis can cause the disease to progress to the chronic stage. During childbirth, the baby may become infected with bacteria and microorganisms that cause infection. For the woman herself, not taking treatment seriously can result in infection spreading through the ureters from the bladder to the kidneys, which can cause kidney failure.

In order not to jeopardize the health of herself and her unborn child, a woman should pay more attention to preventive measures than to subsequently treat cystitis. The risk of developing the disease can be reduced to zero by observing the following measures:

• avoid hypothermia;
• limit consumption of spicy and salty foods;
• at an early stage of pregnancy, undergo a preventive examination to identify foci of infection in the nasopharynx and oral cavity;
• wear comfortably shaped underwear made from natural fabrics;
• do not accumulate large amounts of urine in the bladder;
• to avoid stagnation, change body position frequently;
• regularly clean the external genitalia with warm water and detergent.

Causes of cystitis

The appearance of cystitis can be promoted by:

• Infection, for example, pathogenic bacteria and opportunistic microorganisms;
• Hormonal changes in the body associated with pregnancy;
• Immunosuppression is a weakening of a woman’s immune system that accompanies pregnancy, protecting the developing embryo from rejection by the mother’s body;
• Hypothermia;
• Vaginal dysbiosis;
• Damage to the bladder mucosa during medical procedures or irritation caused by contact with a chemical;
• Genetic predisposition.

The effect of cystitis on fertility

Insidious cystitis can affect fertility - a woman's ability to become pregnant. The inflammatory process occurs near the reproductive organs: uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes. Lack of treatment or neglect of this disease can lead to inflammation in the woman’s genitals.

In some cases, cystitis is caused by pathogens of sexually transmitted diseases, for example, ureaplasmosis, chlamydia and others. These infections are insidious and require treatment of both partners, because if a woman is cured, her husband will infect her again during intimacy. If infections are not treated, they lead to infertility, and such cases are often encountered in gynecological practice.

For example, with systematic manifestations of this disease, adhesions may develop in a woman’s fallopian tubes. In the future, they will have to be blown out, otherwise the woman will not be able to get pregnant, since during ovulation the adhesions will interfere with the progress of sperm to the target.

So is it possible to get pregnant with cystitis and how to prevent infertility? The problem cannot arise the first time, but only with constant chronic manifestations that are not treated by specialists. Therefore, you cannot self-medicate, getting rid of the main signs of the disease for a while, but you must go to the doctor.

How to prevent cystitis

To prevent disease and maintain a healthy genitourinary system, the expectant mother must follow the following rules:

• do not neglect personal hygiene;
• do not swim in polluted waters;
• do not wear synthetic underwear, refuse thong panties;
• drink more liquids;
• avoid hypothermia;
• wash yourself correctly, directing the stream from front to back - this way germs will not get from the rectum into the urethra;
• do not take a bath, limiting yourself to a shower - so that gels, bath foam and other detergents do not get into the urethra;
• empty the bladder frequently (every 2–3 hours), preventing fluid stagnation;
• eat natural foods, without dyes and preservatives;
• regularly take a general urine test.

Clinical picture

The first signs of the disease can be observed before the woman finds out about her interesting situation. Among them are:

• frequent urge to urinate with a small volume of urine coming out;
• discomfort at the end of bowel movement;
• pain in the abdomen and lower back;
• heat;
• cloudy urine, the appearance of impurities and a bad odor in it.

Cystitis during pregnancy is characterized by sharp pain in the lower abdomen, high fever, difficulty urinating and discharge

Painful sensations can be mild or sharp and unbearable. A frequent desire to go to the toilet during pregnancy may be the norm, since the constantly growing uterus puts pressure on the bladder. Therefore, a diagnosis can only be made after a comprehensive examination.