Distinguishing signs of gonorrhea in men and women

Sexually transmitted diseases have always been and will be a scourge of humanity. Among them, gonorrhea is quite common, while it is equally affected by both men and women, but they often have asymptomatic gonorrhea. That is why weak sex is primarily a carrier of infection.

The most likely way of infection is sexual, while the type of sexual intercourse does not matter, the very fact of the penetration of the pathogen into the body is important. In addition, occasionally still there is a household way, as well as infection of babies in the process of childbirth.

The causative agent is a gram-negative diplococcus, which causes an inflammatory process in the genito-urinary tract. Penetration of the pathogen into the blood leads to generalization of the process and seeding of the joints, meninges and heart. However, with proper and timely treatment of complications can be avoided.

The gonorrhea in the body does not produce immunity, so repeated cases of the disease are not uncommon.

The disease can occur in several variants - acute, asymptomatic and chronic. As a rule, the asymptomatic variant of the course without treatment passes into a chronic form, more often asymptomatic carriage occurs in women.

Clinical manifestations of gonorrhea

Gonococcus affects mainly the mucous of the genital tract, rectum, conjunctiva of the eyes, oropharynx. In case of ascent of infection on the ureters, the bladder and kidneys can be affected. The carrier of the infection is always a person, in the environment the gonococcus quickly dies.

The incubation period in gonorrhea has some variability, so in some people it lasts only a few days, and other symptoms appear only after a few weeks. The day on which gonorrhea is manifested depends more on the state of local and general immunity and on the accompanying diseases of the genital area. Some infected people can feel completely healthy.

Symptoms of gonorrhea in women

The first signs of gonorrhea in women are manifested, as a rule, by burning and soreness in the urethra. Symptoms may increase during urination and intercourse. A little later, there are purulent discharge from the urethra - a thick consistency and in small amounts. There may also be frequent urination.

Later these signs increase, they are joined by purulent discharge from the vagina, pain in the lower abdomen, itching of the genitals, the temperature may rise and a sore throat appear. If during this period, go to the gynecologist, he will see a hyperemia of the urethra and purulent thick discharge from the cervical canal, as well as signs of erosion of the cervix.

In addition, a woman can complain of spotting during the intermenstrual period, a shift in the onset of menstruation to one side or the other, a general weakness and weakness. These signs may indicate the transition of the infectious process into the uterine cavity. It becomes enlarged in size, painful when palpated.

Symptoms of gonorrhea in women with Bartholin gland lesion: a large formation with obvious signs of inflammation forms on the side of the entrance to the vagina - swelling, redness, tenderness, local fever, enlarged inguinal lymph nodes. The general condition also worsens, the body temperature rises. This complication is treated only surgically, an incision is made and conditions are created for the outflow of purulent contents.

However, gonorrhea with affection of the appendages is most severe. In this case, a woman is concerned about severe pain in the lower third of the abdomen, the temperature rises to high figures, a sharp shift in indices is observed in the blood test. The reason for such phenomena is that puff accumulates in the fallopian tubes, it does not have outflow due to the sticking of the outflow opening of the fallopian tubes. In addition, surrounding tissues also stick together with the fallopian tubes, spikes are formed, which further aggravates the condition.

If you do not take urgent measures and do not hospitalize a woman, there is a rupture and an outflow of purulent secretion into the abdominal cavity with the development of peritonitis. Another option for the development of this process is obstruction of the fallopian tubes, as a result of infertility and a tendency to ectopic pregnancies.

Signs of gonorrhea in men

Initial symptoms in men are similar to those in women - itching and burning in the urethra, soreness with urination and yellow and white discharge from the urethra.

If we compare how gonorrhea manifests itself in men and women, then men have a similar symptomatology, but still it has differences. In men, the acute stage can take place in a languid form, it is called torpid. Then the process develops gradually, unobtrusively, without causing any special discomfort. In the absence of treatment, or in torpid form, the disease often passes into the chronic phase of the course and entails serious complications. In many respects this transition depends on the age and on the general resistance of the organism.

The most common acute urethritis develops, with the incubation period on average about 5 days, but its shortening or elongation can be observed.

In the early stages, a man feels an uncomfortable burning sensation or heat in the glans penis and urethral opening. Sensations increase with urination. After a few days, there is swelling of the head, its reddening and clumping of the edges of the urethra. Initially, the discharge from the urethra is minor, but very quickly their number increases, and all the symptoms intensify, regional lymphadenitis joins them, body temperature can rise and general weakness develop. The discharge from the penis may be whitish-yellow, greenish, dirty-white. At night, some men experience an extremely painful erection, which is not associated with sexual arousal.

In some cases, there is less intense symptomatology and then the general condition does not suffer, and in the genital area the changes are insignificant. In such cases, the probability of a process transition to a chronic, protracted phase is great.

In case of untimely detection and treatment of acute gonorrhea, the process passes to the back of the urethra and then the urinary system becomes prevalent, especially a lot of discomfort delivers painful and frequent urination. If you pay attention to the urine during this period, then it is very turbid.

When the infection passes to the bladder, extremely painful urge to urinate is observed, indicating that infection of the mucous membrane of the bladder has occurred. Sometimes a small amount of blood enters the end of urination.

Transition of inflammation to the back of the urethra leads to inflammation of the prostate, seminal vesicles and epididymis.