What are the symptoms of acute urethritis in women?

Urethritis can be acute or chronic. Women are also susceptible to it. Both men and women will experience symptoms of frequent urination, urgency and pain when suffering from urethritis. It requires timely treatment to avoid infection of the kidneys, and urethritis should be prevented in normal times.

1. Symptoms

The most common symptom of acute urethritis in male patients is a large amount of urethral secretions, which are mucous at first and gradually become purulent. In female patients, the urethral secretions are unique. Both men and women experience burning pain in the urethra, frequent urination, and urgency when urinating. In severe cases, urethral spasm may occur. Urine examination showed pus cells and red blood cells. In chronic urethritis, urethral secretions gradually decrease, or only a small amount of serous secretions can be seen at the urethral opening during the first urination in the morning. The urination irritation symptoms are no longer as obvious as in the acute phase, and some patients may be asymptomatic. Urethritis can spread directly to the bladder or prostate and cause cystitis or prostatitis. If acute urethritis is not treated properly, it may be complicated by paraurethral abscess, which may penetrate the skin of the penis and become urethral fistula. During the healing process of urethral inflammation, fibrosis can cause urethral stenosis.

2. Treatment for Women

Women have their own unique physiological characteristics: for example, the female urethra is shorter and straighter than the male urethra, and the female urethra is closer to the anus and vagina, which provides "convenience" for bacteria to infect the female urethra. The focus of prevention and treatment of urethritis for men is naturally different from that for women, and women should also prevent and treat urethritis at all ages. When girls are young, parents should change their diapers frequently to reduce the chance of feces and other bacteria infecting the urethra and avoid urethritis. Newly married women should also pay attention to hygiene during their sexual life. Some unhygienic habits during sexual life are the cause of urethritis in newly married patients.

When women reach menopause, the estrogen level in their bodies begins to decrease, various glands begin to atrophy, and the body's self-cleaning ability begins to weaken. This provides an opportunity for bacteria to invade the urethra and cause urethritis in women. Taking estrogen on a daily basis is a very good way to prevent urethritis.

In addition, when symptoms similar to urethritis appear, regular urethritis treatment must be started to prevent bacteria from continuing to infect the bladder and ureters, or even the kidneys.