Definition
Urethritis is an inflammatory process, acute or chronic, affecting the urethra, the last section of the urinary tract used to convey urine outwards.
Causes
Urethritis is one of the most immediate consequences of bacterial, fungal and viral infections; the commonly responsible etiological agents are: Chlamydia trachomatis, Escherichia coli, Herpes simplex, Mycoplasma genitalis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Trichomonas.
Risk factors for urethritis: kidney stones, decreased immune defenses, cystitis, prostatitis (for humans), unprotected sex, improper personal hygiene
Symptoms
Among the symptoms associated with urethritis, urination with urination and itching in the urethral meatus are the most common. However, it is also possible the manifestation of asthenia, balanitis / balanopostitis, bacteriuria, difficulty in urinating, pain in urination, dysuria, fever, postitis, blood in the urine, bladder tenesmus and smelly / dark urine.
Information on Urethritis - Drugs for the Treatment of Urethritis is not intended to replace the direct relationship between health professional and patient. Always consult your doctor and / or specialist before taking Uretrite - Drugs for Urethritis Care.
drugs
Given that the cause triggering urethritis has infectious origins, the drugs of choice used in therapy are antibiotics; furthermore, as urethritis is a possible sexually transmitted disease, drug treatment should also be extended to partners with whom they have had unprotected intercourse within 60 days prior to the onset of symptoms.
Antibiotic treatment is essential to cure urethritis and to avoid complications (salpingitis, endometritis, pelviperitonitis):
Macrolides:
- Azithromycin (eg Azithromycin, Zitrobiotic, Rezan, Azitrocin): 1g by mouth in single administration. Indicated for Chlamydia and non-gonococcal urethritis. For children under the age of 8, weighing less than 45 kg, it is recommended to take 20 mg / kg (max. 1 g) orally. For children who are already 8 years old and who weigh more than 45 kg, we recommend the administration of 1 g of drug (antibiotic therapy indicated in case of non-gonococcal infectious urethritis). Azithromycin is the drug of choice for the treatment of urethritis .
- Clarithromycin (eg Biaxin, Macladin, Klacid, Soriclar, Veclam): it is recommended to take the drug at a dose of 250-500 mg orally every 12 hours. The duration of therapy varies from 3 to 7 days depending on the severity of the urethritis.
- Erythromycin (eg Erythrocin, Erythro L, Lauromycin): take 250-500 mg of drug or 400-800 mg every six hours, depending on the severity of the urethritis. It is also possible to take the drug parenterally, in particular when the urethritis causes complications: 1-4 g per day iv in divided doses every 6 hours or by continuous infusion. In pregnancy it is possible to take this drug at a dose of 500 mg twice a day for 7 days. In particular, it is useful in case of Chlamydia urethritis . Consult your doctor.
Tetracyclines : in general, it is recommended to administer 500 mg of drug 4 times a day for 7 days, unless further instructions from the doctor; here is an example:
- Doxycycline (eg Doxicicl, Bassado): for non-gonococcal urethritis, it is recommended to take 100 mg of active ingredient orally once a day for a week. In the case of chronic urinary infection, it is recommended to take 100 mg of active every 12 hours. The duration of treatment should be established by the doctor.
Quinolones:
- Levofloxacin (eg Levofloxacin, Tavanic, Aranda, Fovex): it is recommended to take one tablet of 500 mg orally once a day for 7 days. This drug is also prescribed for urinary tract infections in general: in case of severity, we recommend oral or intravenous administration of 250 mg of drug once a day for 10 days, or 750 mg a day for a period of 5 days .
- Ofloxacin (eg. Exocin, Oflocin): administer 200 mg of active ingredient orally every 12 hours in case of urinary tract infections generally without complications. Particularly active against urethritis from E. Coli infection (duration of therapy: 3 days). For other pathogens, the treatment should be continued for at least 7 days, unless further instructions from the doctor. In case of complications, take 200 mg of drug orally every 12 hours, for 10 days.
In the case of urethritis, it is also possible to take pain-relieving and antipyretic drugs (in case of alteration of body temperature), which help to alleviate painful symptoms.
The choice of a pain medication (NSAID) rather than another, and the duration of treatment, must be prescribed by the doctor based on the severity of the symptoms.
Natural " drugs ": in the case of urethritis it is sometimes possible to rely on phytotherapy, useful for lightening (not treating) the painful symptoms. For example, bearberry ( Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ) is an excellent urinary tract disinfectant: the therapeutic activity of bearberry is possible in an alkaline environment; in this sense, it is recommended to increase the urine pH with specific alkalizing agents (eg potassium citrate).
Urine acidification : the reduction of urinary pH appears to be detrimental to bacterial growth and proliferation. However, urine acidification is a rather complex process, although useful in the prevention of urinary tract infections in general and recurrent urethritis in particular.
It should be emphasized again: it is essential to extend antibiotic therapy to your sexual partner as well, in order to prevent the spread of infection and prevent new episodes of urethritis.
