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Causes:
When bacteria enters the anus and spreads to the urethra it can cause urethritis. This disorder can also come from sexually transmitted infections. There are several forms of bacteria that enter the urethra from the skin around its opening and cause the infection that leads to the inflammation and swelling of urethritis. The types of bacteria that can cause urethritis are found in stool and can also cause STIs (sexually transmitted diseases. Some types of bacteria that can cause urethritis are:
- E. Col
- Gonoccocus
- Chlamydia Trachomatis
- Any bacteria that causes bladder or kidney infections and STIs
- Any bacteria that can be found in the genital region and enters the urinary tract
Symptoms
People with this condition often do not experience any noticeable symptoms. However, the following are all examples of symptoms that one could experience if urethritis is obtained:
Symptoms found in both men and women:
Symptoms found in both men and women:
- Urethra inflammation
- Pain with urination (dysuria)
- Frequent or urgent need to urinate
- Difficulty starting urination
- Itching, pain, or discomfort when one is not urinating
- Tenderness or swelling in penis (men)
- Painful intercourse
- Discharge from urethral opening or vagina
- Fever
- Blood in urine or semen
- Enlarged lymph nodes in the groin area
- Tenderness or swelling of the penis
- Pain during ejaculation
- Pelvic pain
- Abdominal pain
- Chills
Demographics, Prevalence, and Prognosis
Prevalence (Risk Factors):
Urethritis tends to be more common in certain kinds of people. The following is a list of risk factors and people that tend to be more likely to obtain this bacterial infection:
- Women more so at risk than men (a woman's anus is closer to the urethra than a man's)
- For a female, being within reproductive years
- For a male, being within the ages of 20 and 35
- Multiple sexual partners
- Unprotected sex
- Recent changed in sexual partners
- History of other STIs
- Bacterial infection of other parts of the urinary tract (kidney, bladder, prostate)
- Use of medications that lower resistance to bacterial infections
- Having catheters or tubes placed in the bladder
- Acidic foods
- Spermicide
Prognosis
If this condition is treated early, there are few complications in the simple form of this disorder. If it progresses, a bladder, kidney, or testicle/prostate infection may develop. Any problems that are long term could result in infertility. When the diagnosis is correct and good treatment is put into place, urethritis usually clears up without further problems. If not treated properly, urethritis can lead to long term damage of the urethra and scar tissue called urethral stricture. Other urinary organs in both males and females may be damaged also. If the infection spreads to the pelvis, women could develop fertility problems.
Treatment and Prevention
Prevention
If one is concerned about obtaining urethritis, there are a couple of precautionary measures one can take to help prevent and lower the likeliness of obtaining this condition. The basic ways to prevent the onset of urethritis are to practice safe sex and promote good urinary health. Some means of prevention include:
- Keep area around the opening of the urethra clean
- Follow safe sex practices (i.e. use condoms and don't have more than one sexual partner)
- Make sure that all sexual partners who are infected or exposed are treated
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Urinate shortly after intercourse
- Avoid acidic foods
- Avoid exposure to spermicides
Treatment
Urethritis is fairly easy to treat. It can typically be treated through a course of antibiotics or antiviral medications. Some common treatments include: tetracycline, doxycycline, erythromycin, and ofloxacin. Pain relievers are sometimes taken to work on the urinary tract (examples include NSAIDS like ibuprofen and phenazopyridine - Pyridium - which work along side antibiotics. Avoiding sexual activity altogether or using a condom is part of the treatment process. Some antibiotic medications that are used to treat urethritis include:
- Adoxa, Monodox, Oracea, Vibramycin (doxycycline)
- Rocephin (ceftriaxone)
- Zithromax, Zmax (azithromycin)
- Valtrex (valacyclovir)
- Famvir (famciclovir)
- Zovirax (acyclovir)
- Flagyl (metronidazole)
- Tindamax (tinidazole)