Chlamydia is an STD (sexually transmitted disease) caused by the microorganism Chlamydia trachomatis. Its peculiarity is that at a certain stage of development it can behave like a bacterium, and at another — like a virus.
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The disease is often asymptomatic and quite difficult to diagnose and differentiate. It can affect not only the genitals, but also the urethra (urethra), rectum, joints, eyes. The pharynx is rarely affected.
Infection usually occurs through sexual contact of a person infected with chlamydia with a healthy person, through the mucous membrane of the vagina or rectum. The risk of infection in this way, especially in the presence of microtrauma, is very high.
Less commonly, chlamydia is transmitted through the household. But this microorganism does not live long outside a person, and it may not accumulate enough bacteria to intervene in a healthy person. This reduces the likelihood of such a method of infection, but such cases still occur.
Infection, for example, can occur through bath accessories (washcloth, towel), toilet bowl, and sometimes through bed linen.
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In rare cases, infection can occur by airborne droplets, with chlamydial bronchitis or pneumonia in a patient. But such cases are very difficult to prove and diagnose.
Sometimes chlamydia can be passed from mother to child. It occurs during childbirth when the baby passes through an infected birth canal. In such situations, conjunctivitis, bronchitis and pneumonia occur in children. It must be remembered that a mother infected with chlamydia is a high risk for the child.
Signs of chlamydia
Chlamydia can be called one of the most controversial diseases, since the disease can occur with virtually no symptoms. If they do appear, they may not differ in any way from ordinary inflammatory processes (mucus, purulent discharge, aching pain in the pelvis, burning during urination).
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Therefore, in the presence of these signs, it is often not possible to identify chlamydia. To diagnose this disease, it is necessary to resort to targeted analyzes on the DNA of the pathogen by polymer chain reaction.
The problem is that most patients are diagnosed long after the onset of symptoms. After all, over time, the activity of symptoms fades away, the disease flows into a chronic form, which is more difficult to cure. There is also a risk of delayed complications with damage to the pelvic organs and other organs and systems.
For women, this form of chlamydia is fraught with infertility, which occurs due to inflammation in the fallopian tubes and the formation of an adhesive process in them. In men, chlamydia can cause prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland), urethritis. The course of therapy is more voluminous and longer than with other pathogens. This is due to the fact that they quickly develop resistance to drugs or are initially insensitive to them due to the uncontrolled use of antibiotics by our patients, who prescribe them themselves.
Despite this, urgent treatment of chlamydia is a prerequisite to avoid complications in the long term. The course of treatment is prescribed only by a doctor.
Prevention
Given that in 90% of cases, chlamydia is sexually transmitted, it is necessary to use barrier contraception. Sexual contacts with unfamiliar or unfamiliar partners must be protected. In the treatment of any inflammatory processes of the genitourinary system (cystitis, urethritis, etc.), especially when they recur, you need to pay attention to the scheme of drug use.
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Self-treatment or diagnosis for suspected chlamydia is unacceptable, as this complicates the diagnostic search and increases the percentage of delayed complications.
Diet Features
There is no special diet for chlamydia. But for the duration of antibiotic treatment, it is recommended to exclude fermented milk products and alcohol from the diet (they reduce the effect of antibiotics) in order to avoid the formation of chlamydia addiction to drugs.
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It is very important that the nutrition during treatment is balanced. The diet should include both fish and meat. It is also desirable to eat different cereals, cereals. As many fruits and vegetables as possible.
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The opinion of the editors may not coincide with the opinion of the author of the article.
