What Are Vaginal Infections?

Infections in the reproductive organs are one of the most important causes of infertility for both men and women. These infections can prevent conception or the healthy continuation of the obtained pregnancy. Before getting pregnant, expectant mothers should be checked for these infections.

Fungal Infection

Many women get yeast infections throughout their lives. Fungal infections are itchy and painful, but they are usually easy to treat and go away quickly. Pregnancy, prolonged use of antibiotics and untreated diabetes are factors that facilitate fungal infection.

The most common microorganism that causes vaginal yeast infections is a yeast cell called Candida albicans. Since this fungal cell is responsible in 67-95% of cases, vaginal yeast infections are generally defined as vaginal candidiasis. Whether Candida albicans is an organism that is normally found in the vagina or whether it is a pathogen that must be treated when detected in asymptomatic women is a question that has not been clarified even today. Since it cannot be produced in male semen, it cannot be considered as a sexually transmitted disease. However, since it has been determined in the studies that the spouses have similar types of fungal cells, many physicians consider it appropriate to apply the spouse therapy in the treatment.

Fungus Symptoms in Women

The most common finding of fungal infection is a cheese-shaped, white, odorless discharge with intense itching in the vulva and vagina. Sometimes the discharge can be very intense. Redness and edema may have occurred in the external genital area, depending on the infection itself and itching. In some cases, the irritation caused by itching can cause burning when urinating. In advanced cases, vaginal yeast infections can also cause pain during intercourse. There are many drug options available today in the treatment of fungal infection. In mild infections, suppository application to the vagina and cream application to the vulva are recommended, while in more severe infections or those who cannot use suppositories, treatment with single-dose drugs is successful in most cases.
In case of recurrent infection, factors that facilitate fungal infection are considered first and long-term treatments are preferred instead of single-dose treatment.

 

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that occurs in the genital tract. Diagnosing chlamydia can be difficult for you; because there are no or very few symptoms in the early stages of the disease. Symptoms may appear 1-3 weeks after contracting the disease. Even when symptoms do occur, they are usually mild and temporary, so it is likely to be ignored.

Chlamydia Symptoms include:

This infection, which can be easily treated with antibiotics when detected, can cause serious eye infections and pneumonia in the newborn. The microorganism that causes chlamydia infections is transmitted from pools and saunas outside of sexual contact and settles in the cervix. Chlamydia can also lead to infertility and ectopic pregnancy by causing blockages in the ovaries.
 

Gonorrhea in Women

Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection that occurs in the genital tract. The first symptoms of gonorrhea usually appear within 2 to 10 days of exposure. However, in some people, symptoms may not appear for months.

Symptoms of gonorrhea in women are:

- Dense, cloudy and bloody discharge from the penis or vagina
- Pain and burning sensation during urination
- Frequent urination
- Pain during sexual intercourse

The microorganism can also cause joint pains, skin rashes and severe symptoms such as meningitis by mixing with the blood. When taken during pregnancy, it spreads and causes severe infections. It can cause premature birth, growth retardation in the baby, and can cause blindness, meningitis and joint inflammation by being transmitted during birth.

Syphilis

Syphilis is a bacterial infection. This condition affects the genitals, skin, mucous membranes, but can also affect other parts of the body, such as the brain and heart.

Symptoms of syphilis occur in 4 stages;

first stage, second stage, latent stage and third stage.

First stage: These symptoms may appear within 10 days to 3 months of exposure to infection.
- A small, painless sore (syphilis) in the infected area (genital organ, rectum, tongue or lips). Usually a single boil will appear, but many boils can also occur.

- Enlarged lymph glands

Symptoms and signs in the first stage usually go away without treatment, but the disease does not actually go away and reappears in the second or third stage.

Second stage: symptoms of the second stage appear within 2 - 10 weeks after the appearance of the syphilis. These :

- Dime-sized reddish or brown spots on any part of the body, including the soles and soles of the feet
- Fire
- Fatigue, blurred state and discomfort
- Fracture and pain

Symptoms may disappear within a few weeks or may recur for up to a year.

Latent stage: some people may experience the latent stage, that is, a period of no symptoms, following the second stage. Symptoms may never appear again, or the disease may progress to the third stage.

Third stage: If left untreated, the syphilis bacteria can spread, causing serious damage to many internal organs and even death. Some of the symptoms of this stage are as follows:

- Neurological problems: Paralysis, infection and inflammation in the membranes, the fluid surrounding the brain, and the spinal cord. Other problems may be poor muscle coordination, numbness, paralysis, deafness or vision problems. Personality changes and dementia are also possible.
- Cardiovascular problems: Vasodilation and inflammation of the aorta or other blood vessels. Syphilis can also cause heart diseases of the heart valves.
 

Genital Herpes

Genital herpes is highly contagious and is caused by a simple virus called HSV. HSV enters your body through small fragments in the skin or mucous membranes. Most people with HSV don't know it because they have no symptoms or signs. When signs and symptoms are noticeable, the first episode is usually the worst. Some people may not experience the second part at all. Other people may experience other episodes over decades.

The symptoms of Genital Herpes are as follows

- Small red bumps, blisters, open sores in the genital or anal area
- Pain and itching in the genital or hip area,

Among the first symptoms of genital herpes are pain and itching, which occurs within a few weeks after sexual intercourse with someone who has the disease. After a few days, small red bumps may appear. These then tear or break off, forming boils that ooze or bleed. Eventually, they crust over and the boils heal.

In women, sores occur in the vaginal area, outside of the genitals, buttocks, anus, or cervix. In men, sores occur on the penis, testicles, anus, buttocks, or inside the urethra.

When you have a boil, urinating can be painful. At the same time, pain and tenderness may be felt in the genital area until the infection passes. In the first part of the illness, you may have flu-like symptoms such as headache, muscle pain, fever. In some cases, the infection can be active and contagious even if the wounds heal.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

In this case, which is also known as inflammatory diseases of the reproductive organs, the infection in the vagina spreads to the cervix, uterus, reproductive tracts, ovaries and other organs in the abdomen. Along with pain, complaints such as fever and chills may occur. It is a serious infection that is common and can cause infertility in 15% of women who have had the disease. Pelvic inflammatory disease can also cause an ectopic pregnancy.

Ureaplasma and mycoplasma infections
These infections usually do not cause any symptoms in men and women, these infections detected by laboratory examinations can be treated with antibiotics. It is known to increase the risk of miscarriage in pregnant women.

Urinary Tract Infections

It is an infection that affects any part of the urinary tract. There are normally no bacteria in the urine. Urinary tract infection occurs when bacteria enter the bladder or kidney and multiply in the urine. The most common of these types of infections is a bladder infection, also called cystitis. Another type of infection is kidney inflammation, also called pyelonephritis. Although uncomfortable, urinary tract infections can be treated easily and quickly if a doctor is seen without waiting.


If these infections are not treated, they harm the mother and the baby. 15-20% of women will get a urinary tract infection at some point in their lives.
Women are much more prone to urinary tract infections due to their anatomical structures. Since the structure called urethra between the bladder and the outside world is shorter in women, microbes can reach the bladder easily and in a short time. However, in women who drink a lot of water and urinate very often, the microbes in the urethra are expelled while urinating, thus mechanical cleaning is achieved and thus the chance of infection is reduced.

INFORMATION FORM