"Runny nose French" (gonorrhea): symptoms, diagnosis, treatment

The bizarre name "French common cold", strangely enough, refers not to diseases of the respiratory tract, but to venereal infections. This is the metaphorical name for gonorrhea - a very common sexually transmitted disease. If in a common rhinitis (rhinitis) mucus flows from the nose, then in gonorrhea from the more intimate parts of the body, a substance that looks like pus looks. Knowing the predisposition of the French to love, ingenious people called this venereal disease a "French runny nose".

What is gonorrhea?

It is an infection caused by harmful bacteria by gonococci. It affects warm and damp areas of the body, including:

• Urethra (a tube into which urine enters from the bladder);
• eyes;
• throat;
• vagina;
• anus;
• Female reproductive organs (fallopian tubes, uterus and cervix).

The disease is transmitted from person to person during unprotected traditional, oral or anal sex. The greatest risk is faced by those who often change partners or do not use condoms. Accordingly, the best preventive measures are abstinence from intimate relationships, monogamy (proximity to a single partner), and the continued use of reliable remedies. It is noteworthy that the abuse of alcoholic beverages or narcotic substances, including substances requiring intravenous injection, usually leads to promiscuous sexual intercourse, and hence to an increased risk of infection.

Symptoms

"Runny nose French" is in fact not always characterized by purulent discharge. Some patients find that they have contracted the infection, already 2-14 days after unprotected sex, while others may live for years without even knowing about their illness. It is important to remember, however, that even in the absence of typical symptoms, the infected person remains contagious to others.

Symptoms in men

Absence of signs of disease is most typical for men. However, in some cases, the following symptoms occur:

• Burning or pain during urination;
• Purulent discharge from the penis (white, yellow, beige or greenish);
• Swelling or redness in the urethra;
• Swelling or tenderness of the testicles;
• Chronic sore throat.

Symptoms in Women

Gonorrhea, gonorrhea, gonorrhea, and some other sexually transmitted diseases in women can have similar symptoms, so it is not possible to independently differentiate the ailment, based only on one's own feelings. Moreover: gonorrhea can successfully "mask" for an ordinary vaginal yeast infection. In order not to confuse the disease and not to take unnecessary medications on your own initiative, you should consult a doctor after discovering the following symptoms:

• Unusual vaginal discharge;
• Pain or burning during urination;
• Increased frequency of urination;
• a sore throat;
• Pain during intercourse;
• Acute pain in the lower abdomen;
• Fever.

Diagnostics

Doctors use different methods to clarify the preliminary diagnosis of "gonorrhea." This study of a sample of vaginal or penile secretions under a microscope or the cultivation of a colony of bacteria under special (ideal) conditions. To obtain a sample of secretions, a standard swab from the throat, anus, vagina, or tip of the penis is performed. The analysis can also take blood or synovial fluid in case the infection has spread to the ligaments.

Complications

In the absence of proper treatment, sexually transmitted diseases can lead to serious complications. "French rhinitis" is not an exception to the general rule.

When the disease is started, the women begin to scar the fallopian tubes, which subsequently leads to infertility. No less frequent inflammatory disease of the pelvic organs, causing pain in the lower body, ectopic pregnancy and infertility. If an infected woman is already pregnant, gonorrhea can pass to the baby during childbirth.

In men, the "runny French" leads to scarring of the urethra and a painful abscess inside the penis. If bacteria enter the bloodstream, patients of both sexes may suffer from arthritis, damage to the heart valves, inflammation of the membranes of the brain or spinal cord. This happens rarely, but do not risk your own health - if you find any symptoms of an illness, you should see a doctor.

Treatment

The disease of gonorrhea is treated with antibiotics. Recently, however, there have appeared new strains of bacteria resistant to classical medicines; In case of ineffectiveness of conventional drugs, doctors prescribe stronger (and, unfortunately, more expensive) drugs or prescribe to take certain antibiotics in the complex. The most commonly used ceftriaxone in combination with azithromycin or doxycycline.

Scientists are working on developing a vaccine against gonorrhea.