One in two women is affected at least once in their life. There cystitis it is one of the most common ailments that tend to be overlooked, perhaps resorting to DIY and then switching to antibiotics when symptoms worsen. Although it is not a serious disease, without the necessary precautions, it can become a recurring disorder and affect the quality of life of those who suffer from it. To provide practical rules and correct information, the “Cystitis, an agile management” project was created by the group of urologists Agile (Italian group for advanced laparo-endoscopic and robotic urologic surgery) and Federfarma Servizi.
I sintomi
Cystitis is a bacterial infection of the bladder that manifests itself with a need to urinate more frequently than usual, accompanied by burning, pain, a sense of perineal weight and incomplete emptying and often with the presence of blood in the urine. One in two women is affected at least once in their life. One in four women who have had a first episode of cystitis will have another within the next six months. One in five develops a recurring form with more than three episodes a year. The main symptoms of this infection are precisely burning, pain, frequent urge to urinate, sometimes there is even blood in the urine.
Cystitis: antibiotics immediately, otherwise it becomes chronic
fabio di todaro
Can cystitis be prevented? First of all, you have to follow a few simple rules that should become an integral part of the lifestyle: his at least two liters of water a day, avoid using harsh vaginal cleansers, do not use where possible the antibiotics, prevent relapses with the D-mannosio in high doses and take care of the microbiota intestinal, integrating it with fibers and lactic ferments. What does the microbiota have to do with cystitis? “The antibiotics used to treat it – he explains Fabio Pace, director of the Gastroenterology Unit of the “Bolognini” Hospital in Seriate (Bergamo) – they modify the composition of the intestinal microbiota in an acute and sometimes persistent way, with a reduction in bacterial diversity including urinary, an important risk factor for recurrent urinary infections . In this sense, an integration of lactobacilli or other probiotics as well as prebiotics is demonstrated and indicated for the maintenance or restoration of a correct balance ”.
Cystitis, cases on the rise. And it also recurs more than once in a year
FABIO DI TODARO
When the situation worsens, the antibiotic is used to eliminate bacterial growth in the urine. The positive effects of the treatment usually manifest themselves within a couple of days. But the right antibiotic is not always prescribed, also because sometimes women self-prescribe, which favors the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance that has now become a public health problem. In Italy, in acute hospital care, 20% to 50% of the antibiotics prescribed are unnecessary or inappropriate. According to data from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (Ecdc) againstEscherichia coli, the main cause of cystitis, the ineffectiveness reached 64.5% for aminopenicillins, 41% for fluoroquinolones and 28.7% for third generation cephalosporins.
Natural substances
This is why it becomes important to have alternative solutions to antibiotics available that allow you to cure this disorder avoiding relapses. “There are several natural substances that can help such as Cranberry and many others. Among these in particular is D-mannose. The latest studies – reveals Filippo Annino, president of the Agile Group and head of the Robotic Urology Operating Unit at San Donato Hospital in Arezzo – tell us that the administration of D-mannose in high doses can be a good way to tackle the problem. Even the guidelines of the European Association of Urology cite D-mannose as a very promising molecule ”. It is a sugar, a low molecular weight monosaccharide that is largely eliminated in the urine. “His action – he explains Antonello Mirone, president of the National Association of Pharmacy Service Companies – expresses himself preventing theEscherichia coli to adhere to the urothelial cells and favoring their detachment and disposal with the urinary stream. By now the scientific evidences are numerous: the systematic reviews of the literature show that the D-mannose in high doses has a protective role in adult women, in urinary tract infections, recurrent and acute “.
The project dedicated to women
The project “Cystitis, an agile management” was created with the aim of creating awareness on the management of the disease that is faced by resorting to the use, and too often the abuse, of antibiotics. “Thousands of family doctors, urologists and pharmacists will be involved, in an interactive way, on clinical cases dedicated to the themes of antibiotic resistance, treatment and prevention of this pathology and finally on the importance of the intestinal microbiota”, explains Cindolo. We will then complete training and updating with a series of territorial webinars and Distance Training that we will propose between May and June ”. June for cystitis will be the month of prevention: an awareness campaign will be promoted in all participating pharmacies with the rules for avoiding and treating the pathology that in Italy compromises the quality of life of 9 million people and affects above all in the warmer season.
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