What causes thrush in men and is it transmitted from a woman?
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Thrush in men is rare. Basically, it affects men with reduced immunity, impaired metabolism, impaired and altered hormonal background. Requires compulsory treatment, because it entails a number of inconveniences, leads to serious consequences and complications, and can also lead to infection of the partner.
Cause
The first, and the most basic cause of thrush development, both in men and women, is dysbiosis. This is a violation of the normal state of the microflora of the urogenital tract, which entails the development of a pathogenic bacterial microflora, or the attachment of a fungal infection. Dysbacteriosis can occur in the event that representatives of normal microflora die, and their place is occupied by representatives of pathogenic and opportunistic microflora, which begin to actively and uncontrolledly multiply.
Reduced immunity, lack of vitamin, malnutrition, act as the main factors that contribute to the disturbance of microflora. Usually this is promoted by innate characteristics of the body. Dysbacteriosis often develops after prolonged use of antibiotics, against chemotherapy. Also, the cause may be a violation of the normal state of the endocrine system, a change in the hormonal background, a decrease in the reactivity of the local immunity, a system of nonspecific immunoresistance.
Risk factors
The risk group falls in the first place, people who have immune system disorders. People who suffer from frequent colds and infectious diseases are also at considerable risk, they have to be treated with antibiotics, take some medications for a long time. The risk of thrush development also increases in people who are carriers of various viruses, especially those that are able to influence the immune system and show tropism to the cells of the immune system.
HIV infection, cancers, tumors, various severe diseases also contribute to the development of thrush. Chemotherapy is the factor that causes thrush development. Thrush can also be transmitted from a partner suffering from this disease.
Also increases the risk in people who eat poorly, who lack vitamin, trace elements. People who abuse alcohol and who have chronic diseases are at risk. Frequent change of sexual partners, the presence of sexual infections, mucosal disorders. It is also necessary to take into account the role of active and hidden infections in the development of thrush. In some cases, allergic reactions can cause thrush. Allergies can cause itching.
[Pathogenesis
The pathogenesis is based on the disturbance of normal microflora. This occurs against a background of reduced immunity. All this leads to a significant change in the state of the mucous membranes of the genital organs. Reduces the amount of normal microflora, and in its place develops a pathogenic microflora. Most often it is a fungal infection of the genus Candida, or a bacterial infection.
Also, the basis of pathogenesis may be a violation of the synthesis of immunoglobulins (protein molecules that are synthesized by the mucous membranes and provide local immunity of the body). All this leads to the development of the inflammatory process, the progression of microflora disorders. A systemic process can develop that will spread to the entire body.
The development of dysbiosis is due to the fact that the microflora is dynamic and variable. The nature of the microflora varies and largely depends on the state of the organism. It is the current state of the organism, including the hormonal and biochemical background, that provides selective advantages in the biotope to various forms of microorganisms.
The basis of urogenital microflora is represented by various biovarieties of saccharolytic microorganisms. They are called the unified concept of the bacteria "Dodderlein". These microorganisms develop with a sufficient amount of lactic acid. The biological significance of these microorganisms is that such a medium prevents the colonization of the biotope by acid-sensitive microorganisms. If these microorganisms perish, others, including pathogens, begin to multiply uncontrollably and colonize the biotope, causing the disease.
How is the thrush passed from woman to man?
Thrush is transmitted by sexual contact if one of the partners is ill. It can be transmitted both at traditional sexual contacts, and at nonconventional. Oral sex is also seen as one of the ways of transmission of infection.
Nevertheless, the disease does not always develop. The disease can develop only if the partner has a reduced immunity. In the normal state of immunity, as a rule, the disease does not develop. This is due to the fact that, in norm, the urogenital microflora possesses a sufficiently high colonization resistance, which prevents the development of pathogenic and any other foreign microflora in the body.
Sexual way
Considering the sexual way of transmission of infection with thrush is not entirely correct. The fact is that the causative agent is not any specific virus, or bacterium, but a pathogenic microflora, the amount of which goes beyond the norm. Conventionally, we can say that in the human body, normal as well as pathogenic microflora lives. The normal prevails, it suppresses the pathogenic and does not allow its excessive development.
Under certain circumstances, the amount of normal microflora may decrease. At the same time immediately activates the pathogenic microflora, which becomes predominant. To develop such a state can only under the condition of reduced immunity. Normally, if a healthy partner gets a pathogenic microflora of the diseased, a normal microflora will not allow it to settle down and become more active. This property has received the name of colonization resistance of microorganisms. If the partner's immunity is reduced, the probability of infection is high.
Oral sex
With the development of thrush, oral sex can be considered as one of the ways of transmission of infection. This disease is due to the fact that the microflora falls into the wrong biotope, which is natural. Representatives of urogenital microflora should not normally show up in the oral cavity. When they hit, most often develops stomatitis, less often - gingivitis, caries.
The incubation period of thrush in men
The disease does not have a pronounced incubation period. If there was a decrease in immunity, the dysbacteriosis may develop within 1-2 days. The colonization of the urogenital tract by representatives of the pathogenic microflora also develops within 1-2 days.
Epidemiology
According to statistics, thrush occurs mainly in women. In men, it is much less common. It is noted that about 1 out of 200 men are sick with milkmaids. Most often this disease affects teenagers (54% of cases). Men of reproductive age suffer from thrush in about 16% of cases. Elderly men suffer from thrush in 28% of cases. Approximately 2% falls on thrush in children, as well as in newborns who received the disease from a sick mother.