Chlamydia

Recently, the word chlamydia occur more often, and the phrase "flying chlamydia" and "diagnosis of chlamydia" is an essential feature pages of ads in any newspaper.
Nevertheless, the prevalence and the widespread use of these terms is not to say that at least someone from diseased plainly understands what he is sick, who are chlamydia, where they were before and where this scourge has undertaken.
For a start tell that from a chlamydia represent. So, these are microorganisms that on many properties similar to bacteria (for example, have a cell wall), but the sizes are very similar to viruses. Another very important feature of chlamydia - a human or animal they are inside the cells - just like viruses. In short, chlamydia - a unique microbes that are not viruses, not bacteria, chlamydia - chlamydia, and they have. Their most important feature - a unique way of life, a unique development cycle that has no analogue in nature - first in the large cells form immature education, do not have any infectious properties. But as it develops, it decreases by approximately a factor of 3-4, becoming infectious properties destroyed and damaged cells, leaving them affect healthy cells - and there is a specific disease.
Chlamydia - is not one of some microbes, the genus Chlamydia has more than 30 pathogens that cause a lot of variety of diseases. And people are sick of these diseases since time immemorial, simply advances Microbiology allowed, finally, to set them (diseases), the real reason. Illustrating the antiquity of Chlamydia infection, it should be noted that the typical description of ailments, apparently caused by chlamydia, are available in the Egyptian papyri of the fifteenth century BC and known for certain - Horace and Cicero suffered from chlamydia.
What disease causes chlamydia? Different. For example, psittacosis - a disease in a way brand name viagra reminiscent of pneumonia, but the cause - not known to all streptococci and staphylococci, namely, a special type of chlamydia detected in 132 species of birds - wild and very wild, domestic and intracellular (who sit in cages) very often - parrots, pigeons, ducks, chickens. With infected feces, down, feather get chlamydia in the human body - through the mouth (if not washed their hands after cleaning the chicken coop), or air-dust path. Since the disease and there.
Another common carrier of chlamydia - a cat (kitten). Infection occurs through direct contact with animal rights - through the bites and scratches. Initially, for example, just a scratch on his arm and all. Then (after a couple of weeks), increased axillary lymph nodes, the temperature rises sharply - this is a special disease Chlamydia, which is called - "cat scratch disease.
And psittacosis and cat scratch disease - so-called zoonotic chlamydiosis (the term "zooplankton" in principle is clear - the beasts to blame). But there is chlamydia antroponoznye, ie, the purely human. The most famous, the most dangerous and most prevalent disease is trachoma - a chronic eye disease that affects the conjunctiva and cornea. Many readers may not have heard such words, but trachoma is widespread in many countries in South America, Africa and Asia. The number of patients - at least 400 million, and in some years the number of blinded due to trachoma has reached 20 million people! Incidentally, in the USSR of trachoma in some regions there were many, but as a mass disease was eradicated in the late 60's and now there are only a few cases.
Three of these diseases - though common in our country, but the mass interest a wide readership not cause, because rare. Although, if Frankly, psittacosis occurs much more frequently than is diagnosed. And here's why. Fortunately, chlamydia, unlike viruses, are susceptible to antibiotics, but not all. For example, the most common antibiotics of the penicillin group (ampicillin, oxacillin) or cephalosporins (cefazolin, cephalexin) do not work for chlamydia in general, and tetracycline and erythromycin are very good. Ill attendant Aunt Masha with pneumonia, prescribed penicillin - any effect, appointed tetracycline - has recovered. We have something now understand that most likely it was psittacosis, but what a difference to Aunt Masha - Aunt Mary is not a scientist, she is not diagnosis is important, but the end result.
Nevertheless, interest in chlamydia is increasing rapidly, and the reason for that - a special variant of the disease, called urogenital chlamydia.
Urogenital chlamydia - a disease transmitted sexually, is it acute or chronic, and symptoms of its most diverse. Clearly, if we are talking about the defeat (inflammation) urinogenital, the symptoms would be appropriate - and pain when urinating and discharge, and itching, and various inflammations, detectable by ultrasound (prostate in men adnexitises women, and so etc.). But! Symptoms that can say with certainty: it is chlamydia - do not exist. An enormous amount of other microbes - from all known gonococci to mysterious ureoplazmy - can cause illness and symptoms are indistinguishable from chlamydia.
Urogenital chlamydial infection was much, if not to say very much. But it did not become greater than it was. Its just learned how to diagnose. Chlamydia generally difficult to locate and grow - it does not grow on conventional microbiological media, she filed exclusively for the growth of living cells. Therefore, to prove there is chlamydia or not - a very Viagra: two-chamber vessel long and very expensive. Now there are so-called diagnostics, capable of not growing chlamydia, and to answer two questions: is the organism Chlamydia or not is whether or not antibodies to chlamydia (ie, special cells produced by the body in response to the penetration of chlamydia).
Return to the question "was a lot." In the U.S., for example, annually establish the diagnosis of urogenital Chlamydia 3 million times, and in England - 70 000 times. How many of these patients we have - no one knows. Diagnosticums quite expensive, the domestic industry does not produce them, therefore, the diagnosis of chlamydia can be set only one who has the ability and willingness to pay for diagnosticum.
Some fundamental issues which, nevertheless, important to know.

1.
Natural (innate) immunity to chlamydia does not exist. Anyone to whom the organism Chlamydia hit has a fairly high risk of developing. Past medical history does not provide immunity - in short, can hurt plenty of times.
2.
All that you hear about ways to become infected with sexually transmitted diseases, is most directly related to chlamydia. The most similar - and symptoms, and route of infection and the consequences of the absence of proper treatment - chlamydia and gonorrhea.
3.
Many of the leading specialists in sexually transmitted disease is: if you have symptoms of acute urethritis (frequent, painful urination) and has not been detected gonococcus (Gonorrhoea) - the probability of chlamydia and 70% higher.
4.
Gonococcus and chlamydia - every now and live together, causing urethritis and other urogenital diseases, even infections often occur simultaneously.
5.
What to do to not get sick urogenital chlamydia? The surest way - to exclude sexually active, but he is regarded by many as inappropriate. But limiting the number of sexual partners, condom + - fairly reliable ways of prevention.
6.
What to do when sick: access to specialists, the number of drugs that Chlamydia can be successfully treated, is quite large.
7.
Treated the same - a waste of money. If you have a regular sexual partner - together are treated together.
8.
Quite often diagnosticums indicate the presence of chlamydia, but no clinical symptoms at the same time not. None of the medical guidelines there is no clear answer to the question: in this case do? Research in the field of Chlamydia trachomatis most actively ongoing, and the study of chlamydia included in the program priorities of the World Health Organization. Chances are, if you're not a monk (nun), treated all the same it is necessary - no signs of illness in a particular person does not give grounds to be a risk infecting others.
9.
Untreated urogenital chlamydia can cause some serious complications in both men and women, impotence in this case is rare, but often infertility.
10.
Important. Chlamydia is not a tragedy but a nuisance. Of chlamydia do not die. Chlamydia can be treated. But also their health, and doctor's recommendations should be respected - and the choice of antibiotic, and the appointment of drugs that stimulate the immune system, and duration of treatment, and prevention of recurrent infections - is not as easy as it may seem at first sight, but not so hard to tear his hair and sad to say goodbye as with life in general, and with sexuality in particular.