How to Treat NGU

Опубликовал Admin
13-01-2021, 00:00
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If you have a milky discharge from your penis or you notice a burning or itching sensation when urinating, you're likely feeling a little worried. While these symptoms warrant a visit to your doctor, your condition is likely to be easily treatable, particularly if you're diagnosed with NGU, or non-gonococcal urethritis. NGU is inflammation of the urethra (the tube that carried urine from that bladder) that's often caused by an infection. This particular diagnosis is given when your urethritis is not caused by gonorrhea but rather by chlamydia or other infections which may or may not have been sexually transmitted. NGU can affect both men and women. However, women are usually asymptomatic.

Getting a Diagnosis from Your Doctor

  1. Look for symptoms 1 to 3 weeks after the initial infection. NGU is often, though not always, sexually transmitted, so symptoms could appear 1 to 3 weeks after having sex with an infected partner. In men, the main symptoms are a milky discharge from the tip of your penis and a burning feeling while urinating. However, you may not have any symptoms at all.
    • Women rarely have symptoms, but if you do, you're likely to notice vaginal discharge or a burning sensation when urinating.
    • Men may also experience itchiness or irritation, and you may notice a stain in your underwear from discharge.
    • Risk factors for NGU include having multiple sexual partners, having unprotected sex, and having a history of other STIs.
  2. Visit your doctor to have your symptoms checked out. Your doctor can run tests to figure out the source of the problem, so don't worry. They will ask you about your sexual history and perform a physical examination.
    • Many people get a little nervous for physical examinations, especially when it comes to STIs. Talk to your doctor about it if you're feeling anxious so they can work to put you at ease.
    • If left untreated, the infection can move into your testicles, where it can cause pain and swelling. It can even make you sterile. From there, it can move to the rest of your body. Therefore, it's very important to get these symptoms checked by a doctor.
  3. Expect tests for sexually transmitted infections. "NGU" is used when the inflammation of the urethra isn't caused by gonorrhea. However, when you present with symptoms of urethritis, your doctor will test you for both gonorrhea and chlamydia, as well as syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B.
    • You will be asked to give a urine sample for these tests. In some cases, you may also be asked to take a swab test, where a small cotton swab is inserted into your urethra. It's a little uncomfortable but not painful. For women, your cervix or vagina is likely to be swabbed instead.
    • Consider being tested for other sexually transmitted infections while you're there, particularly if you've been practicing unsafe sex. These tests are important for helping you stay healthy.
    • You can be infected with both gonorrhea and chlamydia at the same time, which happens in about 1/5 of the cases.
  4. Discuss your diagnosis with your doctor. NGU can be caused by chlamydia, but it may also be caused by urinary tract infections. It can also arise from damage or irritation in your urethra. While these diagnoses can sound scary, many are easily treatable.
    • Besides chlamydia, this infection can be caused by ureaplasma urealyticum, trichomonas vaginalis, herpes simplex virus, haemophilus vaginalis, or mycoplasma genitalium.
    • Other causes include catheter insertion, prostate inflammation from bacteria, tightening of the foreskin, or a narrowing of the urethra.
    • If your urethritis is caused by gonorrhea, it's not called "NGU," and you'll likely receive different treatments.
    • You will likely be retested 3-6 months after your initial test. Ask your doctor about when you should schedule your follow-up test.
    • Let your doctor know if you have recently used antibiotics as a treatment for another condition, as this could lead to false-negative results.

Recovering from NGU

  1. Take your antibiotics as directed. Typically, you'll be prescribed azithromycin or doxycycline for chlamydia-derived NGU. Azithromycin is a 1-dose treatment, which is a good option if you have trouble remembering to take medications. You must take doxycycline twice a day over a period of 7 days to treat this infection.
    • Generally, you're given a single 1 gram dose of azithromycin at your doctor's office.
    • For doxycycline, you'll usually take 100 milligrams twice a day for 7 days.
    • Your doctor may also prescribe erythromycin base, erythromycin ethylsuccinate, levofloxacin, or ofloxacin, all of which must be taken for 7 days.
  2. Check your penis for discharge. To make sure you are clear of the infection, look for discharge once a day. When you first wake up, gently squeeze the tip of your penis. Clear discharge is fine, but if it's milky or pus-like, the infection is still in your system.
    • Only do this check once a day, as it can irritate your urethra.
  3. Return to your doctor if your symptoms don't clear up in 2 weeks. Your infection should clear up by 2 weeks from the day you began your antibiotics. Typically, the doctor will check to see if you have another infection or if the antibiotics failed to treat the initial infection.
    • The doctor will ask you whether you took your antibiotics according to the directions. They will also ask whether you could have been reinfected by a sexual partner.
    • The doctor may put you on a different round of antibiotics to treat the infection.

Resuming Sexual Relations

  1. Inform your sexual partners. Your sexual partners should be tested for the same infection, so talk to them about your diagnosis. Because this infection can be present without symptoms, it's important to inform any sexual partners you've had in the last 3 months.
    • If you're a little nervous, keep in mind that most people face this situation at one time or another.
    • When left untreated, the infection can spread. It can even lead to problems like pelvic inflammatory disease in women or reactive arthritis. Therefore, it's the right thing to do to let your sexual partners know that they may have the disease.
  2. Avoid having sex for a week after you've started treatment. Whether you took a 1-dose treatment or a 7-day treatment, both you and your partners should abstain from having sex for a week from the start of treatment. You can still transmit the infection in the week after your 1-dose treatment or during your 7-day treatment.
    • If you continue to have symptoms after the 7 day period, continue to avoid sex until you are symptom-free. If your symptoms persist past your treatment period, contact your doctor to ask about other treatment options.
    • If you can't abstain from sex completely, inform your partners of your infection, and practice safe sex by using a latex or nitrile condom. Your partner won't be 100% protected, but it is safer than no protection at all.
  3. Wait to have sex with partners until they've been treated. If your partners have it, they should be treated as well. You should wait until it's been a week from when they started the antibiotics to have sex.
    • You can be reinfected by your partners if you have sex before they are treated.
    • If you can't abstain, be sure to practice safe sex by wearing a nitrile or latex condom.
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