Trichomoniasis

　　It is commonly transmitted through direct contact, such as sexual intercourse, and can also be transmitted indirectly through public bathtubs, towels, etc. Since the pathogen of trichomoniasis is a flagellate, which belongs to protozoa, it is not only highly contagious but also has strong survival ability. It can survive for about 6 hours in a semi-arid environment, so Trichomonas vaginalis can still spread after leaving the human body. The sources of infection are trichomoniasis patients and carriers, which are mainly transmitted through sexual contact, and can also be transmitted indirectly through public bathtubs, swimming pools, sitting toilets, etc.

　　Vaginitis caused by trichomoniasis often coexists with other types of vaginitis, with about 60% of reported cases also having bacterial vaginosis. Trichomoniasis not only infects the vagina but can also infect the anterior fornix of the cervix, urethra, and bladder. Trichomoniasis can be spread among sexual partners, leading to recurrent illness. If Trichomonas vaginalis is parasitic in the urethra or bladder, it can cause trichomoniasis urethritis and cystitis. Trichomonas vaginalis can phagocytize sperm and can hinder lactate production, affecting the survival of sperm in the vagina, thus leading to infertility. In addition, trichomoniasis can cause placental abruption in pregnant patients, leading to fetal death or low birth weight. Infants can be infected through the process of infection with the mother's vagina. Male patients are often asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms, and if there is a urethral ulcer, it can cause urethral stricture after cure.

　　Trichomoniasis is a highly contagious sexually transmitted disease, which can affect both men and women. However, due to insufficient understanding of the symptoms of trichomoniasis, even if people become ill, they often do not know what kind of disease it is and tend to treat themselves, which is actually not the right approach.

　　The main symptoms of female Trichomonas vaginitis are increased yellow-green frothy leukorrhea and vulvar itching. At the same time, the leukorrhea is thin and has a foul smell. If there is a bacterial infection, it will show purulent leukorrhea with a foul smell, and vaginal mucosal bleeding often appears as red discharge. The amount of leukorrhea increases, often accumulating in the posterior fornix, and sometimes it can overflow from the vaginal orifice. The itchy area is mainly at the vaginal orifice and vulva, and burning pain and sexual pain are also common. Vaginal examination may show redness and swelling of the vaginal mucosa and cervix, 'strawberry-like spots', vaginal tenderness, etc. A few patients may experience lower back and sacral pain and irregular menstruation.

　　Male Trichomonas infection, male patients usually have mild symptoms, may have varying degrees of urethral itching and discomfort, which may worsen during urination, and may appear with difficulty urinating, urethral erythema, and yellowish-white purulent discharge. In severe cases, post-urethral inflammation and cystitis may occur. Male trichomoniasis often infects the prostate and urethra, most of which are asymptomatic and carry the infection, but often lead to repeated infections in sexual partners.

　　Most people infected with trichomoniasis do not show clinical symptoms and are called asymptomatic carriers. These carriers are both sources of infection and can become ill under suitable conditions, so they should also be treated.

　　Trichomoniasis is mainly transmitted through sexual contact, hence it is listed as a sexually transmitted disease. How can trichomoniasis be prevented? Let us introduce it from several aspects below, hoping it can play a certain role in the prevention of trichomoniasis.

　　(1) Avoid unclean sexual intercourse. Trichomoniasis patients should be prohibited from sexual activity, isolated treatment, and pay special attention to menstrual hygiene. Methylthionine is recommended during menstruation if necessary.

　　(2) The utensils and bathing equipment of trichomoniasis patients and carriers, such as underwear and innerwear, should be changed and washed frequently, disinfected by boiling for 30 minutes, or soaked in 0.5% to 1% lactic acid solution, vinegar, or saturated concentrated salt water for disinfection.

　　(3) Promote squatting toilets and showers, abolish public bathtubs, bathtubs, towels, etc., to avoid cross-infection of trichomonads.

　　Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by Trichomonas vaginalis infection in the vagina or urethra. Trichomonas vaginalis is a unicellular microorganism with long flagella. Although Trichomonas vaginalis can infect both males and females in the urogenital tract, it is more common in women, with about 20% of women of childbearing age having suffered from trichomoniasis vaginitis.

　　For the initial treatment of trichomoniasis, use soap to wash the vagina, followed by rinsing the vagina with 0.5% to 1% lactic acid or vinegar, and then applying medication to improve the efficacy. I hope this information can provide some help for the treatment of trichomoniasis.

　　The examination methods for trichomoniasis include the following:

(1) Hanging drop method

　　The hanging drop method is the simplest method for checking Trichomonas vaginalis, with a positive rate of 80%-90%. Spread the sample on a slide, add one drop of physiological saline, cover with a coverslip, and examine under a 100-200x lens. The flagellum of the protozoan can be seen to move. If 5% neutral red is added to the physiological saline, the trichomonads will not die and will not stain, forming a pink area around them, making it easier to identify the white protozoa. Alternatively, a drop of 1600x acridine orange solution can be added to the fresh sample, and observed under a fluorescence microscope to see the trichomonads with a pale yellow-green fluorescence, which is very beautiful. The detection rate of direct microscopy is extremely high.

　　(2) Smear staining method

　　Spread the secretion on a glass slide, wait for it to dry naturally, and then stain it with different stains, such as Gram staining, Wright staining, Giemsa staining, PAS staining, and Leishman staining. This method not only allows us to see the shape and content of the trichomonads but also enables us to see other microorganisms present in the vagina at the same time. Acridine orange staining and fluorescence microscopy can also be used.

　　(3) Culture method

　　Add vaginal secretions or urethral secretions to the culture medium, incubate in a 37℃ incubator for 48 hours, inoculate once every 72 hours, take one drop of the mixed culture solution for smearing, and then examine under a microscope after staining.

　　(4) Immunological methods

　　Detect the specific antigens of Trichomonas vaginalis. Common immunological methods include fluorescence antibody test, ELISA, latex agglutination test, etc., which have a higher positive rate than smear method, but are generally not used for clinical examination.

　　In summary, the above content describes the examination methods for Trichomonas vaginalis, which can help women better diagnose whether they have Trichomonas vaginalis. Once women find they have Trichomonas vaginalis, both partners should be treated, and the cleanliness of the vulva should be maintained.

　　When suffering from trichomoniasis vaginitis, patients can choose appropriate food therapy recipes as auxiliary treatment while taking medication. Let's take a look at some food therapy recipes for the treatment of trichomoniasis vaginitis below:

　　Prescription ① (from 'Collection of Medicinal Food Recipes'): 500 grams of fresh chicken crown flower, 500 milliliters of fresh lotus juice, 500 grams of sugar powder. Wash the fresh chicken crown flower clean, add an appropriate amount of water, boil three times, each for 20 minutes. Combine the three boiled liquids, then continue to simmer over low heat to concentrate, add fresh lotus juice, heat until thickened, add sugar powder, turn off the heat, mix well, dry in the sun, crush, and store in a bottle. Take 10 grams dissolved in boiling water for an immediate dose, three times a day.

　　Prescription ② (from 'Thousand Examples of Food and Medicine'): 30 grams of Fuling powder, 30 grams of Xianxiongzi, 60 grams of Congmi, an appropriate amount of sugar.

　　Wrap Xianxiongzi in a cloth bag, put it in a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, boil the juice and remove the medicine bag, then cook the juice with Congmi and Fuling powder to make porridge, add a little sugar, and it's ready. Take one dose a day, and use it for 5 to 7 days as one course.

　　Nutritional Therapy for Trichomoniasis Vaginitis: It is hoped that the above introduction can provide some help for the treatment of women with this disease. It should be reminded that it is necessary to take the above prescriptions under the guidance of a doctor to benefit the treatment of the disease.

　　Traditional Chinese medicine believes that trichomoniasis of the urinary and reproductive tracts is caused by internal damp-heat, external invasion of parasites, and the parasites erode the vulva, with damp-heat descending to the bladder and genital organs. For this, the following is a brief introduction to the traditional Chinese medicine treatment for trichomoniasis of the urinary and reproductive tracts.

　　Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment for Trichomoniasis of the Urinary and Reproductive Tracts

　　(1) Damp-heat descending [Symptoms] Itching or severe itching in the vulva, which may lead to scratching and oozing, with abundant leukorrhea, grayish-yellow or yellowish like foam, or yellow like pus, foul smell, accompanied by bitter mouth, irritability, burning pain in urination, red tongue with greasy yellow coating, slippery and rapid pulse.

　　[Treatment Method] Clear heat and drain dampness, kill parasites and relieve itching. The formula of Longdan Xiegan Decoction can be used with modifications.

　　(2) Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiency [Symptoms] Dry and itchy vulva, burning and itching, scanty vaginal discharge with a yellow color, very red leukorrhea, rough and thick vulvar skin with dark purple color, accompanied by irregular menstruation, low back pain, abdominal distension, short and red urine, red tongue with little coating, wiry and thready pulse.

　　[Treatment Method] Nourish Yin and reduce fire, kill parasites and relieve itching. The formula of Zhizi Dihuang Decoction can be used with modifications.

　　Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment Methods for Trichomoniasis: The above introduction of traditional Chinese medicine treatment methods for trichomoniasis is intended to help patients with trichomoniasis who are currently undergoing treatment.