Pelvic Inflammatory Disease: Diagnosis, Risk Factors and Treatment 1

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease: Diagnosis, Risk Factors and Treatment

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Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is an infection of the female reproductive organs. It occurs when sexually transmitted bacteria spread from your vagina to other parts like the fallopian tubes, ovaries and uterus.

Untreated, it may cause scar tissue and abscesses( pockets of infected fluid) to develop in the reproductive duct, contributing to permanent damage.
The signs and symptoms of the disease can be subtle or mild. Some women may not experience any signs or symptoms therefore you may not realize you have the infection until have a hard time getting pregnant or you develop chronic pelvic pain.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Trusted Source asserts that the condition may affect about 5% of women in the United States.
Several different types of bacteria can cause PID, including the same bacteria that cause sexually transmitted infections (STIs) gonorrhoea and chlamydia. What commonly occurs is that bacteria first enter the vagina and cause an infection. As time passes, this infection can move into the pelvic organs.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one out of eight women who have had pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) have a hard time carrying a pregnancy.

Causes of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Complications

Some of the complications from PID can also include:

  • Tubo Ovarian Abscess

  • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease can lead to collection of pus also known as abscesses  to form in your reproductive tract. These abscesses may affect the ovaries and fallopian tubes and can also develop in the uterus and other pelvic organs. If left untreated you can develop a life threatening infection.
  • Infertility

  • Damaging your reproductive organs may lead to infertility- the inability to get pregnant.  Delaying the treatment for PID may also increase the infertility risk.
  • Ectopic Pregnancy

  • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease causes tubas alias ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy may occur when untreated PID causes scar tissue to the develop in the fallopian tubes. The scar tissue inhibits the fertilized egg from travelling all the way to the fallopian tube to implant in the uterine lining. Instead the egg implants in the fallopian tube causing life-threatening bleeding that may demand emergency medical attention.
  • Chronic Pelvic Pain

  • PID can cause pelvic pain that lasts for several months or years. Scarring your fallopian tubes and other pelvic organs may also cause pain during ovulation and sexual intercourse.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease: Diagnosis, Risk Factors and Treatment 2

  •  Prevention of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

To reduce your risk of pelvic inflammatory disease:

Practice Safe Sex

Use condoms whenever you have sexual intercourse, limit the number of sexual partners and ask them about a potential partner’s sexual history.

  Encourage Your Partner to be Tested

If you have pelvic inflammatory disease or a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI), advise your partner to get tested and treated, this may prevent the spread of STIs and the recurrence of PID.

Discuss Contraception With Your Healthcare Provider

Various forms of contraception don’t protect against development of PID. Using barrier methods like condoms to help reduce the risk of contracting PID. Even if you take birth control pills use a condom whenever you have sexual contact with a new partner to protect against STIs.

Avoid Douching

While cleaning your vagina, avoid douching as it upsets the balance of bacteria in your vagina.

Get Tested

If you are at risk of an STI, make an appointment with your health provider for testing. Arrange for regular testing schedule with your healthcare provider if needed. Treating STI gives you the chance of avoiding PID.

When to see a Doctor

See your health care provider or seek urgent medical care if you experience:

  • Severe pain low in your abdomen
  • Nausea and vomiting, with an inability to keep anything down
  • Fever, with a temperature higher than 101 F (38.3 C)
  • Foul vaginal discharge

If you have signs and symptoms of PID that aren’t severe, still see your provider as soon as possible. Vaginal discharge with an odor, painful urination or bleeding between periods can also be symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection (STI). If these signs and symptoms occur, stop having sex and see your provider soon. Prompt treatment of an sexually transmitted infection (STI) can help prevent PID.

What Questions Should You Expect From Your Doctor ?

Be ready to answer multiple questions from your doctor such as:

What symptoms do you have?

When did you start experiencing symptoms?

Are your symptoms severe?

Do you have several sexual partners?

Do you always use condoms?

Do you experience any pelvic pain?

Coping and support

PID can bring up challenging and stressful feelings. You may deal with the diagnosis of an STI, chronic pain and possible infertility. To help you cope with the ups and downs of PID diagnosis consider some of these strategies:

Treatment

  • PID is caused by a sexually transmitted infection. Discovering that you have an STI can cause trauma for you or your romantic partner. Nevertheless, you should seek medical attention alongside your romantic partner to lessen the severity of PID and to avoid reinfection.
  • If endometriosis exhibits no symptoms, a person may not require any treatment. However a physician is required to monitor the situation regularly.
    Treatment for the condition include pain relievers like nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs and also surgery, hormone therapy for instance the birth control pill.
    The main goal of surgery is to remove the endometriosis tissue on the cervix. Two trusted procedures include:
    Superficial electrocauterization-
    A physician uses heat or electricity to excise the endometrial growths.
    Large loop excision: It involves a tool with a wire loop carrying electric current. It is passed through the cervix tissue to remove the endometriosis growth.
    Remember that these growths are likely to reappear even after surgical removal.
  • Preparation 

If you have experienced more than one episode of pelvic inflammatory disease  you are at a high risk of infertility. If you have been trying to conceive, without success make an appointment for evaluating infertility. Ask your healthcare provider to explain the steps for testing infertility and treatment. Understanding the process could help reduce your anxiety.

Seek Support

Although infertility, chronic pain and sexual health may be deeply personal issues, reach out to your romantic partner, close family members or close friends for emotional support. Many online support groups ensure you maintain anonymity as you discuss your concerns.

PID is an infection of the female reproductive system. Most often, the cause is an STI such as chlamydia or gonorrhea. PID is treatable with antibiotics, but it’s important to treat it quickly. Waiting too long to start treatment could cause serious complications such as infertility and chronic pelvic pain.

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