Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a chronic infection that develops in female reproductive organs when certain infections or STDs are left untreated. It usually occurs when the sexually transmitted infections spread from your vagina to the internal reproductive organs like ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus. It causes unbearable pain and may cause infertility issues.
Symptoms of PID
You might not notice the symptoms of Pelvic inflammatory disease at first. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) does not show its symptoms most of the time or its signs are quite mild and difficult to be recognizable. Hence, you might not realize that you have it unless it causes severe pelvic pain or infertility issues. The longer period you have had the Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), the worse symptoms you can get. Once you determine the PID, you may experience the following symptoms:
● Mild to severe pelvic pain
● Pain in the lower abdomen
● Pain during sexual intercourse
● Bleeding during or after sexual intercourse
● Fever with chills
● A feeling of frequent urination
● Burning sensation during urination
● Abnormal or foul-smelling vaginal discharge
● Heavy and painful periods
● Tiredness
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) can be dangerous if you do not seek proper treatment in time.
Causes of PID
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection that occurs in your uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries.
Unprotected Sexual Intercourse
The most occurring cause of the Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is the spread of bacteria from your vagina to your cervix and so on. These bacteria are usually acquired from unprotected sexual intercourse.
PID is mostly caused by the following two sexually transmitted infections:
● Gonorrhea
● chlamydia
Disturbed Cervix
The less occurring cause of PID is when the bacteria spread into the reproductive tract due to the disturbance in the cervix. The barrier created by the cervix can usually be disturbed at times of menstruation, childbirth, abortion, or miscarriage.
Procedures That Involve Inserting Instruments in The Uterus
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) can occur if the bacteria enter the reproductive tract during the insertion of an intrauterine device, which is a birth control method. Any other medical procedures that involve the insertion of instruments into the uterus increase the risk of bacteria entering the reproductive tract.
The following are a few potential risks that can cause Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women:
● Having an unprotected sex
● Having multiple sex partners
● Being young and sexually active
● If your partner has sex with more than one partner
● Having a history of PID or STDs
● Regular douching might upset the balance of bacteria in your genitals
Effects of PID
There can be significant effects of Pelvic inflammatory disease if it is left undiagnosed or untreated for a long period of time. It can cause serious sexual health problems and can be fatal. The infection may start to spread to other body parts if left uncontrolled. The effects of Pelvic inflammatory disease are written below:
● It can cause ectopic pregnancy.
● It can cause a threat to life.
● It can cause infertility.
● It can cause severe pelvic pain.
● It can cause a tubo-ovarian abscess.
If the condition persists for a very long period, its damages to the female reproductive organs may be irreversible.
When to see a doctor
If you experience recurring Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), you have a greater risk of becoming infertile. If you are trying for a baby and are unsuccessful, seek diagnosis and guidance from your doctor. Seek urgent doctor care if you experience the signs and symptoms of Pelvic inflammatory disease mentioned above. More dangerous conditions that require urgent medical assistance include:
● If you experience severe pelvic pain
● If you experience chronic pain in your lower abdomen
● If you experience nausea or vomiting
● If you experience high temperature with chills
● If you experience an abnormal or foul-smelling vaginal discharge
Since it becomes difficult to diagnose Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) by yourself, hence it is better to seek medical guidance right away.
Diagnosis of PID
The diagnosis of the pelvic inflammatory disease can only be made by a doctor. Your doctor will find out if you have the disease or not by performing a variety of tests and exams on you and by getting to know your medical history. Your doctor is likely to ask about your sexual status, frequency of changing partners, intensity, and duration of your symptoms, etc. Usually, Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is found out by doing a pelvic exam. Other tests that can be performed on you can be tests of infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, etc. Samples of urine, blood, or vaginal fluids can be taken to perform the tests.
The following procedures can also be performed in order to observe the female reproductive organs:
● Ultrasound
● Endometrial biopsy: a procedure in which a sample from the lining of the uterus is taken
● Laparoscopy: a procedure in which a camera is inserted through a small cut in the belly to look at the reproductive organs.
Treatment of PID
The Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) can be treated by a doctor, yet the damage it causes to the female reproductive organs cannot be reversed. The following are the treatments of pelvic inflammatory disease depending upon the symptoms and other health conditions:
Taking Antibiotics
The doctor can prescribe a combination of medicines including antibiotics to have an immediate effect. Be sure to take the medications regularly without missing a dosage.
Treating Your Partner
In order to prevent the re-occurrence of the sexually transmitted infection, your sexual partner must be examined thoroughly and treated if required.
Hormonal Contraception
You can use hormonal therapy for contraception if required. The hormone therapy can help to reduce alleviation, inflammation, or severe pelvic pain in female reproductive organs. The harbor compounding pharmacy provides a variety of compounded hormones to treat such problems. You can visit the harbor compounding pharmacy online for more information.