According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this condition affects about 5 percent of women in the United States.
Several different types of bacteria can cause PID, including the same bacteria that cause the sexually transmitted infections (STIs) gonorrhea 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.
PID can become extremely dangerous, even life-threatening, if the infection spreads to your blood. If you suspect that you may have an infection, see your doctor as soon as possible.
Your risk of pelvic inflammatory disease increases if you have gonorrhea or chlamydia, or have had an STI before. However, you can develop PID without ever having an STI.
Other factors that can heighten your risk for PID include:
Some women with pelvic inflammatory disease don’t have symptoms. For the women who do have symptoms, these can include:
Pelvic inflammatory disease can cause mild or moderate pain. However, some women have severe pain and symptoms, such as:
If you have severe symptoms, call your doctor immediately or go to the emergency room. The infection may have spread to your bloodstream or other parts of your body. This can be life-threatening.
Your doctor may be able to diagnose PID after hearing your symptoms. In most cases, your doctor will run tests to confirm the diagnosis.
Tests may include:
After collecting samples, your doctor sends these samples to a laboratory.
If your doctor determines that you have pelvic inflammatory disease, they may run more tests and check your pelvic area for damage. PID can cause scarring on your fallopian tubes and permanent damage to your reproductive organs.
Additional tests include:
Your doctor will likely have you take antibiotics to treat PID. Because your doctor may not know the type of bacteria that caused your infection, they might give you two different types of antibiotics to treat a variety of bacteria.
Within a few days of starting treatment, your symptoms may improve or go away. However, you should finish your medication, even if you’re feeling better. Stopping your medication early may cause the infection to return.
If you’re sick or pregnant, can’t swallow pills, or have an abscess (pocket of pus caused by the infection) in your pelvis, your doctor may send you to the hospital for treatment.
Pelvic inflammatory disease may require surgery. This is rare and only necessary if an abscess in your pelvis ruptures or your doctor suspects that an abscess will rupture. It can also be necessary if the infection doesn’t respond to treatment.
The bacteria that cause PID can spread through sexual contact. If you’re sexually active, your partner should also get treated for PID. Men may be silent carriers of bacteria that cause pelvic inflammatory disease.
Your infection can recur if your partner doesn’t receive treatment. You may be asked to abstain from sexual intercourse until the infection has been resolved.
You can lower your risk of PID by:
Make a doctor’s appointment if you think that you have PID. Other conditions, such as a UTI, can feel like pelvic inflammatory disease. However, your doctor can test for PID and rule out other conditions.
If you don’t treat your PID, your symptoms can worsen and lead to problems, such as:
The infection can also spread to other parts of your body. If it spreads to your blood, it can become life-threatening.
Pelvic inflammatory disease is a very treatable condition and most women make a full recovery.
However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionTrusted Source, about 1 in 8 women with a history of PID will have difficulty getting pregnant. Pregnancy is still possible for most women.
SOURCES:
Medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, PhD, RN, CRNA on April 29, 2019 — Written by Valencia Higuera "what is pelvic inflammatory disease", Healthline.com
You Might Also Enjoy...
Serving as the 6th leading cause of chronic conditions among adults, it is no surprise that more than 50 million Americans experience various types of allergies each year. In order to learn how to treat and manage your allergies, it’s important to understa
1 in 10 men suffer from Erectile Dysfunction at some point in their lifetime. As a result: Poor sexual health tends to affect your overall quality of life, and well being.
At least 40% of all women suffer from some form of sexual dysfunction at some point in their lives, and female sexual dysfunction can happen at any stage in one’s life.
This month our office is offering an amazing laser deal with a package of 4 Fotona 4D Laser treatments on sale for only $1,800.
February is American Heart Month and this is the perfect time to talk about ways to be heart-healthy. Cardiovascular health has never been more imperative, as those with poor heart health can find themselves at an increased risk of COVID-19.
Once upon a time, Cervical Cancer was the leading cost of death for women in the United States. Fortunately, in recent years cervical cancer cases and the deaths resulting from it, have dropped significantly.
