Pelvic Inflammatory Disease - A Common Complication of STD Infection in Women
STDs or sexually transmitted diseases are a group of common infections that affect millions of sexually active people each year.
There are numerous complications from these diseases one of which is PID or pelvic inflammatory disease.
PID can only affect women since it is an infection of the wombor uterus and tubes called fallopian tubes through which an egg passes from the ovary to the inside of the womb.
PID can cause scarring of the tubes and uterus causing the individual with the infection to become sterile and unable to have children.
The infection can spread from the inside of the uterus and tubes into the abdomen and cause infection and abscess or a collection of pus on or around other internal organs.
When the uterus and tubes are infected the woman usually experiences a thick vaginal discharge that may or may not have a bad odor.
She may experience much heavier than normal periods with more cramping and blood clots in her menstrual flow.
Sexual intercourse may be increasingly painful.
Eventually she will have low intense pain in her pelvic area and perhaps her low back.
Other symptoms may be fever, pain in the abdomen with walking, dizziness, nausea with vomiting and intolerance of anything touching the stomach/abdomen area.
The diagnosis is suspected from the above symptoms.
When a woman with suspected PID is examined her health care worker/provider will take cultures and DNA tests from the fluid of her cervix.
They will be checking forGonorrhea, Chlamydia and Bacterial Vaginosis infections.
Blood may be drawn to check for HIV and Syphilis.
Urine specimens will be obtained to look for infection in the bladder or kidneys.
Usually a pregnancy test is done so that a tubal pregnancy is not missed.
Other laboratory tests may be done to evaluate the female patient's response to infection and its effect on other organs and the presence of infection in her blood if she has a high fever.
Special X-rays like a CAT scan may be done of her abdomen if an infection inside the abdomen but outside the uterus and tubes is suspected.
Treatment is usually done on an outpatient basis with at least two oral antibiotics and one antibiotic injection plus comfort medications for pain.
If the patient is more seriously ill they may be admitted to the hospital for intravenous antibiotics and fluids until she is improved enough to be switched to oral medication.
There are numerous complications from these diseases one of which is PID or pelvic inflammatory disease.
PID can only affect women since it is an infection of the wombor uterus and tubes called fallopian tubes through which an egg passes from the ovary to the inside of the womb.
PID can cause scarring of the tubes and uterus causing the individual with the infection to become sterile and unable to have children.
The infection can spread from the inside of the uterus and tubes into the abdomen and cause infection and abscess or a collection of pus on or around other internal organs.
When the uterus and tubes are infected the woman usually experiences a thick vaginal discharge that may or may not have a bad odor.
She may experience much heavier than normal periods with more cramping and blood clots in her menstrual flow.
Sexual intercourse may be increasingly painful.
Eventually she will have low intense pain in her pelvic area and perhaps her low back.
Other symptoms may be fever, pain in the abdomen with walking, dizziness, nausea with vomiting and intolerance of anything touching the stomach/abdomen area.
The diagnosis is suspected from the above symptoms.
When a woman with suspected PID is examined her health care worker/provider will take cultures and DNA tests from the fluid of her cervix.
They will be checking forGonorrhea, Chlamydia and Bacterial Vaginosis infections.
Blood may be drawn to check for HIV and Syphilis.
Urine specimens will be obtained to look for infection in the bladder or kidneys.
Usually a pregnancy test is done so that a tubal pregnancy is not missed.
Other laboratory tests may be done to evaluate the female patient's response to infection and its effect on other organs and the presence of infection in her blood if she has a high fever.
Special X-rays like a CAT scan may be done of her abdomen if an infection inside the abdomen but outside the uterus and tubes is suspected.
Treatment is usually done on an outpatient basis with at least two oral antibiotics and one antibiotic injection plus comfort medications for pain.
If the patient is more seriously ill they may be admitted to the hospital for intravenous antibiotics and fluids until she is improved enough to be switched to oral medication.