If you think that you may have pelvic inflammatory disease, see a doctor right away. If you have pain
in your lower abdomen (stomach area), your doctor will perform a physical exam.
This will include a pelvic (internal) exam. Your doctor will check for:
Abnormal discharge from your vagina or cervix
Lumps called abscesses near your ovaries and tubes
Tenderness or pain in your pelvic organs
Your doctor will also test you for STIs, including
HIV and
syphilis (SI-fuh-luhs),
urinary tract infection, and if needed, pregnancy. If needed, your doctor may do
other tests.
Ultrasound (sonogram)
— a test that uses sound waves to take pictures of
the pelvic area.
Laparoscopy (lap-uh-RAHS-kuh-pee) — the doctor inserts a small, lighted
tube through your abdomen (stomach area) to look at your pelvic organs.
These tests will help your doctor find out if you have pelvic inflammatory
disease, or if you have a
different problem that looks like pelvic inflammatory disease.
How is pelvic inflammatory disease treated?
PID can be cured with antibiotics (drugs that kill bacteria). Most of the
time, at least 2 antibiotics are used that work against a wide range of
bacteria. Your doctor will work with you to find the best treatment for you. You
must take all your medicine, even if your symptoms go away. This helps to make
sure your infection is fully cured. You should see your doctor again 2 to 3 days
after starting treatment to make sure the antibiotics are working.
Without treatment, PID can lead to severe problems like infertility,
ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvic pain.
Any damage done to your pelvic organs before you start treatment likely
cannot be undone. Still, don't put off getting treatment. If you do, you may not
be able to have children. If you think you may have PID, see a doctor right
away.
Your doctor may suggest going into the hospital to treat your PID if you:
Are very sick
Are pregnant
Don't respond to or cannot swallow pills. If this is the case, you will
need intravenous (in the vein or IV) antibiotics.
Have an abscess (sore) in a tube or ovary
If you still have symptoms or if the abscess doesn't go away after treatment,
you may need surgery. Problems caused by PID, such as constant pelvic pain and
scarring, are often hard to treat. But, sometimes they get better after surgery.
Abdominal pain is pain in the belly and can be acute or chronic. Causes include inflammation, distention of an organ, and loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain can reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen such as the appendix, gallbladder, large and small intestine, pancreas, liver, colon, duodenum, and spleen.
An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy located outside the inner lining of the uterus. The majority of ectopic pregnancies occur in the Fallopian tube. Symptoms include abdominal pain, amenorrhea, and vaginal bleeding. Treatment options include observation, medication, or surgery.
Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs,
are infections that are transmitted during any type of sexual exposure,
including intercourse (vaginal or anal), oral sex, and the sharing of sexual
devices, such as vibrators. Women can contract all of the STDs, but may have no symptoms, or have different symptoms than men do.
Chlamydia, a type of bacteria that causes an infection, is spread through sexual contact. Most of the time, women with chlamydia have no symptoms. Antibiotics are an effective treatment for chlamydia.
Normal vaginal bleeding (menorrhea) occurs through the process of menstruation. Abnormal vaginal bleeding in women who are ovulating regularly most commonly involves excessive, frequent, irregular, or decreased bleeding. Causes of abnormal may arise from a variety of conditions.
E. coli is the most common cause of bladder infections. Bladder infection symptoms and signs include frequent urination, burning urination, and foul smelling urine. Mild bladder infections may go away by increasing one's intake of fluid. More severe infections may be treated with a few days of antibiotics.
Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, are infections that are transmitted during any
type of sexual exposure, including intercourse (vaginal or anal), oral sex, and
the sharing of sexual devices, such as vibrators. Although treatment exists for many STDs, others currently are
usually incurable, such as those caused by HIV, HPV, hepatitis B and C, and HHV-8.
Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection transmitted during sexual contact. In women, symptoms include a yellow vaginal discharge, burning or frequent urination, and redness, swelling, burning and itching of the vaginal area. Gonorrhea can be treated with injectable (penicillin) or oral medications.
Infertility is the diminished ability to conceive a child. The primary cause of infertility in men is a sperm disorder. In women, the primary cause of infertility is an ovulation disorder. Most forms of infertility can be treated. Conventional infertility therapies include drugs or surgery.
Syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease, is caused by a microscopic, wormlike bacterial organism called a spirochete. There are three stages of syphilis. The first involves the formation of the chancre. The second stage often includes hair loss, a sore throat, white patches in the nose, mouth, and vagina, fever, headaches, and a skin rash. The third stage can cause extensive damage to the internal organs and the brain, and can lead to death. Though early infection often resolves on its own, treatment usually varies based on the stage of the infection at the time of diagnosis.
Abdominal adhesions (scar tissue) bands of scar tissue that form between abdominal organs and tissues. Symptoms of abdominal adhesions are pelvic or abdominal pain. Abdominal adhesions on the intestines can cause bowel obstruction, which is a medical emergency. Treatment for abdominal adhesions is generally surgery to cut the adhesions away from the internal tissues and organs. There is no way to prevent abdominal adhesions.
Women's health is an important topic area to guide a woman through the stages of her life, as well as knowing the conditions and diseases that may occur. Educating yourself so that the transitions into different phases of life is key to a healthy, happy, and productive life.
Sexual health information including birth control, impotence, herpes, sexually transmitted diseases, staying healthy, women's sexual health concerns, and men's sexual health concerns. Learn about the most common sexual conditions affecting men and women.
When you are pregnant, many sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can be especially harmful to you and your baby. These STDs include herpes, HIV/AIDS, genital warts (HPV), hepatitis B, chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis. Symptoms include bumps, sores, warts, swelling, itching, or redness in the genital region. Treatment of STDs while pregnant depends on how far along you are in the pregnancy and the progression of the infection.
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