Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

What is pelvic inflammatory disease?

Pelvic inflammatory disease, or PID, is a common infection of your reproductive organs. The definition includes many types of inflammation, including many specific gynecologic conditions such as:

• Salpingitis, or inflammation of tubes within your uterus
• Endometriosis, where endometrial tissue grows outside of your uterus
• Parametritis, or inflammation of tissues surrounding your uterus
• Tubo-ovarian abscess, or pus in your ovaries or Fallopian tubes
• Oophoritis, or inflammation in an ovary
• Pelvic peritonitis, or inflammation of tissues inside your pelvis

Pelvic inflammatory disease is often caused by sexually transmitted diseases, but can also occur due to other types of vaginal bacteria. Any time a vaginal infection spreads to your uterus, pelvic inflammatory disease can occur. 

What are the symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease?

Symptoms can vary from one woman to the next, so it’s important to listen to the messages your body is sending you and schedule a diagnostic exam if you feel that something isn’t right. Some of the symptoms of PID include:

• Pelvic pain
• Abdominal pain
• Abnormal bleeding
• Unusual-smelling vaginal discharge
• Fever with or without chills
• Pain during intercourse
• Pain during urination

It’s important to understand that some women won’t experience any symptoms with PID, or the symptoms may seem connected to a different medical concern. 

How can I lower my risk of PID?

The most powerful way to reduce your risk is to engage in healthy and safe sexual practices. That means limiting the number of sexual partners and always using a condom when having sex outside of a mutually monogamous relationship. 

Avoid douching, as the practice affects the balance of good and bad bacteria in your vagina. Douching can also mask symptoms of PID and other gynecologic issues. Your vagina has a strong self-cleaning function, and there’s no need to introduce special hygiene products into your normal routines. 

How is pelvic inflammatory disease treated?

Treatment depends on the type of PID you have, which tissue types are affected, and how advanced the condition has become. Antibiotics may play a role in your treatment path. You may need to take antibiotics for a period of two weeks to clear all signs of infection. 

If you have a serious case of pelvic inflammatory disease you may need to be hospitalized to gain control of the infection. Dr. Reddy will advise you on the best course of action during your diagnostic appointment. Contact the office nearest you online or by phone to set up your exam today.