Pelvic Inflammatory Disease Treatment

By the pelvic organs of a woman, we mean the uterus or the womb, the ovaries, the cervix and the fallopian tubes. Sometimes, due to certain bacteria the pelvic organs might get infected and this infection or disease is called the pelvic inflammatory disease. According to various studies, nearly a million women suffer from this problem in America and this is one of the main causes why several women are unable to bear children. The bacteria travels upwards through the genital tract from the vagina and cervix and reaches the pelvic organs thus spreading the infection. If this disease is not treated on time, it can lead to several problems in future. Hence it's important that you know about the pelvic inflammatory disease treatment.

Causes and Symptoms

The main cause is not known, but some doctors and researchers says that it might be due to the opening of the cervix during sexual intercourse or during menstrual cycle. There are various bacteria which cause this infection, the most common being those bacteria which are responsible for the cause of gonorrhea and chlamydia. The bacteria that are found on the cervix, can also be the main cause of this infection and not necessarily the bacteria responsible for the above two sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Talking about the symptoms of this infection, woman may or may not show any signs and symptoms and if they do not show any symptoms then this could mean that the infection is a severe one. Here are some of the common symptoms that the woman usually displays:

• Pain in the lower abdomen
• Discharge from the vagina which smells
• Pain while urinating
• Irregular menstrual cycle

Now that we know about the causes and symptoms of this problem, let us now see what are the various forms of treatments that are available.

Treatments

A woman who is suffering from PID faces the risk of damaging her reproductive organs, which might lead to infertility in women or various other health problems like ectopic pregnancy, or chronic pain in the pelvic region and various other complications related to pregnancy. Sometimes if the infection is not brought under control, it might also spread to the liver. Hence, it's important that you know what are the various treatments of this problem.

One major treatment is antibiotic therapy or the use of various antibiotic drugs. These drugs are used to kill the disease causing bacteria. Sometimes the doctor also might ask the patient to take IV antibiotics treatment and, depending on the severity of the disease, they might even ask the patient to be admitted in hospital. If the disease cannot be treated with medicines, then a surgery can also be carried out where the tubo ovarian abscess will be removed or drained.

The bacteria or the STD, might also be present in men, which might contaminate women. Hence, it is better if one knows about the treatment options for men too. Bacteria like gonorrhea or chlamydia are more common in men than in women and they are the ones which are responsible for PID in women. Therefore, men should also take certain precautions to treat this infection so that women do not get infected. One thing you should keep in mind is that if a woman has been detected with this bacteria, then her partner should also get tested otherwise they might contract the same infection again and again.

Follow the entire course of the drugs that your doctor gives you and do not stop just because you feel well. The doctor will let you know when to discontinue them. Also follow the guidelines in your country in order to know which treatments are available along with all the other information about PID.