Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a serious condition involving severe infection and inflammation within the pelvis. The term is used specifically for women so the organs involved range from the reproductive organs such as ovaries and uterus, to the urinary organs such as the bladder.
What causes it? And what are the symptoms? PID usually occurs due to a pelvic infection and the number one cause is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) such as Chlamydia or Gonorrhoea.
STDs are often without symptoms in women (up to 80%), which means many may go untreated. If this happens then over a period of time the infection begins to get worse and infects other organs within the pelvis leading to PID. This is notoriously painful and may need diagnosis from keyhole surgery.
People have likened the pain to serious period cramps that don’t go away.
Treatment? Treatment includes dealing with the underlying cause, for example an STD. Symptom control is often introduced at the same time, mainly in the form of anti-inflammatory and pain relief.
Can it be cured? Yes, it can. But there is a warning to this; although the infection can be cured, the damage it has done may be irreversible. The inflammation lead to scarring of the organs within the pelvis and this cannot be undone. Hence PID is a leading cause of female infertility.
So don’t wait until PID rears its head. Get checked for STDs early to avoid unwanted complications later on.
For more information please contact us or visit us in clinic.
