Pelvic inflammatory disease is also known by the acronym PID, and is a devastating illness that affects the female reproductive system. It may be caused by infection with certain sexually transmitted diseases, various types of bacterial infection, and in some cases birth control devices like intrauterine devices (IUDs). The challenges with PID are that it may result in permanent damage to the fallopian tubes, which could make it difficult to conceive, raise risk for ectopic pregnancy and create chronic pain in the pelvis. Knowing the symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease is very important, but this is where the problem comes in. Not all women are symptomatic and they may be unaware of the condition until after it has damaged the reproductive system.
When symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease are present, they could include things like irregular menstrual periods or discomfort in the abdomen and pelvis that doesn’t just occur with monthly periods. PID could cause vaginal discharge that is heavy and may have an odor, often described as a fishy odor. Other potential signs of the illness are pain in the lower back, low-grade fever, stomach upset, pain during intercourse or sometimes during urination, and a sense of overall fatigue.
Sometimes the symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease are very severe and impossible to ignore. They could include a high fever, over 101 degrees F (38.33 degrees C) and very severe pelvic, abdominal and back pain. Vomiting is often present, and the pain can be so significant it causes fainting. This is medically urgent and needs doctor’s care immediately.
On the other hand, some women have no symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease until they begin to present with extreme pain in the pelvis that won’t go away. Alternately, those suffering from inability to achieve pregnancy should be checked for PID. Another indication to look for PID is if women have had an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy.
Since symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease are not always present, one of the best things women can do is analyze behavior to determine risk factors for the illness. The greatest risks occur when having sex with multiple partners and especially having unprotected sex. This raises chances of contracting gonorrhea or chlamydia, which are two common causes of PID. If women have recently had any procedures involving the reproductive system such as labor/delivery, abortions, miscarriages, or IUD insertion, symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease should be looked for because these all include the possibility of infection. Check ups with a doctor several weeks after a pregnancy, miscarriage or et cetera are important to make sure no infection exists.
